Black Bear Casino

Project goal

When the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa set out to expand Black Bear Casino, they weren't just adding square footage

They were investing in a space that would serve their community; a place built to host professional events, bring people together, and reflect the ambitions of a growing destination resort. 

Completed in the spring of 2025, the 27,000 SF Black Bear Casino Event Center is now open to the public. Seven new event spaces, a professional commercial kitchen, and common areas for meetings and presentations have transformed how the property serves guests and the broader Fond du Lac community.

Building around the business

Adding on to an active casino isn't like breaking ground on an empty lot

Every decision has a ripple effect, and the guests can't feel it. Construction began in the summer of 2024, while the casino and resort remained fully operational. For guests arriving on a Friday night, there was no indication that a major expansion was underway. That didn't happen by accident.

The team developed a detailed phasing plan that kept construction activity isolated from guest-facing areas. Off-hours work, strict noise protocols, and continuous coordination with casino operations kept disruptions to a minimum. Every phase was planned with the guest experience in mind, because reputation and hospitality aren't afterthoughts.

Staying ahead of the schedule

Long lead times are a reality of construction, and the teams that thrive are those that plan proactively and know how to pivot

Material availability was a real risk from the start. Supply chain uncertainty meant that a reactive procurement approach would have put the project in jeopardy before the foundation was poured.

The team got aggressive early. Heavy early procurement strategies locked in critical materials well ahead of need, creating buffer where it mattered most. Throughout construction, Procore kept every stakeholder aligned; scheduling, documentation, and communication all living in one place. For the Fond du Lac Band, that meant fewer surprises and a project that opened on time.

An event center built to flex

A space that only works one way doesn't work for very long

The old multi-purpose common room served its time. The new event center was built for something different: a dedicated, professional venue engineered for flexibility.

Seven distinct event spaces can be combined or divided based on the occasion. A sophisticated AV system ties it all together, with sensors that automatically adjust audio and visual settings as movable walls shift, so the technology follows the room, not the other way around. Dynamic wall coverings and color-changing LED lighting in the hallways let staff set the mood for each event, whether it's a corporate conference, a community gathering, or a concert night.

For guests of Black Bear Casino, the result is a venue that is sought-after, refined and flexible.

A partnership

The best time to solve a budget problem is before it becomes one

That takes trust and showing up early. This was the largest project Gardner had completed with the Fond du Lac Band, and we approached it accordingly. From the earliest design stages, the team embedded ourselves in the process, providing real-time feedback on cost implications, flagging material lead times before they became problems, and helping the design evolve in ways that preserved intent without straining the budget.

That kind of engagement requires honesty. It means being willing to raise a flag when a decision has downstream consequences, and it means doing it early enough that there are still options. For the Fond du Lac Band, it meant walking into construction with a budget they could rely on and a team they could trust.