Bally’s notched a win Wednesday as the firm secured final Chicago City Council zoning approval to build a $1.7 billion casino on the 30-acre Tribune Publishing Center site in River West.
Though the council approved an ordinance and community agreement for the casino in May, the project had to go back through the zoning committee due to changes to the original plan.
Chicago officials have kicked around the idea of a casino for decades, with some city leaders viewing such a development as a potential financial savior. The proposition didn’t gain serious traction until 2020.
“This is a big deal. This is something three administrations have been trying to do,” said 27th Ward Ald. Walter Burnett, who represents the area the casino will occupy in a nodd to Mayor Lori Lightfoot. “This mayor got it done.”
The vote was 39-5, with one alderman recusing and two absent and three recorded as not voting.
The gaming company’s path to building Chicago’s first casino hasn’t been smooth, with some aldermen alleging the process lacked transparency and doubting Bally’s ability to pull off the project.
“We’re hitching our wagon to an inexperienced horse and that is a problem,” said 2nd Ward Ald. Brian Hopkins, who cast one of the “no” votes.
The gaming portion of the casino will have 3,400 slots and 170 game tables, and the development will also include a 500-room hotel, a 3,000-seat theater, an exhibition hall and six restaurants. The development will no longer include the outdoor music venue and pedestrian bridge that were part of the original plan.
Real estate players such as Jeff Shapack and Onni Group have spent tens of millions acquiring sites slated for redevelopment adjacent to and near the casino site, construction on which could set off a flurry of other multifamily and hotel proposals, as the developers that have made purchases are likely to propose for the area.
Bally’s plans to open a temporary casino at the Friedman Properties-owned Medinah Temple at 600 North Wabash Avenue while the casino’s permanent location is under construction.
Rhode Island-based Bally’s owns and manages 15 casinos across 10 states. The gaming company made its entry into Illinois in June 2021, buying what is now Bally’s Quad Cities in Rock Island.
The casino still needs approval from the Illinois Gaming Board.
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