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Gambling Draws Mixed Results for Minnesota Town1 July 2002HINCKLEY, Minnesota – As reported by the Associated Press: "Ten years ago, this east-central Minnesota town was best known for a devastating 1894 fire and being a nice pit stop at the halfway point between the Twin Cities and Duluth. "Now, it's a gambler's paradise. "The town that didn't even have a stoplight a decade ago now has six lodging facilities, an 18-hole golf course, an antique mall, a four-screen movie theater and a medical center. "And it's all thanks to Grand Casino Hinckley, which was built about a mile east of town and opened on May 15, 1992. The $26 million development has become one of the state's largest and most successful Indian-run gaming operations. "As a result, a Minnesota town of 1,200 residents has transformed into a high-profile, easy-to-get-to gambler's getaway. "…Visibility has been a mixed blessing. "The casino has employed thousands, raised property values, sparked tourism and modest development and turned part of this small town into a hectic and busy place. "But excitement over the growth has been tempered by concerns about image, taxes, traffic and the shifting of the city's business district to the east side of Interstate 35. "…Since opening, the casino has added an RV park, a 275-room hotel, a ballroom and convention center, a salon, coffee shop, steakhouse and gift shop. Plans also call for more growth -- another hotel tower is on the horizon and casino officials are considering adding more attractions. "…Since 1995 the city has issued permits for $24 million worth of new construction projects. Real estate agents say property values have skyrocketed since then, and the average sale price of homes has increased by tens of thousands of dollars. "Although access to the casino has improved over the years, traffic can become so congested on some summer weekends cars can be backed up or slowed for miles. "…Water and sewer improvements and construction of a new water tower and treatment plant have helped meet the demands of the expanding development, but the financing of those projects has put a greater burden on local taxpayers. "And while the casino has brought jobs to a county in need of them, pay for some positions is modest or low, and turnover is great. Longtime residents and merchants say the town has become more transient and troubled in recent years as it becomes a more frequent stop for gamblers and outsiders…" |