It seems far-fetched that the Kewadin Lansing Casino will ever become more than a vision in the mayor’s head. Although the plan sounds decent on the surface, there are too many difficulties standing in Bernero’s way to make the building of the casino possible.

There are too many things that need to happen before the logistics of the casino even could be discussed.

The tribe needs approval from state senators, representatives, Gov. Rick Snyder, the Department of the Interior and the plan needs authorization from the Lansing City Council before any work can begin. It is unlikely all this will happen in a timely manner.

If getting the approval of those groups is not enough, there needs to be development agreements between the tribe and the city of Lansing because the potential spot for the casino is not located on the Sault Tribe’s land.

Waiting until the proposal was more substantive or through a stage of approval would give the people of Lansing more reason to have faith in the project. Bernero probably shouldn’t have made any announcements to the public before he became more confident in the projected success of a potential casino.

The Sault Tribe also might not be the city’s best choice for a partner in this endeavor. The tribe owned the Detroit Greektown Casino Hotel, until the casino filed for bankruptcy in 2009. The tribe also allegedly faces political, legal and economic opposition to the construction of the Lansing casino.

Given their track record, the Sault Tribe might not be the most sensible choice for the city of Lansing to make a $245 million investment with.

With the entire concept of the casino being very hard to believe, it seems tough to discuss even in theory.

However, if the casino does somehow go through, it could be a good thing for the city of Lansing. It could create more than 2,200 jobs for residents — according to Bernero — and bring the city revenue from tourists and students.

The best element of this proposed casino would be the Lansing Promise, a scholarship similar to the Kalamazoo Promise, which provides tuition for students who graduate from Kalamazoo public schools. The Lansing Promise would provide four full years of college tuition to graduates of the Lansing school district.

Tying such a beneficial idea to a plan likely to fail is a mistake. It would be in the best interests of Lansing students if the city could figure out an alternative way of funding the scholarship program.

Overall, there seems to be too many obstacles Bernero would have to overcome in order to get the casino established. It seems unlikely his plan will come to fruition.