Community members were encouraged by Chris Swartz, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community President (KBIC), to apply for a variety of construction jobs the tribe is looking to fill for future projects, which including the multimillion dollar renovation of its Ojibwa Casino in Baraga and Ojibwa Casino Marquette in the Upper Peninsula region of Michigan, according to local newspaper, The Daily Mining Gazette.

At a tribal council meeting on Friday in Baraga at the Tribal Center, Swartz invited job seekers to KBIC’s open house to be held on Tuesday, April 11 from 3 to 6pm in Baraga at the Bingo Hall located in the Ojibwa Casino at 16449 Michigan Ave. Swartz said, “If you need a job … come here,” according to the news agency.

Renovations for the Ojibwa Casino in Baraga and the Ojibwa Casino in Marquette were announced in a November 2016 press release. In August last year, the KBIC approved the two projects by ballot measure in a referendum authorizing a total of $40 million for the projects with $6.5 million slated for Baraga and $33.5 million for their Marquette casino. This reversed funding approved in 2015 that would have seen the bulk of the money go to the Baraga project. The state’s rejection of KBIC plans to build an off-reservation casino prompted the re-apportionment decision approved by community members. In early December last year, the KBIC held groundbreaking ceremonies on the casino expansion and improvement projects.

In February, the KBIC approved an additional $2 million to the originally approved $40 million in spending for infrastructure improvements to the casino, restaurant, hotel and the Press Box. According to the report at the time, the additional funding is needed for improvements to the infrastructure of several areas of the casinos in order to ensure the new complex is able to function well, with a major area of concern being the cost of enlarging and coordinating plumbing for the new facility.

Individuals interested in possible construction employment opportunities with KBIC can contact Debbie Picciano at 353-4167 or TERO@kbic-nsn.gov, or visit the TERO Facebook page.

According to management at the Ojibwa Casino Marquette, the 13,500 square foot gaming space currently has 290 gaming machines and six table games. The 17,000 square feet of gaming at the Ojibwa Casino Baraga has approximately 340 slots and eight tables, depending on demand.