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Chicago City Council's casino committee may vote on $1.7 billion Bally's casino on Monday

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Published  May 22, 2022 7:09pm CDT
River West
FOX 32 Chicago

Chicagoans have mixed reactions to city's casino pick

Bally's, which operates more than a dozen casinos in the United States, proposed to spend more than $1.7 billion to build a casino and entertainment complex on a site that currently holds the Chicago Tribune's Freedom Center.

CHICAGO - Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is rolling the dice that she can get the proposed casino approved by the Chicago City Council this week, despite strong opposition from downtown aldermen.

The council's casino committee may approve the $1.7 billion Bally's casino plan on Monday, setting up the possibility of a vote by the full council on Wednesday.

Some aldermen said they need more time to analyze late-arriving financial numbers and traffic studies, but the mayor says the city desperately needs the cash for the 2023 budget.

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"This project is good for our business environment in Chicago, and is going to keep us nationally and globally competitive," said Chicago Deputy Mayor Samir Mayekar. "I will remind everyone that New York is currently exploring a casino RFP that they'll set out. And our peer cities that we compete with for tourists – like Sydney, London, Singapore – these cities all offer gaming."

The casino complex would be built at Chicago and Halsted on the site of the Chicago Tribune's printing plant with a temporary casino in the old Medinah Temple building in River North opening as soon as next year.