The Crusader Newspaper Group

Matteson Village Trustees approve plan for casino

The Matteson Village Board of Trustees unanimously approved the Choctaw Nation’s plan for a casino in a recent board meeting.

Trustees approved the plan by a 6-0 vote. Village trustees said part of the proceeds from the casino will be used to build a south suburban trauma unit.

The proposed casino would feature 2,000 gaming positions, a food hall, a 200-room hotel, a high-end restaurant, and a 36,000 square foot convention space. The casino would be operated by the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, and is planned for the corner of Lincoln Highway and Harlem Avenue.

“I believe this project will be an asset not just to Matteson, but to the entire Southland Region,” said Matteson Mayor Sheila Chalmers-Currin. “After interviewing multiple casino operators, we felt the team led by the Choctaw Nation provided the best combination of experience, vision, community engagement, and a financially feasible plan” noted the mayor.

“We’re honored with the chance to match our team’s experience with the community of Matteson and to create jobs and opportunity across the south suburbs,” said Janie Dillard, the tribe’s chief executive in charge of its businesses.

Village trustees also said the proposed casino would partner with minority business enterprises, including inside its food hall. The casino would also include a historical exhibit on the multi-cultural history of the area.

East Hazel Crest and Homewood, two other towns with large Black populations, also proposed plans for a casino in their towns.

Chicago will have a mega-casino whose location has yet to be determined. Mayor Lori Lightfoot initially surveyed five sites on the city’s West and South Sides. On Tuesday, November 11 Lightfoot traveled to Springfield to lobby for revamped tax rates for an impending Chicago casino.

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