The north-south corridor of the U.S.-131 expressway between Bradley and Wayland may well become a hotbed of commercial and residential activity. Its rural character just might be transformed.

Officials from the Gun Lake Casino’s investment arm, Gun Lake Investments, recently were interviewed by MiBiz, and said the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians has been acquiring land in a 25-year project. The Tribe already has purchased about 1,200 acres of highway frontage along the freeway south of the casino and plans are to break ground on some facilities as early as next year.

The Tribe, according Gun Lake Investments CEO Monica King, is interested in promoting residential development and a 15-story hotel.

“We really want to make that corridor a destination,” King said.

Though the Tribe has a 140-acre parcel to the north in federal trust, it intends to petition the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs for more land. It also has been working on securing U.S. Department of Commerce grants for infrastructure investments.

MiBiz explained that businesses that operate on land in trust will not pay local or state property taxes or personal property taxes, but only need to follow tribal zoning regulations.

Making things even more interesting is potential activity on the west side of U.S.-131, where Hopkins Township is seeking to establish downtown development district. About a dozen petitioners already have asked to have property in that proposed district annexed into the City of Wayland to pickup sewer and water services. The Michigan Boundary Commission is examining those requests.

The Gun Lake Tribe also has expressed an interest developing industrial uses in the corridor to the east of the expressway. It has indicated willingness to work with the City of Wayland to secure utilities for the corridor.

The Tribe financed about 90 percent of an infrastructure project in which an overpass was rebuilt and improvements on 29th Street at Exit No. 61 were made, opening for business only a month ago.

The casino now is undergoing its own $300 million expansion, announced in April 2021, including the addition of a 15-story, 220-room resort hotel with an enclosed glass-domed pool and entertainment space. The tribe expects this expansion to open in mid 2025.

