The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians has announced that Four Winds Casino Resort in New Buffalo will soon expand to include an additional 250 hotel rooms and a multi-use event center. Construction is currently under way and is expected to be completed in summer 2012.

The Pokagon Band also  announced that it closed on a $410 million refinancing, which will be used for payment of outstanding  bonds and loans used for the development and operation of Four Winds Casino Resort.

A new nine-story hotel tower containing 250 hotel rooms will be situated adjacent to the current hotel tower. It will contain a mix of suites and standard rooms and will be furnished in the same style as the current hotel rooms. Once the new hotel tower opens, Four Winds Casino Resort will have  a total of 415 hotel rooms.

The multi-use event center will be located next to the casino and can be configured in a variety of ways, including a 1,600 seat entertainment space that will feature concerts by major headline acts. The space  will also be available for a variety of special events, conferences and banquets.

Matt Wesaw, chairman of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, said, “The expansion validates the  continued success we have had at Four Winds Casino Resort since it opened in August 2007. The hotel  expansion and event center also fulfill the vision we had for the property dating back to its original conception.”

“The No. 1 request that we received from our guests since opening was to add more hotel rooms,” said Matt Harkness, general manager for Four Winds Casino Resort. “By adding 250 rooms, weíll be able to accommodate a larger number of guests, including those coming to the property for big name entertainment at our new event center.”

More information, including details on an exact opening date and other elements of the expansion will be announced at a later date.

For more information on Four Winds Casino Resort or to make a reservation, call (866) 4WINDS1 (494-6371) or visit www.fourwindscasino.com.