MATTESON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVE THE CHOCTAW NATION CASINO PLAN FOR MATTESON

PLAN CALLS FOR USING A PORTION OF THE GAMING REVENUE FOR A LONG AWAITED SOUTH SUBURBAN TRAUMA UNIT

MATTESON VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVE THE CHOCTAW NATION CASINO PLAN FOR MATTESON

PLAN CALLS FOR USING A PORTION OF THE GAMING REVENUE FOR A LONG AWAITED SOUTH SUBURBAN TRAUMA UNIT

“MATTESON IS CLEARLY THE BEST GEOGRAPHICAL SITE FOR A SOUTHLAND CASINO”

Sheila Chalmers-Currin- Village President of Matteson, IL along with the Matteson Village Board of Trustees unanimously approved the Choctaw Nation’s plan to develop a casino in Matteson. The casino plan was approve 6-0 by the Village Board on tonight.

“I want to thank the Village Board of Trustees for their full support of this plan. This isn’t just about the Village of Matteson, but its also about our region. We can now seriously discuss the possibilities of taking a portion of our gaming revenues for the opening or reopening of a Trauma Unit in the Southland.” says President Chalmers-Currin.

The project will be deeply integrated with the South Suburban community, featuring partnerships with minority business enterprises and an area dedicated to describing the multi-cultural history of the area. Tonight’s meeting was a regular meeting of the Village Board.

Planned for the corner of Lincoln Highway and Harlem Avenue, the project will feature 2,000 gaming positions, a high-end restaurant, food hall, a 200-room hotel and a 36,000 square foot convention space available for concerts, banquets and community use.

“I believe this project will be an asset not just to Matteson, but to the entire Southland Region,” said Matteson Mayor Sheila Chalmers-Currin. “After interviewing multiple casino operators, we felt the team led by the Choctaw Nation provided the best combination of experience, vision, community engagement, and a financially feasible plan” noted the Mayor.

Chalmers-Currin adds.” There is no doubt that our proposed site is the absolute best location in the southern Cook County. It borders neighboring Will County and offers the total convenience of motorist through its unique access to I-57 and I-80.

The 200,000 member Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is the third largest federally recognized Indian tribe in the U.S. and the operator of 22 casinos, 10,000 slot machines, 33 restaurants, and more than 1,000 hotel rooms. Janie Dillard, the tribe’s chief executive in charge of its multiple businesses said, “We’re honored with the chance to match our team’s experience with the community of Matteson and to create jobs and opportunity across the south suburbs.” Choctaw’s casino enterprise is one of the largest in the world led primarily by female executives.

Community engagement and partnerships with minority business enterprises (MBE) will be a cornerstone of this project. The casino team has already partnered with two MBE firms to co-locate an indoor golf facility and a family entertainment facility next to the casino. The upscale food hall will include venues operated by local MBE’s. The casino will include an historical exhibit chronicling the multi-cultural history of the area, home to several Underground Railroad sites.

“Matteson is ideally located for a successful casino project,” stated Dillard. Located along both I-57 and I-80, access to the site is ideal from both highways. Matteson is centrally located in an area far from competing casinos. The project is near other destination entertainment venues such as the Hollywood Amphitheater and a regional retail hub.

The Choctaw Nation have partnered with the Hinsdale based South Suburban Development Group.

About South Suburban Development

South Suburban Development is owned by Hinsdale, Illinois based Rob Miller, a gaming industry entrepreneur with over 20 years’ experience in creating successful ventures in regulated gaming markets. Mr. Miller’s team includes highly experienced gaming industry operational, regulatory and financial experts. Mr. Miller, a U.S. Army veteran, has organized over $800 million in gaming industry investments across his career. He has held gaming licenses in Illinois as well as other states throughout the United States.

About Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma

The Choctaw Nation is the third largest Indian Nation in the United States with close to 200,000 tribal members and 9,000 employees. The Division of Commerce manages an array of businesses including 22 gaming sites, three resorts, six hotels, a KOA RV park, six restaurant franchises, two country markets, a printing company, 17 travel plazas, 12 ranches and farms encompassing 65,000 acres where they manage 3,000 cattle and harvest 130,000 pounds of pecans. For more information visit, www.choctawnation.com.

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