SOUTH BEND — Bruno’s Pizza stands out as one of the few businesses on Prairie Avenue west of Locust Road — a largely rural area on the southwest edge of the city.
But that may be about to change.
The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians is expected to announce today plans to move forward with a proposed $400 million casino project at Prairie Avenue and the St. Joseph Valley Parkway — literally next door to the restaurant.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs recently approved the project — which includes a 500-room hotel, housing and government offices — agreeing to take 166 acres of land at that location into trust for the tribe.
A news conference announcing the decision — featuring tribal Chairman John Warren, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and others — is set for 11 a.m. today at Four Winds Field.
The project is expected to create 2,000 permanent, full-time jobs and draw hundreds of daily visitors to the area, increasing traffic on Prairie Avenue from 6,000 to more than 23,000 vehicles daily.
That’s similar to the number of daily vehicles that use Main Street and Grape Road in Mishawaka — two of the most heavily traveled corridors in the county.
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