Little River Casino in Manistee celebrates its 10 year anniversary. The mayor says over those years, the business created economic growth.
MANISTEE -- "It has grown in the past 10 years to the point that it is our county's largest employer, so extreme job creation," says Manistee mayor Cyndy Fuller.
It's these economic impacts that Mayor Fuller says makes Little River Casino more than just a resort. The business has reached it's 10 year anniversary and throughout those years mayor fuller says it's created financial benefits.
"I think through the compact agreement that they made our county has benefited from the 2% revenue sharing and it has really helped in these financial times...providing so many different organizations, whether it's for a police department, fire department or school systems," says Mayor Fuller.
The mayor says over the past decade the casino has impacted specific aspects of the Manistee community from school systems to the tourism industry.
"Just having all the families here with the job creation we have those students in our schools....It's also created a tourism destination for our community and so those tourism dollars are not just spent there but elsewhere in our community," says Mayor Fuller.
Plus, during a time when Michigan's unemployment rate is up, it's the casino's job retention that's helped to strengthen Manistee's economy.
"Although normally you might notice some growth there are other impacts in our state that have caused people to leave the area, perhaps even leave the state. So having those families here helps to off-set that negative impact....My guess is that they'll continue to expand their operation so we'll see more of that," says Mayor Fuller.
The Little River Casino Resort is celebrating its 10 year anniversary next Tuesday at 2 p.m. Members of the Tribal Government and state officials are attending the ceremony.
