The newest Four Winds Casino coming to the region held a steel topping ceremony this week and also announced several upcoming job fairs to help staff the new 175,000 square foot facility in the South Bend marketplace.
The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians’ Four Winds Casinos steel topping ceremony was conducted on Tuesday of this week at the Four Winds Casino South Bend property. The event was commemorated with remarks from Pokagon Tribal Elders, Tribal Council and members of the Four Winds executive team.
John P. Warren is Chairman of the Pokagon Band and he says, “With each stage of our construction timeline, there’s an element of symbolism.” He addedd, “Setting this final steel beam in place signifies the completion of a major phase of construction. We’re more than halfway through the process and are on pace to be ready to open in early 2018. It’s truly something to celebrate.”
Meanwhile, Frank Freedman, Chief Operating Officer of Four Winds Casino operations system-wide is plotting strategy to fill the facility with a team of more than 1,200 workers. Looking at the crew that’s already on the job Freedman says, “Our construction team is exemplary.” He notes, “We’re looking forward to seeing it all come together in the second half of construction.”
Four Winds Casino South Bend will have 175,000 square feet and include 1,800 slot machines, five restaurants, three bars, a player’s lounge, a retail outlet, and approximately 4,500 parking spaces including an enclosed parking structure. The entertainment complex will employ approximately 1,200 people. Already, some 300 jobs have been created during construction.
Partners supporting the Pokagon Band and its Four Winds Casinos in the construction of Four Winds South Bend include HBG Design from Memphis, Tennessee, Wightman and Associates from Benton Harbor, F.A. Wilhelm from Indianapolis and Kramer Management Group from Lansing.
Just hours after celebrating the topping off ceremonies, the tribe announced the dates for four upcoming job fairs to streamline the application process for the expected 1,200 new hires for the South Bend property. At each job fair, human resources staff from Four Winds will be on hand to provide information on all positions and to accept applications.
Freedman says many of the available postings will be hospitality positions in food and beverage for the new property’s five restaurants and three bars. Traditional casino positions will also be needed.
The first job fair will take place on Saturday, July 22 from 10am to 3pm at Jackson Middle School which is located at 5001 Miami Street in South Bend.
Other job fair dates are Saturday, August 5th from 11am to 4pm at Four Winds Field; Saturday, September 9th from 10am to 3pm at Jackson Middle School; and Tuesday, October 3rd from 2 to 7pm at Century Center.
Applicants are encouraged to regularly visit the Four Winds website by clicking this link, www.fourwindscasino.com, and look under employment for an ongoing list of current postings.
Freedman notes that construction on the South Bend Four Winds property has passed the halfway point, and is on target to be completed in early 2018.
The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians’ sovereignty was reaffirmed under legislation signed into law by President Clinton in September of 1994. The Pokagon Band is dedicated to providing community development initiatives such as housing, education, family services, medical care and cultural preservation for its approximately 5,000 citizens. The Pokagon Band’s ten-county service area includes four counties in Southwestern Michigan and six in Northern Indiana. Its main administrative offices are located in Dowagiac, with a satellite office in South Bend. In 2007, it opened Four Winds Casino Resort in New Buffalo, followed by Four Winds Hartford in 2011 and Four Winds Dowagiac in 2013.
Four Winds New Buffalo is located at 11111 Wilson Road in New Buffalo, the Hartford casino is located at 68600 Red Arrow Highway in Hartford, and Four Winds Dowagiac is located at 58700 M-51 South in Dowagiac, They are all owned by the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians.
Four Winds New Buffalo offers 130,000 square feet of gaming with more than 2,600 slot machines, 50 table games, five restaurants, entertainment bars, retail venues, a pool, and a 415-room hotel, making it the premier gaming resort in the Midwest. Four Winds Hartford features more than 550 slot machines, nine table games, a 74-seat restaurant, and a 15-seat bar. Four Winds Dowagiac features 400 slot machines, seven table games and one restaurant.
