City Hall releases details of casino proposals

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City Hall releases details of casino proposals. Bally’s, Hard Rock, and Rivers Casino have submitted summary proposals for the downtown casino. The proposals differ in their locations, dollar commitments and in how quickly they could be up and running. The Rivers Chicago McCormick proposes to use 2,900 existing Chicago hotel rooms and build 250 more. Mayor's office is confident all five proposals will generate $200 million annually.

Rivers Chicago McCormick proposes to build a casino at the Lakeside Center. The estimated cost for 2,600 gaming positions is $1.3 billion. It calls for an updated Arie Crown Theater and access to the McCormack Place convention halls.

The proposal for the long-vacant, 62-acre South Loop site once owned by convicted political player Tony Rezko carries a $1.6 billion price tag. It could conflict with Gov. J.B. Pritzker's plan to use part of the property for a University of Illinois tech research center. The development includes a 450,000-square-foot casino with 3,300 gaming positions, a “world-class sportsbook” and an entertainment complex that includes what the partners call a "Mister Kelly's nightclub."

Hard Rock wants to build a $1.7 billion casino and entertainment complex at the One Central project. The project is dependent on a public transit center. South Loop residents are opposed to the development.  Hard Rancher claims the site would generate an additional $70 million in gaming revenue for the city and $81 million more for Illinois.

Bally's wants to build a permanent casino at 777 W. Chicago Ave. near the Tribune and Sun-Times. The entertainment component would include a River West outpost for the legendary comedy club "Second City" and a Bally Sports Bar. Baly claims it is conflict-free and has no interest in the Chicago market.

Bally's McCormick Place is a proposal for a casino at the truck marshaling yards. Ald. Sophia King is opposed to it because it's too close to her development. The plan includes 2,700 slot machines and 95 table games, a 100-room luxury hotel, an outdoor music venue with 500 to 1,000 seats and green space. It also includes a 3,00-seat flexible entertainment venue. Bally’s McCormack is unique in its proposal to use a portion of the available 4, 000 gaming positions for O”Hare and Midway airports.