(NEWS 3) – A proposed casino in the Battle Creek area is another step closer to becoming a reality.

Land has been set aside for the FireKeepers Casino in Emmett Township near Battle Creek. The site is just off of I-94 and 11 Mile Road.

The federal government has taken the 79 acres of land into trust for the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi Indians.

It is a key step towards the tribe being able to build the casino.

A lawsuit and an injunction were placed earlier this year on the Bureau of Indian Affairs thanks to a group opposed to the casino. But the lawsuit was dismissed following a settlement.

“This is an historic moment for the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi,” said Tribal Chairwoman Laura Spurr in a statement. “This has been a long journey for the Tribe. Instead of spending so much time on legal matters, we look forward to economic matters, like creating 2,500 jobs.”

Under the agreement, the casino can not open until a federal court of appeals decides whether the land qualifies as the tribe’s initial reservation under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

The group opposed to the casino says it remains confident that the ruling will go against the tribe.

The tribe applied for the land in 1999.