CHICAGO | City Casino - Page 64

BVictor1 · #**1261** Posted **May 5, 2022, 2:56 PM**

https://www.chicagobusiness.com/government/chicago-casino-winner-chosen

May 05, 2022 09:47 AM UPDATED 3 MINUTES AGO
Lightfoot: It's Bally's
The bid to convert the Tribune printing plant to casino is the mayor’s pick. So what sort of upfront payment did the Rhode Island-based gaming company agree to? What kind of concessions did labor win? Crain’s has the details.

GREG HINZ

Quote:

Mayor Lori Lightfoot has picked her casino winner. It's Bally's, which will get the right to build and operate the potentially lucrative gambling complex.

Bally's plans a casino on the Chicago Tribune printing plant site along the Chicago River between Chicago and Grand avenues, if the City Council and the Illinois Gaming Board ratify her choice.

The city originally received five bids: two each from Bally's and Chicago casino mogul Neil Bluhm's Rush Street Gaming, and one from Hard Rock. But in March, the city eliminated two of the proposals that would have used portions of the McCormick Place complex, contending it could hurt the city's convention business.

https://twitter.com/chicagosmayor/status...overnment%2Fchicago-casino-winner-chosen

marothisu · #**1262** Posted **May 5, 2022, 3:13 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toasty Joe

I'm a fan of this location and whatever will get the city/state the most $$$, but fairly disappointed with the design outcome here. Wish it had a bit more pizzazz like the 78's proposal, or at least taller towers and more height (setbacks?) on the river-fronting building, which looks like something from a generic German or Dutch city.

As for car parking, agreed it should be underground and/or built with the intention & ability to convert to higher utilized space (gambling, entertainment, retail) when the area densifies. Others have mentioned, but the writing is on the wall for this area... riverfront properties sandwiched between Fulton Market, River North, West Town, with (in my opinion) some of the best angles of our skyline. Not to mention, once West Loop NIMBYs start gaining more power (+ people), developers may have fewer rings to go through to develop towers a bit further north.

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong here but it doesn't sound like the designs are 100% solidified. Seems like they're pretty well set but after listening to the community meetings, it seems like there's still room to change some things around.

I call for Bally's to provide some $$ for better rail service in the area

thegoatman · #**1263** Posted **May 5, 2022, 3:19 PM**

Is it still possible that the other 2 choices could win it? They did say it has to go thru approval and all.

r18tdi · #**1264** Posted **May 5, 2022, 3:29 PM**

I bet the pedestrian bridge gets axed to appease the River North NIMBYs

moorhosj1 · #**1265** Posted **May 5, 2022, 3:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ardecila

And I assume this will push the city to prioritize the North Branch Transitway they've been talking about for years, now that they have some skin in the game.

I am eagerly awaiting any word on this.

marothisu · #**1266** Posted **May 5, 2022, 3:58 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by moorhosj1

I am eagerly awaiting any word on this.

Is it this? If so then yeah, they need some sort of light/heavy rail options for the influx of Casino + Onni planning now 3500 units near it + Lincoln Yards. Build it and make some of the traffic better so those services that do need trucks can have it better.

DCReid · #**1267** Posted **May 5, 2022, 4:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by marothisu

Is it this? If so then yeah, they need some sort of light/heavy rail options for the influx of Casino + Onni planning now 3500 units near it + Lincoln Yards. Build it and make some of the traffic better so those services that do need trucks can have it better.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/mayor-...-river-west-casino/ar-AAWVI4T?li=BBnb7Kz

marothisu · #**1268** Posted **May 5, 2022, 4:10 PM**

Oops I forgot to post a link when I asked "is this it?"

https://chicago.curbed.com/2018/12/7/18129543/north-branch-transit-goose-island-rail

Handro · #**1269** Posted **May 5, 2022, 4:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toasty Joe

I'm a fan of this location and whatever will get the city/state the most $$$, but fairly disappointed with the design outcome here. Wish it had a bit more pizzazz like the 78's proposal, or at least taller towers and more height (setbacks?) on the river-fronting building, which looks like something from a generic German or Dutch city.

