4 Bears Casino and Lodge General Manager Patrick Packineau and The Three Affiliated Tribes, The Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara (MHA) Nation of North Dakota have announced the investment of $47 million to refurbish and expand their casino facilities.

The tribe will be building an 85,000 square-foot arena that seats 4,000 people, can facilitate larger entertainment productions, with plans to host trade shows, rodeos, pow-wows, as well as theatrical productions. Their previous event center will be converted into a 400-seat ballroom that will also house 100 slot machines and a smoking area.

Packineau commented, “We decided that we were going to … really go all out.” He went on to state that the design team focused on comfort, safety, and practicality for their state of the art event center. Their focus also includes an environmental element with plans to install a geothermal mechanical system.

The refurbished 4 Bears event center ballroom will open in August, with the new center to open in a year. the casino and lodge will remain open throughout the construction period.