CHICAGO | City Casino

[Toasty Joe]

^I wouldn't be too mad about it. Medinah Temple is a far superior location for getting tourists and downtown employees. The permanent site is going to be a cluster unless they start acting on a North Branch transit plan. Not to mention the sites around it are soon to be developed with some tall towers, so this site could potentially help stitch together a much nicer urban neighborhood along the river here than the casino would likely offer.

[twister244]

Originally Posted by CaptainJilliams

This doesn't sound great...

New $1.7 billion Bally’s Chicago casino at risk, says city official
https://www.casino.com/blog/2023/12/03/new-ballys-chicago-casino-at-risk/

Shouldn't we wait until Bally's releases a statement as opposed to going off the ramblings of a bitter Alderman?

Worse comes to worse, Bally's scales down some of their original proposal. I'm holding my breath until I hear otherwise.

[glowrock]

Originally Posted by twister244

Shouldn't we wait until Bally's releases a statement as opposed to going off the ramblings of a bitter Alderman?

Worse comes to worse, Bally's scales down some of their original proposal. I'm holding my breath until I hear otherwise.

But posting knee-jerk reactions to some article using dubious sources (ie: a disgruntled alderman) is so much more fun!

[skysoar]

Originally Posted by glowrock

But posting knee-jerk reactions to some article using dubious sources (ie: a disgruntled alderman) is so much more fun!

I still cannot believe this site was chosen over the 78 location. Man I am so glad Lightfoot is gone. Unless there was some underlying reason, I think she blew it big time.

[twister244]

Originally Posted by skysoar

I still cannot believe this site was chosen over the 78 location. Man I am so glad Lightfoot is gone. Unless there was some underlying reason, I think she blew it big time.

But what does that have to do with the alleged issue? If the temporary casino isn't bringing in the expected foot traffic, that's more a function of macro economic conditions than the site selected for the main casino.... Right?

[skysoar]

Originally Posted by twister244

But what does that have to do with the alleged issue? If the temporary casino isn't bringing in the expected foot traffic, that's more a function of macro economic conditions than the site selected for the main casino.... Right?

Perhaps, so yes, its all-academic now and we want the project to succeed, but I just believe the 78 site with its tourist components, especially the observation tower would have brought more foot traffic. Macroeconomics is a problem, but it doesn't seem to be slowing down Chicago tourism that is reporting record revenues, hotels, conventions, and 50 million tourist visiting last year, and rising in 2023, per Choose Chicago. I believe the 78 casino with closer proximity to the convention center would've benefitted greatly. But the choice has been made and we have to hope for the best now with City Casino.

[DCReid]

The U.S. attorney’s office and Chicago’s inspector general are looking into the process by which Bally’s won its city casino license in response to complaints made by unsuccessful bidders, according to Crain’s Chicago Business.

Second Ward Alderman Brian Hopkins, a longtime critic of former Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s handling of the casino approval process, confirmed the existence of the federal inquiry to Crain’s, which also cited unnamed sources. Chicago Inspector General Deborah Witzburg is conducting a second, parallel inquiry, the outlet reports...


https://www.bisnow.com/chicago/news/comm...l-under-federal-and-local-inquiry-121923

[Steely Dan]

Potential corruption?

In a deal between the City of Chicago and the casino industry?????



That just doesn't add up.

[Mr. Chicago]

Mr. Chicago here
Any way Chicago can invite the other casino developers back? I am the afraid
latest news on the casino may make the Halstead projects a less
attractive investment. By the way, if the "Medinah" casino is not doing to well
try changing the parking rules around the neighborhood. One time I got a ticket there on Ohio by the Jewel and I try to pay it in person. The process was like a Seinfeld episode. Nobody in city government knew who gave me the ticket. Furthermore the police down by the planetarium apologized to me for the ticket. Chicago--- you are the best and I mean it.

[twister244]

Some quantitative information on how much revenue the temporary casino brought in this past "year". I put "year" in quotations as the casino was only open a handful of months. If I recall, it took a bit longer than expected to open the doors.

So, obviously the numbers came up significantly short of projections from the city, but...... They really picked up in December. If you were to extend December's monthly numbers of the year, the casino, in theory, would have brought in $102 million, which would have put it right on par for 2023 expectations.

It will be interesting to see how numbers perform over the coming months, especially in the middle of Winter.

https://blockclubchicago.org/2024/01/09/...year-less-than-one-fourth-of-citys-goal/

[jpIllInoIs]

Ballys begins hourly shuttles to/from Argyle street

How could community leaders not know this was going to be initiated? We talked about this potential 3 years ago. The reality is that these shuttles already exist but deliver patrons to Indiana, Des Plaines, Elgin, Joliet and Aurora. (maybe not all go to Argyle but from Chinatown).

