MEMORANDUM  TO:                  Interested Parties FROM:            Mike Wittenwyler / Parker Conover Godfrey & Kahn, S.C. DATE:            July 18, 2022 SUBJECT:      Village of Bristol Despite no obligation to do so, the Village of Bristol (the “Village”) is considering entering into a recordable option agreement (the “Option Agreement)” with Kenosha LandCo, LLC (“Hard Rock Casinos”) which, in exchange for a below-market option fee, would give Hard Rock Casinos the exclusive option to purchase parcels of, or all of the land (the “Property”) owned...

According to the village website, administrator Randy Kerkman said the board approved a sales proposal from a company called Kenosha LandCo LLC. That company agreed to spend more than $15 million to purchase nearly 60 acres of land on the east and west sides of 122nd Avenue in Kenosha, southwest of 60th Street. It turns out ‘Kenosha LandCo LLC’ has the same address as Hard Rock Café International Headquarters in Davies, Florida. Hard Rock is owned by the Seminole tribe...

NEXT MEETING IS JULY 25 – THE CASINO LAND WILL LIKELY BE ON THE AGENDA! Bristol residents ask Village Board to pause the sale of land for casino and provide some transparency. Nearly 30 residents showed up Monday to the Bristol Village Board meeting this past Monday in search of more information. Join us on the 25th and demand the transparency that your local government is required to provide. READ MORE

“The deal with Kenosha Landco was done with little public attention. In fact, the option agreement includes a secrecy clause stating that “Except as required by law, none of the parties hereto shall, directly or indirectly, disclose, comment or make any other communication concerning the contents of this letter prior to the execution of the Option Agreement without prior written notice to the other party.” READ MORE 

Milwaukee-based Michael Best & Friedrich LLP has a long history of serving as attorney for the Village of Bristol. The powerhouse law firm also represents the Seminole Tribe of Florida, which has its eye on about 60 acres of prime development land owned by the small Kenosha County community for a casino. It’s an overlapping relationship that may feel a little too cozy for ethical comfort. Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: Wednesday, July 6. 2022 Contact: Lorri Pickens, Lorri@citizensagainstgambling.com; 920-659-4489 Bristol Village Board’s Lack of Transparency Leaves Local Residents in Dark Details on Public Land for a Kenosha Casino Leave Unanswered Questions Bristol, Wis. – The Bristol Village Board of Trustees and the Bristol Community Development Authority (CDA) rushed to throw together a last minute, special closed session meeting to discuss a real estate proposal from the Florida Seminole Tribe/Hard Rock Café & Casino which has been intentionally disguised as the Kenosha...

Citizens Against Expanded Gambling is Committed to Providing Bristol Village Residents with adequate notice and information Read More Here:  CAEGI-1001-PC-WI-PRT Community Alert final Please attend the July 11, 2022 Village Board Meeting!    

Some residents in the Kenosha County village of Bristol are worried community leaders are fast-tracking a land sale that could put a casino in their backyard. And the local government’s failure to clearly alert residents to action on the property is only heightening concerns that the Bristol Village Board is secretly trying to drive a deal that could ultimately prove detrimental to the community.   Read more here: Secrecy shrouds Bristol land deal for casino – Wisconsin Spotlight

Wisconsin Spotlight has learned that the Bristol Community Development Authority (CDA) recently approved an offer by the Kenosha Land Co. to purchase some 60 acres owned by the Village of Bristol in Kenosha County but located in the city of Kenosha. The Kenosha Land Co. shares the same address as Hard Rock International, operator of a brand of hotels, restaurants and casinos owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida. The authority’s recommendation now goes to the Village Board for a final vote,...

MAY 25TH, 2022 | 6:09 AM | By M.D. Kittle HARD ROCK CASINO COMING BACK? MADISON — A long-dead casino project in Kenosha is being resurrected by the Florida Indian tribe that partnered on a similar proposal nearly a decade ago, Capitol sources tell Empower Wisconsin. This time, the Seminole Tribe of Florida is looking to purchase approximately 16 acres just west of Interstate-94 in the growing village of Bristol, about 15 miles west of Kenosha, sources say. Bristol village officials say they...