Ho-Chunk Nation secures rezoning for new Beloit casino

The city of Beloit granted rezoning for a new Ho-Chunk casino, paving the way for a 600,000-square-foot gaming complex that has been in planning for more than 20 years, according to a report.

The Beloit City Council on Monday voted unanimously to rezone four addresses from an industrial district to a planned unit development district for the Ho-Chunk Nation, city officials said. Corporate Contractors Inc., a construction company based in Beloit, will serve as the general contractor, officials added.

The nation is building a $405 million casino and conference center in Beloit, according to 500 Nations, a website that keeps track of casino affairs. Dubbed the second largest casino in Wisconsin, the complex will have up to 1,800 slot machines, 44 table games, a sportsbook, four restaurants and a casino bar.

Construction is expected to start in fall of 2024 and the complex is expected to open in 2026.

Project planning started in 2000 when residents passed a referendum in favor of a tribal casino near the Wisconsin-Illinois border. The complex includes 170,000 square feet of gaming space, an 80,000-square-foot convention center and 300 hotel rooms. The project will create 3,000 construction jobs and 1,300 permanent jobs, the Associated Press reported.

Casino construction will be carried out in phases

The proposed casino will be built on a 31-acre parcel held in a trust between the federal government and the Ho-Chunk Nation, a city staff report showed. The Bureau of Indian Affairs approved placing the parcel in trust for casino development in spring of 2020, and Gov. Tony Evers approved development in spring of 2021. The master PUD plan includes more than 40 additional acres not included in the trust.

Construction will be carried out in phases, the staff report showed. Phase one includes a 240,478-square-foot Class III casino with 2,025 seats, a 62-seat casino bar and four restaurants with 508 seats. Phase two includes a potential 1,511-stall parking structure, a 76,413-square-foot conference center with 2,009 seats, a 310,089-square-foot hotel tower with 312 rooms and surface parking lots.

Beloit and Rock County will receive 2% of net game winnings, with 70% going to the city and 30% going to the county, officials said. The payment is in place of taxes as the land is in a federal trust. A renewal of the intergovernmental agreement between city, county and tribal officials is on the city agenda on Monday.

In 2022, the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded $13.4 million in Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grants to improve Willowbrook and Colley roads adjacent to the future casino site. The projects include bicycle and pedestrian accommodations, a new bridge and upgraded railroad crossing. The road improvements are separate from casino construction.

The casino will be around 17 miles from the Hard Rock Casino in Rockford, Illinois. The Ho-Chunk Nation owns six casinos in Wisconsin: Black River Falls, Madison, Nekoosa, Tomah, Wisconsin Dells and Wittenberg.