GRAND FORKS (AP) - The Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa has hired architects to draw floor plans and drawings of a proposed casino south of Grand Forks. The plans should be done in two months.

The plans are not required in the tribe's application for permission to open a casino outside its north-central North Dakota reservation. But tribal officials said the key to getting both federal and state permission is the city's blessings.

And so far, the city has not given its full support.

The architect's work would show people what the casino would look like. Plans would show the layout of the gaming floor and attached restaurants and lounge.

"It'll give your general person an idea of how the casino would function and what it would look like," said Jim Kobetsky, a principal of Schoen Associates.

"A lot of it is image, you know," said Bill Johnson, a consultant to the tribe. "Misinterpretation and misconception sometimes lead to wild ideas by some people."

Some residents have formed a group to oppose the casino, which could be open by the summer of 2007.