As for car parking, agreed it should be underground and/or built with the intention & ability to convert to higher utilized space (gambling, entertainment, retail) when the area densifies. Others have mentioned, but the writing is on the wall for this area... riverfront properties sandwiched between Fulton Market, River North, West Town, with (in my opinion) some of the best angles of our skyline. Not to mention, once West Loop NIMBYs start gaining more power (+ people), developers may have fewer rings to go through to develop towers a bit further north.

I was also hoping there was still room to improve the design.

I wonder if the new Committee on Design will have a hand in the final approval of the casino?

galleyfox · #**1270** Posted **May 5, 2022, 4:16 PM**

In the meantime, it’s confirmed that the Medinah Temple will be the temporary casino.

Handro · #**1271** Posted **May 5, 2022, 4:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by galleyfox

In the meantime, it’s confirmed that the Medinah Temple will be the temporary casino.

Cool spot for a smaller, upscale casino. Wonder what the temporary buildout will look like.

BVictor1 · #**1272** Posted **May 5, 2022, 4:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by galleyfox

In the meantime, it’s confirmed that the Medinah Temple will be the temporary casino.

Was just about to post. That'll free up 700 W. Chicago to be purchased by Omni.

https://www.chicagobusiness.com/commerci...ary-chicago-casino-salted-medinah-temple

May 05, 2022 11:09 AM 9 MINUTES AGO

Medinah Temple slated to house temporary Chicago casino
The winning Bally's bid comes with a plan to open a temporary gambling site in the River North landmark, which would notch a big victory for the vacant building's landlord.

DANNY ECKER

Quote:

Bally's victory in a high-profile competition to build a new downtown casino has lined up a big win for a prominent River North landlord, too.

Tucked into Mayor Lori Lightfoot's announcement today that the Rhode Island-based gambling giant will get to build and operate a massive gambling complex along the North Branch of the Chicago River is news that the Medinah Temple at 600 N. Wabash Ave. has been slated to house a temporary casino while Bally's builds its permanent one on what is now home to the Chicago Tribune's Freedom Center printing plant.

It's a change from earlier plans to use a vacant industrial building at 700 W. Chicago Ave.—immediately north of the Freedom Center site—as the temporary location. The landmark Medinah Temple was instead chosen "due to its proximity to major transit and retail/hospitality corridors, as well as its ability to assist in the City's post-COVID revitalization," Lightfoot's office said in a statement on the Bally's plan.

Quote:

Another tangential winner in the deal could be Canadian developer Onni Group, which is under contract to buy the 700 W. Chicago Ave. site and would likely redevelop it with a massive residential complex. A temporary casino on the property might have delayed the sale or Onni's plans to redevelop the site.

marothisu · #**1273** Posted **May 5, 2022, 4:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by galleyfox

In the meantime, it’s confirmed that the Medinah Temple will be the temporary casino.

Good spot - will be interested to see what it looks like inside. Hope it's something more upscale. It would also be interesting to see if it were successful if they could just keep it long term.

moorhosj1 · #**1274** Posted **May 5, 2022, 4:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by marothisu

Oops I forgot to post a link when I asked "is this it?"

https://chicago.curbed.com/2018/12/7/18129543/north-branch-transit-goose-island-rail

Yes, and it was supposed to run through the Tribune site at some point. This development is all coming very close to the oft-mention Kinzie ROW. Would be great if we had the leadership or vision to better connect West Loop, Navy Pier, Union Station, Ogilvie, and Goose Island.

ithakas · #**1275** Posted **May 5, 2022, 4:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by marothisu

Good spot - will be interested to see what it looks like inside. Hope it's something more upscale. It would also be interesting to see if it were successful if they could just keep it long term.

