Shinnecock leaders sign development deal with Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

Shinnecock Indian Nation Chairman Bryan Polite (Linkedin, Google Maps)
Shinnecock Indian Nation Chairman Bryan Polite (Linkedin, Google Maps)

The Shinnecock Indian Nation is ramping up economic development efforts in what’s been a tough year for it financially, according to the Southampton Press and Newsday.

The tribe took a major step this week, signing a casino development contract with the Seminole Tribe–owned Hard Rock Hotel & Casino chain. Tribal Chairman Bryan Polite said that the partnership will look at development sites across Long Island, including in Nassau County, and said that the 800-acre Shinnecock Neck reservation is under consideration for development.

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The pandemic forced Shinnecock leaders to cancel their annual powwow, a major source of revenue for the tribe. Tribal leaders this year are also investigating more than a half dozen other economic pursuits, including a possible medical marijuana and wellness center on Montauk Highway. [Southampton Press] [Newsday] — Dennis Lynch