The Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin's plans to build a massive casino at Dairyland Greyhound Park in Kenosha were rejected by the U.S. Department of Interior, the tribe was informed today.

The tribe's plans had included: a 116,100-square-foot gaming facility with 3,100 slot machines and 75 table games; maintaining the existing greyhound track, with pari-mutuel betting on live and simulcast racing; a 400-room, upscale hotel with swimming pool, fitness facilities and spa; several restaurants; meeting facilities; a 5,000-seat entertainment center; and other potential amenities, such as an indoor water park.

Fearing the proposal would be rejected, the tribe in October asked the Department of Interior to suspend its review of the project. However, that request for delay was denied. The tribe then filed a lawsuit in November, calling the federal review process for off-reservation casinos "flawed."

The lawsuit is still pending, and the department's decision now becomes the focus of the lawsuit, said Evan Zeppos, a spokesman for the Kenosha project.

"The department's action in rejecting the tribe's application is not based on the facts or

the law," said Lisa Waukau, chair of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin. "It is the product of an illegal guidance memorandum which is the current subject of litigation between the tribe and the department. The department action today ensures that this litigation will be pursued vigorously by the tribe. The only viable legal argument that the department has put forward in the litigation is that it had not made a final decision on our application; therefore, the tribe's lawsuit was premature. The department's action today removed that argument, and we are supremely confident that the court will overturn this illegal action. The rejection today is not the end of the project, only a temporary setback. The project will create thousands of jobs, generate billions of dollars in revenue for state and local government and help an impoverished tribe become economically self-sufficient. It is good for the city and county of Kenosha; it is good for the State of Wisconsin; it is good for the Menominee Indian Tribe; and it meets every legitimate federal guideline for approval. It is disappointing that the federal courts will in the end have to order the department to do the right thing, but after a thorough review of the laws and the facts, we believe there is no other possible outcome."

Zeppos said the casino would provide much-needed jobs and revenue for the state.

"In the middle of a recession, here we have a project that would create 3,000 full-time jobs, $1 billion of private sector investment, not a penny of taxpayer money and 1,200 construction jobs to build the facility," Zeppos said. "In addition, this would be the most lucrative compact with the state of any tribe. No one would pay the state more than (what the Menominee Indian Tribe would pay) for this project. No one."