Potawatomi Hotel & Casino announces plans to expand hotel with second tower

MILWAUKEE – Potawatomi Hotel & Casino announced Tuesday plans to expand the hotel with the construction of a second hotel tower.

 

The Potawatomi tribe plans to invest another $80 million in Milwaukee to expand the hotel at its casino in the Menomonee Valley.

The Potawatomi Hotel & Casino will add a new addition, perpendicular to the existing building on its southeast corner. The second tower will bring an additional 119 rooms and suites, bringing the hotel’s total number to 500. The 180,000-square-foot addition will also feature a spa and additional meeting space. It is expected to open in the spring of 2019.

 

“The Forest County Potawatomi have committed to investing in Milwaukee. This next addition is one more example of that commitment,” said Potawatomi Hotel & Casino Chief Operating Officer Rodney Ferguson. “Aside from accommodating our guests, the project will create hundreds of jobs on the construction site and dozens of permanent positions within the hotel.”

 

"I mean, we're thrilled," said Ryan Amundsen, Public Relations for Potawatomi Hotel & Casino. "This is just another example of the Potawatomi's investment in the Milwaukee community."

With all the extra space, they'll need more people to work there, adding 50 permanent jobs to the hotel and more in construction. But the Potawatomi aren't the only ones who think they'll benefit from the expansion. The property currently employs nearly 2,700 people.

"What you're seeing is investment after investment after investment," said Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. "Today, the announcement that Potawatomi is building a second tower just tells you how successful they've been just in the last three years."

"Not only does Potawatomi attract six million visitors a year, but lodging revenue in the city last year, this is all hotels not just Potawatomi, it was $1.6 billion," said Claire Koenig, Communications Manager for Visit Milwaukee. "That's a huge economic impact that just the hotels alone make for the city. TO have a huge addition to one of those is fantastic."

While this is the latest addition to the hotel, Amundsen says it could be just the beginning.

"I wouldn't be surprised," Amundsen said. "We have a long history of growth in Menomonee Valley. We started as a small bingo hall with picnic style seating for 2,500. In that time, we've expanded four different times including the latest time with the hotel in 2014.”

The casino said in a news release the addition will provide an even mix of both standard rooms and suites. 

 

“By adding nearly 60 suites to the property with this expansion, we’re prioritizing our casino guests and their experience when visiting,” Ferguson said. “The rooms, along with the spa, will bolster the property’s reputation as an attractive destination for visitors in the region and beyond.”

 

Potawatomi Hotel & Casino currently features 2,500 slot machines, nearly 100 table games, a 1,300-seat bingo hall, seven restaurants and a 500-seat theater.

 

They hope to have the new addition open by spring 2019.

 

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