FAST FEEDBACK: Should Firekeepers build a hotel?
BATTLE CREEK, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - The Firekeepers Casino generated a fair amount of controversy over the last ten years.
From gambling opponents to job seekers, everyone seemed to have an opinion on the Calhoun County casino.
Now that it's up and running the folks behind it want to expand already and they're looking for input.
The tribe is considering adding a hotel to the complex.
The casino part of Firekeepers Casino occupies less than half of the 78 acres there, so the site certainly has space for a hotel. But is there demand for one?
There's a survey on the casino Web site. It asks how often you've stayed overnight in the Battle Creek area, where you've stayed and whether a Firekeeper's hotel would affect the decision to gamble there.
"I wouldn't use it because I live close by. I think a lot of other people might use it," said Lorrain Wawzysko of Climax.
The Quality Inn next door to Firekeeper's is currently the closest hotel.
Calhoun County has more than 20 other hotels and 1,900 total rooms.
Since Firekeepers opened, the Convention and Visitor's Bureau says the two most common questions at existing hotels are do they offer overnight casino stays and do they have shuttles to Firekeepers?
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We'd like you to tell us what you think about the possibility of Firekeepers adding a hotel to the property. Is this good for the area or too much? Leave your opinion in the comment section below.