From Block Club Chicago

UPTOWN — Bally’s temporary casino is running more shuttles to predominately Asian and Asian-American parts of the city, now operating two hourly buses from Uptown in addition to its Chinatown routes.

The Asia on Argyle shuttles run hourly from noon-3 a.m. within three minutes of each other, according to schedules on the casino’s site. Casino guests can choose between two pick-up locations, Cafe Hoang, 1020 W. Argyle St., and New Furama Restaurant, 4936 N. Broadway, according to the casino’s site.
...

The North Side buses come after Block Club Chicago revealed the casino operator quietly added two hourly shuttle bus locations in Chinatown in October. It was largely unknown to local leaders and organizers until a reporter reached out to ask about the routes. The shuttles were running only out of Chinatown at the time.


Similarly, Uptown’s leaders said they were largely unaware of the shuttles heading to the neighborhood’s enclave of Asian restaurants, cafes and shops.

Ald. Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth (48th), whose ward includes Uptown, told Block Club she shared similar concerns as South Side Ald. Nicole Lee (11th) and Rep. Theresa Mah, both of whom represent Chinatown and criticized the casino running the shuttles there.

Lee previously told Block Club she was concerned for the safety of people using the shuttle, while Mah was concerned about the casino targeting a community with a history of problem gambling to drive revenue.
....
Manaa-Hoppenworth also questions how the shuttles will impact traffic, local businesses and the economic growth of the neighborhood, she said. Bussing people to spend dollars outside of the community is also a concern, the alderwoman said.

“I’m open to anyone who wants to come [to the neighborhood], but it has to be two-way communication,” Manaa-Hoppenworth said.

Uptown United & Uptown Chamber of Commerce said in a statement its leaders are aware of the shuttles and have contacted Bally’s.

“We’ve shared our concerns with the stops given the traffic already on Argyle and Broadway, and encouraged them to engage with neighborhood stakeholders and businesses,” said Sarah Wilson, executive director of Uptown United & Uptown Chamber of Commerce.

[SIGSEGV]

I don't understand these shuttles. Isn't the Red Line a better option for both? (Maybe not late at night...)

If they had shuttles to Seafood City or something, that I would understand a bit better (and hell, I might ride those shuttles in reverse :-p ).

[ardecila]

The shuttles are free and secure, which is important for people walking in with money and (hoping to) walk out with a lot of money. From the standpoint of the casino operator, the shuttles make perfect sense so long as folks are riding them.

I think Lightfoot messed up by not choosing the other Bally's site, on the marshalling yards. Realistically that site will not be developed for generations, due to the high cost of building a platform and weak-to-mediocre demand for housing in Bronzeville. It would have a perfect nexus with McCormick Place and the growing hotel complex down there. I know the Bronzeville community didn't want it, but River West/River North community didn't want a casino on the Tribune site either. Lightfoot was gonna steamroll a community no matter what site was chosen.

And the Tribune site doesn't *need* a casino to get redeveloped. It's surrounded by hot neighborhoods, extremely close to downtown, etc.

[Kngkyle]

Originally Posted by ardecila

The shuttles are free and secure, which is important for people walking in with money and (hoping to) walk out with a lot of money. From the standpoint of the casino operator, the shuttles make perfect sense so long as folks are riding them.

I think Lightfoot messed up by not choosing the other Bally's site, on the marshalling yards. Realistically that site will not be developed for generations, due to the high cost of building a platform and weak-to-mediocre demand for housing in Bronzeville. It would have a perfect nexus with McCormick Place and the growing hotel complex down there. I know the Bronzeville community didn't want it, but River West/River North community didn't want a casino on the Tribune site either. Lightfoot was gonna steamroll a community no matter what site was chosen.

And the Tribune site doesn't *need* a casino to get redeveloped. It's surrounded by hot neighborhoods, extremely close to downtown, etc.

The site that was chosen was literally the only site that was in zero need of a casino to make it an lucrative development site...

[Klippenstein]

And also the most likely to be successful because of the location...

[Mulan]

https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/ballys-chicago-casino-contractor-hiring-process

[Klippenstein]

Are they delaying the high-rise hotel portion?

[Bonsai Tree]

What the hell is that mini hotel they stuck on the roof?

[mh777]

No way did they VE the 500' tall original hotel out... Please somehow get a new casino operator. New Buffalo and most locations in the middle of nowhere have taller hotel components. Bally's is not fit for this endeavor.

[Kngkyle]

comical