12 Comments

Bob Genther
November 13, 2022
It will be a cold day in hell when the City of Wayland offers its utilities to anyone who doesn't pay property taxes to the city. The effects of this proposal will be devastating to all taxpayers and businesses currently be taxed and charged for these utilities. I promise a rebellion in the city if this is even talked about. Our city manager and council have been aware of the potential loss of tax revenue, and has not publicly talked about it. I would propose an open meeting with taxpayers in the city so everyone understands the potential loss to the City. Several key parcels of Industrial zoned property are currently way under assessed and now there is potential to have even more parcels taken off the tax rolls loom. Wake up people! A storm is brewing.
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Just an ol' farmboy
November 13, 2022
If the tribe has all this money to buy 1200 acres of land, at a premium price by the sound of it, (with plans to basically erode the rural atmosphere many moved out here to enjoy), why do they feel federal tax dollars are needed from the US Department of Commerce to make this happen? Earlier this year the tribe got a chunk of federal money ($1.5 million ) for "urban development". Now they want to go back for more? Seriously? When it is all said and done no property taxes will be collected by the state or township on the property in trust. No money for roads, schools or other infrastructure. I know the tribe contributes to projects but these are projects that directly benefit them. I am having a hard time justifying this as beneficial to the community. Who do you suppose is going to be expected to pony up to the cost to expand the sewer and water services when that becomes necessary? We the taxpayers. Oh I know, "It will create new jobs." Most businesses can't find enough people to fill current positions now. Do you think downtown Wayland is a ghost town now? Just wait. It looks more like pure and simple greed at the cost of longtime area residents who enjoy a little peace and quiet instead of headaches of Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo in our front yards. When is enough going to be enough? Just saying.
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FRWF
November 14, 2022
There is a simple solution to this problem that would benefit all of the residents of Wayland when it comes to taxes. Make the casino include the city a part of the federal trust. Then we all can be tax free. The casino can cover the water, sewer and police and fire. But it's up to the city elected officials and city manager to make sure we don't get screwed.
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Harry Smit
November 14, 2022
FRWF This may have been before you have resided in this area. If you had ever attended any of the public meetings regarding the proposed casino, one would wonder why the casino gives any money to any entity in this area.
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Denny
November 21, 2022
I'm with you Bob. They said they wouldn't compete with business all ready here. They lied.
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Harry Pajogwin
November 14, 2022
Give me a break! Do you want to talk about "long time residents" I think you lose that argument!
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Harry Smit
November 13, 2022
It's amazing, whenever progress is mentioned, the rural card is played. Wayland, Dorr, Moline, Hopkins and Martin are all bedroom communities. Wayland years ago missed their chance to develop into a real city. Everyone was so comfortable being that quaint little town with no one using the local businesses instead driving to Grand Rapids because prices were lower. The same is happening today. Many years ago there was a prediction that the corridor (U.S.-131) between Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids would be lined with businesses and industrial sites. It is slowly becoming a reality, Good luck on your rebellion, hopefully you realize the majority of Wayland city residents leave very little of their wages to the businesses in your city. Yes, there will be jobs and they will be very good ones. Whatever comes in will definitely pay better wages and benefits than is currently available locally. If you really want to remain isolated, purchase all the land for miles around your town or village. Otherwise, adapt and embrace the progress coming to your community.
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Couchman
November 16, 2022
To date, the Gun Lake Tribe has cut regular checks to Hopkins and Wayland Union school districts and most recently covered $22M of the $26M cost to improve and rebuild the M-179-U.S.-131 interchange. As Mr. Smit pointed out, given the way the Gun Lake Tribe leadership (and MI tribes of indigenous people) have been treated historically, the tribal leadership is still providing construction jobs and hundreds of casino jobs to help Allegan County. Wayland has been in its “tweener” position for more than seven decades — Too far south of Grand Rapids and too far north of Kalamazoo for any of the large employers from either to make a large investment in Wayland. Businesses that employed 50+ were purchased and closed their Wayland locations and currently the community is only supporting one new car dealership. The Gun Lake Tribe, with the help of using its treaties granted to them by the U.S. government, is making serious long-term investments. Want to blame anyone, then blame the U.S. government that thought they were being clever by pushing the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish band of Potawatomis to some very marginal land seen as unfit for farming. They didn’t grant the Tribe property that included Gun Lake did they? PS Given the Gun Lake Tribe’s recent history of supporting local schools and covering nearly 84% of the interchange costs, I suspect they will offer Wayland a plan for its water system if it’s economically feasible.
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MR. INFORMED
November 17, 2022
"The casino is on property alleging to be Indian land; how convenient it being next to a major highway, in-between two very large cities, GR and Kzoo." In all actuality, the native land that would be the true home land is o 30 miles east in swamp... just because they have all this money from gambling and mostly preying on the addiction to gambling from the local people mostly. They really are getting over on us and the state workers approving this all are guilty of bribes. It should never been built in in Wayland or Bradley in the first place.
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Couchman
November 17, 2022
Mr Informed, Is your opposition based on the premise the federal government stole the land first by reneging on the Treaty of Chicago in 1821 where the tribe was ceded land that now is part of Kalamazoo? Was it when the federal government re-negotiated and made the Treaty of St Joseph of 1827 in which the tribe gave up their claim to the property in Kalamazoo, then dodged the federal government trying to move the tribe to reservations outside of Michigan before finally settling in what you accurately described as a "swamp"? Maybe you are offended because the tribe wasn't recognized as a legal entity after two previous treaties when the federal government refused to recognize Lower Peninsula tribes in 1934 until the tribe was finally recognized in 1999 after nearly 20 years of legal wrangling? Gambling is a choice. No one is forcing anyone to go into the casino or download a gambling app on their phone and risk money. To date, I haven't seen any of the parties that opposed the casino for several years ever belly up to the bar and make investments in businesses on the 131 Corridor that might employ even 50% of the people who currently have casino jobs or construction jobs related to the casino's multiple expansions. The casino opened in 2011. That means private investors, including those who were anonymously funding the anti-casino efforts had a decade to make property investments similar to what the Gun Lake Tribe has done along US-131. They didn't. The individuals who work at the casino (and related construction jobs) pay federal and Michigan income tax on their earnings. As previously mentioned, the Tribe also supports Wayland Union and Hopkins Public schools that was negotiated with the state. It's not an all tax-free operation.
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Gar Annable
November 18, 2022
Yaw^ko Mr Couchman for setting Mr uninformed on the record.
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David
November 21, 2022
Right or wrong.... the Tribe has spoken.
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