Developers of Ankeny Casino Offer City Chance to Opt Out of Agreement

Wild Rose Entertainment LLC, the gaming company seeking to build a $150 million facility in Ankeny, announced today it will allow the City of Ankeny to opt out of an agreement signed on Oct. 29.

The measure goes before the Ankeny City Council on Monday, Nov. 19. The agreement, signed by Mayor Steve Van Ort after the Ankeny City Council approved it with a 4-to-1 vote, sparked misperceptions in the media and among residents regarding the meaning of the document as well as its placement on the council’s agenda, according to a Wild Rose news release.

The agreement does not constitute approval of a casino, but rather represents a very early step in the process to obtain a gaming license from the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission.

“The MOU only stipulated we would work with each other exclusively for the term of the agreement,and that Ankeny would allow the project to proceed through the appropriate municipal channels,” said West Des Moines businessman Gary Kirke, chairman of Wild Rose, in the release. “We reached out to the city with this offer in order to alleviate the public controversy and media misconceptions surrounding the MOU.

“We continue to believe in this project and the many advantages and assets it can generate for the community. We are proceeding with our due diligence and continuing to work through the appropriate city channels and procedures, all of which are public and transparent,” he said in the news release.

Wild Rose initiated the process to discontinue the agreement this week and provided the necessary legal documentation earlier Friday to Jim Spradling, Ankeny’s city manager.

“We thank the city of Ankeny and the many residents who have expressed support for the project,” Kirke added. “We look forward to continuing this process.”

Friday was the deadline for officials with Wild Rose Entertainment to submit a rezoning request in time to be on the Dec. 4 Ankeny Plan and Zoning Commission agenda, but no paperwork was filed, according to the Des Moines Register. Work is continuing on the project, but more time is needed to put everything together, Wild Rose spokeswoman Jamie Buelt told the newspaper.

“We continue to believe in what the project can bring to Ankeny in terms of community assets it doesn’t have – with the events center, $8 million in revenue, 600 jobs, $22 million annual payroll and benefits package, and be part of helping Ankeny better balance its property taxes,” Buelt told the Register.

The next deadline will be Nov. 30 for the Dec. 18 zoning commission meeting.

Residents Organize to Oppose Casino

Some residents have begun a petition drive against plans to build a casino in Ankeny and started a Facebook page called Ankeny Citizens Against the Proposed Casino.

Ankeny resident Mike Meyerring said the group's members know the petition would have no binding effect on the City Council, but they are pursuing a goal of 6,600 signatures in opposition to the project.

The $150 million casino project would be built near the new 36th Street interchange on Interstate 35 in Ankeny.