Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Wants to Build a Casino Resort

(KNOX) – The Grand Forks Committee of the Whole approved a letter of intent for the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa to build a casino.

The casino resort is slated to be built on property west of Interstate 29 near the Grand Forks Campground.

Tribal Chairman Jamie Azure was before the committee and says that the area is missing out on money.

“That dollar is driving right by the City of Grand Forks right now. This plan, when you break it all down, is to drop that net, and capture that dollar before it drives through City of Grand Forks, but before it drives out of this county,” Azure told the committee.

There is a great deal that would need to be done before a casino could open in the City of Grand Forks. Things like changes to state regulation and getting approval from the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Department of the Interior.

Azure says that building the resort would be a joint effort.

“We envision a broad economic development initiative. That will involve numerus stakeholders from the public and private sectors, including city, county and governmental entities throughout this area,” says Azure.

He says his tribe has deep ties to the Grand Forks area.