The Tribe hoped to use the land in Lansing to develop a new casino proposed by the Tribe and Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero in January of 2012.
Mayor of Lansing, Virgil Bernero, released a statement saying “The Interior Department’s decision to deny the Sault Tribe’s trust application is very disappointing, but we stand strong with our tribal partners and will continue the fight to bring a casino to downtown Lansing. It is clear that the Tribe and the city would derive tremendous benefits from opening a casino in Lansing. The revenues generated by such a facility would provide critical resources and services for the Tribe and its members, as well as fully funding the Lansing Promise scholarship program that would provide four years of free college tuition to Lansing’s children."