City Council Hears New Casino, Hospital Plans

Ground could be broken within 60 days on a new casino in Grove just a few blocks from Sailboat Bridge that could generate 450 new jobs. The $60 million casino will have a five-story hotel with 127 rooms, three restaurants, a 200-seat buffet and several entertainment venues, according to Paul Spicer, Chief of the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe, who outlined plans for the venture at Tuesday night's Grove City Council meeting before a standing room-only crowd.

The tribe expects to complete financing packages soon and construction should start within 30-60 days, with project completion 18 months later, Spicer told the meeting. He said the new casino will be "magnificent in nature."

"We will help Grove with the funding for increased fire and police protection and be an asset to the city," he said, adding that Phase Two of the project includes a new $5 million convention center which could be utilized by all citizens and be free to non-profit groups and associations.

Several tribal members appeared in opposition to Spicer, not necessarily the project, stating that the matter had not been brought before the Tribal Council and they can't get jobs at the current Grand Lake Casino because they did not support Spicer's election. This debate was shut off by Mayor Gary Bishop when it became apparent the tribal members were protesting Spicer, not the casino. Spicer's re-election comes up in June.

Spicer volunteered to meet with city officials soon to discuss how they could assist the city in preparing for increased police and fire requirements brought upon the city by the new casino.

Greg Martin, CEO of Grove Integris Hospital, told the council that approval to build a new $58 million hospital was contingent on raising $5 million locally, and that nearly $2 million had already been raised or pledged. "The Board wants to see a community buy-in for the project," Martin said.

The new hospital will be built on the new 18th street and will generate $70 million in revenue per year and will be the first new Integris facility to be built outside of Oklahoma City. It will have about 350 full time employees and 95 part time employees and generate some $14.5 million in payroll per year.

"We are asking the city to participate," he said.

In order to assist, Council resurrected an old trust authority that had been dormant since its creation in 1999, the Health Care Trust Authority, and appointed five citizens to its Board for temporary six-month positions. Trust authorities are created, among other things, to borrow money, since the city cannot legally do so.

These include Councilmen Terry Ryan and Gary Trippensee, Ron Lay, Mike Lewendowski, and Dr. Joseph Chouteau. However on Wednesday it was pointed out to the Mayor that three of the appointees do not live within the city limits and are thus not eligible to serve. Another special meeting has been called for Monday to re-appoint members. The trust authority's original board members in 1999 were Bob Nold, Phil Thompson, Eugene Jones, Max Tillman and Douglas Ohlstrom, but their terms all expired in 2002 and were never filled.

Council also appointed two new members to the GMSA Trust Authority to fill the unexpired terms of Dave Helms and Carolyn Nuckolls, who left the council in April.
These were Larry Green, a graduate of the Colorado School of Mines and an engineer, who will serve until September 2008, and Jim Ford, who worked for 42 years as an insurance claims adjuster and also the City of Joplin as an engineer, who will serve until September 2009. Green replaces Nuckolls and Ford replaces Helms on the board. Both volunteered for the positions.

Council also heard from Connie Brewer, chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee, who gave updates on the swimming pool and proposed new Civic Center.

"The prices for a new pool are shocking," she said, with a "bare bones pool costing at least $3.1 million; an indoor pool of only 725 square feet will cost $980,000," she said.
There are still lots of options, she said, and the consulting firm, Kimley-Horn, is willing to do presentations to Council when they are ready.

Regarding the Civic Center, she said the group had two proposals for purchasing the old Center, one for $2.56 million, another for $2.2 million, both creating new retail stores on the old site. She said Jack Forrest, a local real estate broker, never responded to her hand-delivered letter to come forth with what he had said was a $3.1 million client.

She mentioned several possible locations for a new center, 7 acres near the Physicians Office Building on 13th street; another on the Sigfried property which included 20 donated acres at Shundi and Elm Creek, offer expiring in February 2008; and another 25 acres on Highway 59. She said financing could be perhaps partially obtained from the Department of Agriculture, which makes grants and could loan up to $3 million in two separate deals, and solicitation of private donors.

"We have heard that at least one councilman would like to see this committee dismissed, and if that is the case, tell us tonight," Brewer said. Councilman Larry Parham questioned her about executive sessions held by the committee and City Attorney Ron Cates responded that the sessions were legal and in compliance with Open Meeting Act requirements.

Mayor Bishop said "if I am in the dark, it is my fault, as I did not attend any of the meetings." "We appreciate your hard work," he added. Council took no action.

In other action, Council:

--gave a Certificate of Appreciation to Randy Dahl who works for GMSA in the Water Treatment Plant, as Employee of the Month.

--Approved a site plan for Bay Pointe subdivision for Don VanHooser.

--Approved a contract with Warrant Divisions, Inc. for collection of outstanding bench warrants from the Grove Municipal Court.

--approved Geneva Wiley's re-appointment to the Grove Library Board through 2012.

--approved a bid from DDT Fireworks for $13,000 for the annual July 4 Fireworks Show in Grove.