CHICAGO — City Hall has narrowed the number of bidders seeking to develop Chicago’s only casino to three. None of them include building a mega-gaming parlor in McCormick Place.
On Tuesday, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced that the locations of Bally’s Corp., Hard Rock and Rivers Casino were on the city’s shortlist.
Finalists include:
- Bally’s Corporation has proposed a $1.74 billion casino and hotel along the Chicago River North Branch at the current site of the Tribune Publishing print shop. The land includes a 3,000-seat theatre, 500-room hotel, exhibition space, sports museum, outdoor concert hall, an extension of the Riverwalk and a casino that can accommodate 3,400 slot machines and 173 board games.
- Hard Rock’s $1.74 billion pitch calls for anchoring the ONE Central site, above the Metra Electric tracks north of Soldier Field, with a 3,500-seat concert hall, a 500-room hotel, a “Rock” spa and a casino with 3,000 slot machines and 166 table games.
- Rivers Casino’s $1.3 billion plan would anchor a development along the South Fork of the Chicago River called “The 78.” The land requires a casion with 2,600 slot machines and 190 table games, a riverside plaza and observation tower, a performance hall, and a 300-room hotel.
Each of the proposals will be presented to the public between April 5 and 7. Then, city officials must negotiate with the finalists in hopes of making a selection by early summer that will need to be approved by the city council and the state. gaming authority.
“Each proposal provides economic, employment and equity opportunities for Chicago, while simultaneously enhancing the city’s cultural, entertainment and architectural scenes with world-class amenities and design,” said Lightfoot. “Our teams look forward to engaging in discussions with the finalists and taking one step closer to realizing this decades-long project.”
The city’s assessment of five casino offerings can be viewed online.
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