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FRUITPORT TOWNSHIP, MI – Elected officials are prepared to support a proposed $180 million casino development when it heads into a public hearing in mid-October.

The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians proposes building a casino and economic development project at the former Great Lakes Downs racetrack site in Fruitport Township.

The U.S. Department of the Interior's Department of Indian Affairs announced this week that a public hearing will be held 6 p.m. Oct. 15 at Fruitport Middle School auditorium, 3113 E. Pontaluna Road. Written comments will also be accepted.

The Muskegon County Board of Commissioners remains behind the project, said Chairman Terry J. Sabo.

"Our board has on at least two other occasions has supported such a proposal for Fruitport Township," he said. "I think it'll be a positive for Muskegon County as a whole."

He said the County Board of Commissioners might vote a third time, in part because they will have a remote meeting in Northwest Muskegon County the same night as the hearing.

What opposition remains in the Muskegon area appears not to be organized. Gary Post, a local developer and construction company owner, has opposed casinos over the years but said he wasn't aware of any groups opposing the project.

"Personally, I'm opposed to it," he said. "I continue to believe they end up to be a net drain on the community, and I believe there are studies that bear that out."

He said that outside of any moral argument, bankruptcies and divorces linked to gambling are reason enough to oppose casinos.

"Just the social problems it creates are reason enough to oppose it," Post said. He also thinks claims about the casino's economic benefits have been exaggerated: "Whatever money gets spent in the casino doesn't get spent elsewhere."

On the other hand, officials like Fruitport Township Supervisor Brian Werschem remain confident that the casino could be an "anchor destination" bringing crowds to Muskegon County. He said the casino could draw more than 1 million people from outside the county each year.

"Other businesses are going to want to be a part of those million-plus people coming in," he said. "This truly will be an economic development catalyst for the region."

Werschem said the tribe's estimate of 1,200 jobs created by the casino is realistic. The Little River Band's current casino in Manistee employs about 885.

"This location is significantly larger than their Manistee location," he said. The jobs are estimated to pay an average $45,000 a year, "a solid middle-class income."

In a Sept. 22 interview, Little River Band of Ottawa Indians Ogema leader Larry Romanelli said the tribe has enjoyed tenacious support from Muskegon in the seven years that the band has pursued the casino project.

Supporters have included Fruitport Township, Fruitport Schools, Muskegon County and West Michigan trade unions, according to the band. Both Fruitport Township and Muskegon County reaffirmed support for the Tribe's Muskegon casino project with resolutions of support in June 2014.

The process of applying to the Federal Government isn't over yet, but the Oct. 15 meeting moves the process ahead.

"We're excited that we have reached the next phase of the project," Werschem said. "Just another step in the process—but this was a big step."

Stephen Kloosterman is a reporter for MLive Muskegon Chronicle. Email him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.