The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians broke ground on a new casino and travel plaza Wednesday.

The Louisville Travel Plaza, a $25 million development, will include a small casino, restaurant, truck stop, and gasoline station within an 18,000-square-foot building. The casino will feature 150 slot machines and sports betting.

Joining two casinos at the Pearl River Resort in Choctaw and another casino just outside Laurel, this facility is expected to draw patrons from nearby Starkville and other communities near Louisville and the Golden Triangle.

Developed by the tribe’s Choctaw Resort Development Enterprise, Inc., the casino and travel center are expected to open in about a year. It’s expected to employ around 100 people.

“I am excited for both the Crystal Ridge community nearby and for the Winston County/City of Louisville community. We have a wonderful working relationship and as tribal chief for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, it is a great moment for me that we can work together to collectively better provide for our people,” Ben declared.

“This project has been discussed for some time and (Wednesday), it is great to see it come to fruition as we break ground,” said Choctaw Tribal Chief Cyrus Ben. “This is a new project for CRDE that represents business growth for our tribe.”

“Louisville Travel Plaza” is the project’s temporary name. Ben explained a permanent name will be decided by tribal members.