Ankeny Council Votes on Proposed Agreement with Casino Developer

The Ankeny City Council Monday night voted to accept a memorandum of understanding with a company that hopes to build a $150-million casino and entertainment venue on the city's north side.

The council voted 4-1 in favor of the agreement after only 15 minutes of discussion, which willl help Wild Rose Entertainment LLC, led by West Des Moines developer Gary Kirke and partner Michael Richards, obtain a gambling permit it needs to operate a casino within the city.

The vote is only the first of several hurdles developers will need to get over before the casino could be built.

Council member Bobbi Bentz cast the dissenting vote.

"My initial concern is this has been a very quick process, even from when the agenda was made public," Bentz said prior to the vote. "I don’t think we had ample time to discuss this first piece. My preference would be to table this vote."

Wild Rose is considering building a casino on land near the interchange of Interstate 35 and Northeast 36th Street, according to the Des Moines Business Record.

The proposed complex includes the casino as well as a hotel, a 50,000-square-foot events center and multiple dining options located within the venue, said Tom Timmons at tonight's meeting. Timmons is Wild Rose's vice president of operations.

Under terms of the agreement, Wild Rose would not seek a state casino permit to operate another casino in Polk, Dallas, Jasper, Story or Warren counties, and the city would not cooperate with another entity that wanted to operate a gambling establishment in those counties.

Kirke and Richards are also partners in Fair Grounds LLC, which just last month filed an application with the city of Urbandale to rezone 85 acres of land to build a new casino. A week later, the application was withdrawn without explanation.

The proposal will now be reviewed by city staff before moving to the Planning and Zoning Commission. A public hearing will be held before the proposal is moved to the city council. The council will also hold a public hearing to gain input from Ankeny residents, said Ankeny city attorney Amy Beattie.

"I want there to be ample opportunity for citizens to express their views on it," said council member Wade Steenhoek.

The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission has made it clear it considers the state’s gambling market generally saturated, according to the Des Moines Register. Polk County has been described by one casino consultant’s study as an underserved market. But any new casino in central Iowa would be expected to siphon money and patrons from Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino, which is owned by Polk County taxpayers, said critics of the Urbandale proposal that was shelved.

Prairie Meadows, which employs 1,450 people, is projected to contribute $37 million this year to Polk County, the City of Des Moines, local schools and charities, the Register reported.

The profits from Prairie Meadows, which is a non-profit entity, also pay the millions of dollars in bonds issued to build the Iowa Events Center. And, the gambling revenue has helped backfill the county's budget in recent years.

Our Earlier Coverage

UPDATED: Ankeny City Council to Consider Site Along I-35 for Casino