Yeah, I'm guessing it's not in the cards but I could see them successfully keeping this location and running a shuttle bus between here and the larger casino, particularly since Medinah Temple is so centrally located for tourists and business travelers. I'm excited to see what they do with it – I said just this weekend walking past it that it'd be a cool place to put the casino.

aaron38 · #**1276** Posted **May 5, 2022, 4:59 PM**

https://abc7chicago.com/chicago-casino-mayor-lori-lightfoot-ballys-press-conference/11819679/

Are the renderings and animations in this video accurate? If so it looks horrible to me.

thegoatman · #**1277** Posted **May 5, 2022, 5:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by aaron38

https://abc7chicago.com/chicago-casino-mayor-lori-lightfoot-ballys-press-conference/11819679/

Are the renderings and animations in this video accurate? If so it looks horrible to me.

Oh wow, is that a parking podium?? wtf, every single parking spot should be required to be underground for this development. The design is so subpar, this is why i wanted the 78 to get it.

galleyfox · #**1278** Posted **May 5, 2022, 5:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by aaron38

https://abc7chicago.com/chicago-casino-mayor-lori-lightfoot-ballys-press-conference/11819679/

Are the renderings and animations in this video accurate? If so it looks horrible to me.

Some media sites are being lazy and using the original filler design instead of the updated design.

https://blockclubchicago.org/2022/05/05/...ne-publishing-plant-lightfoot-announces/

https://www.ballys.com/chicago/tribune-project.htm

r18tdi · #**1279** Posted **May 5, 2022, 5:21 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by r18tdi

If Reilly really wants to appease the River North NIMBY brigade, he should keep his powder dry and use his clout to oppose a temporary casino going into the old Medinah Temple. Bally's Tribune has a temporary site ready to go at 700 Chicago, but if another casino proposal wins the city may consider putting temp gaming at Medinah. I have a feeling it's going to piss off far more of his constituents.

Resurfacing this comment from one month ago. Crazy that under the current plan Reilly is getting hosed on the casino and the temporary facility... I suppose he could always deny the liquor license.

Perhaps the perfect temporary casino location would be the vacant lower levels of 401 N. Wabash?

ardecila · #**1280** Posted **May 5, 2022, 5:27 PM**

Medinah Temple as the interim casino is a HUGE deal. Instead of shuffling gamblers to some shitty repurposed warehouse or Indiana-style riverboat, the temporary casino will be right in the thick of the River North/Mag Mile entertainment district, and in a beautiful historic building to boot. Close to great hotels, restaurants, and public transportation. And it's a temporary shot in the arm to the struggling Mag Mile, but allows for other uses to move into Medinah in the future.

Right off the bat, Medinah will set the tone for Bally's gambling operation as a classy, respectful addition to Chicago's tourist amenities, and not a place for the "degenerate gamblers" to park themselves in front of a slot machine. It will also build excitement and establish a high-end customer base for the permanent facility.

Of course, a lot depends on execution - will the temporary casino be mostly slot machines or table games? Will they include food and drink options, or work with existing restaurants in the area? Design-wise, they already have a pretty nice interior from the old Bloomingdale's so hopefully they can supplement that with some nice carpet/wallpaper/lighting.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toasty Joe

I'm a fan of this location and whatever will get the city/state the most $$$, but fairly disappointed with the design outcome here. Wish it had a bit more pizzazz like the 78's proposal, or at least taller towers and more height (setbacks?) on the river-fronting building, which looks like something from a generic German or Dutch city.

As for car parking, agreed it should be underground and/or built with the intention & ability to convert to higher utilized space (gambling, entertainment, retail) when the area densifies.

A "generic German or Dutch city" is a huge upgrade compared to the beige concrete turds across the river; actually, it's an upgrade over most Chicago architecture from the last 40 years.

The parking is disappointing but there's still an opportunity to push for less parking before the PD is approved. Hopefully there will be some positive news on the Transitway before then (city formally launches a planning process, etc).