GARY, Ind. (AP) — The upcoming Indiana presidential primary is focusing renewed attention on Republican front runner Donald Trump’s successful bid for a Gary casino two decades ago.
Trump was awarded one of two state licenses to build Lake Michigan casinos in the early 1990s. The Trump Casino later filed for bankruptcy and was taken over in 2005 by the Majestic Star, Gary’s other casino.
Civic leaders tell The Indianapolis Star that Trump pledged to help revitalize a shuttered 14-story downtown hotel, agreeing to spend at least $8.5 million on the building as part of a local development agreement.
Former Gary Mayor Scott King told the newspaper he agreed to let Trump back out of the deal after the building’s shoddy condition made redevelopment difficult. The dormant hotel was demolished in 2014.