Red Cliff hope longer gaming pact will propel new resort-casino By JULIET WILLIAMS Associated Press Writer RED CLIFF, Wis. (AP) - The land holds just a few acres of grass and trees, a dandelion filled campground and a handful of run-down buildings that spill out an assortment of rusted trucks and broken mechanical equipment. But tucked in this spot on the breathtaking shore of Lake Superior, Ray DePerry sees a pot of gold waiting to be tapped. The Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa chairman says the site could give his tribe the financial boom it has dreamed of, when his plans for a resort and casino go ahead. The Red Cliff have yet to cash in on the big windfall other tribes have seen as Wisconsin's casino gaming industry expanded in the last decade. Their tiny casino is in a former bowling alley at the northernmost tip of Wisconsin - nearly eight hours by car from Milwaukee and a long way in style from the fancy resorts that lure freespending travelers. U.S. Census Bureau figures show the Red Cliff remain one of the state's poorest tribes, with a median, or midpoint, household income of just $24,412 in 2000, well below the state median of $43,731. About a quarter of families on the reservation live in poverty. The tribe's campground and small marina are more profitable than its casino. State numbers show the tribe collects less than $3 million a year in net revenue from the casino, less than any other tribe in Wisconsin. DePerry hopes all that is about to change. Since the tribe signed an unending agreement with the state to expand casino operations, financiers are backing DePerry's big dream - a 65-room luxury hotel with a casino, 125-seat restaurant, pool and marina to capitalize on the Apostle Islands across the water. "Now that we know we can keep operating, our investors look at it a lot more favorably," DePerry said. "This is a gold mine here on this point. ... That little town (nearby Bayfield, pop. 650) is just packed with people during the summer." A full-color architect's vision of the $22 million Apostle View Casino Resort and $3 million marina is prominently displayed in the tribe's office. It's expected to add 250 to 300 jobs. Right now, the tribe can't afford to offer residents much needed services such as dental care and home repair. "I can't believe in this day and age we just don't have these things," DePerry said. A tour of the 15,000-acre reservation reveals run-down trailers held together with patchwork repairs. Broken down and burned out cars are scattered near homes. Piles of garbage line vacant lots. DePerry dreams of spinoff projects and diverse jobs, such as those at the reservation's tribal fish hatchery, funded by $3 million in state money from gambling. The tribe's current casino, the Isle Vista Casino, is just a break-even operation, but about 70 percent of its workers are American Indian. It is Bayfield County's sixth-largest employer. "We keep 100 to 120 people employed. We'll be happy with that because that's 120 people off the welfare rolls," DePerry said. A dimly lit bar lies to the left as visitors enter the small, run down casino perched at the top of a parking lot. Murals of teepees line a wall next to a row of slot machines. There are just two blackjack tables. A check-cashing service offers instant cash for paychecks. A tired restaurant serves up diner fare - the reservation's only restaurant. Even the tour bus waiting outside has seen better days. The buses bring elderly visitors from places such as Michigan's Upper Peninsula and Duluth, Minn., five days a week, but with only 230 machines, there's not much profit. Business is down this year because of the faltering economy, casino manager Gary Defoe Sr. said. "We definitely need something bigger," said Defoe. The tribe's new deal calls for it to start making payments to the state once revenues pass $5 million a year. The tribe never hit its old $3 million ceiling. Some tribes are just luckier, DePerry said. "Through the good grace of a higher power, they're located in a situation that proves to be a gold mine. As fate would have it, they're doing extremely well," he said.