It Looks Like Chicago Is Finally Smartening Up And Looking At Downtown Locations For Its Casino

Crains- If and when a Chicago casino gets off the ground, it should be downtown: That's what potential operators are telling the city.

And they want to go big.

Responding to the city's request for information, put out earlier this year, were four casino operators: Hard Rock International, MGM Resorts International, Rush Street Gaming and Wynn Resorts; real estate developers Related Midwest, DL3 Realty, Development Management Associates DMA, JDL and R2; casino financier MGM Growth Properties; feasibility consultant Christiansen Capital Advisors; and the neighborhood group Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives. Eight of nine that responded to the location question said the casino should be downtown or close by, according to a summary of RFI responses the city released this afternoon.

Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives previously told Crain’s it pitched a casino and resort on 100 acres currently owned by the Illinois International Port District, with a tie-in to Harborside Golf Course.

All respondents have “a significant preference” for the gaming floor, restaurants and bars to be located on a single level, and that level could be 200,000 square feet—the equivalent to nearly two city blocks. That significantly narrows available downtown sites, potentially benefiting developers of large-scale projects like the 78 (a Related Midwest project), the site of the former Michael Reese Hospital or Lincoln Yards.

While respondents were “somewhat split on whether the city or casino operator should select the casino location,” proximity to existing amenities like hotels, convention centers, sports venues, theaters and shopping were important to everyone.

So was “neighborhood acceptance of location,” “ability to leverage the Chicago riverfront” and the need to include a range of dining options on-site, totaling as many as 1,000 total seats. “All respondents note a desire to leverage local culinary talent,” according to the city RFI.

“The many perspectives and insights captured in this RFI are indicative of the excitement and anticipation of this once in a lifetime project,”  Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a statement. “Thanks to the responses of nearly a dozen RFI respondents, we are not only one step closer to bringing the long-awaited Chicago casino to life, but have the critical information we need to ensure this project will be a success.”

Well would you lookie here. The city of Chicago seems to have woken up and realized that the people who probably know best when it comes to casinos being successful are the people who run them for a living. And they have all given a resounding answer to the city's planning committe- put this bitch downtown or fail. (paraphrased)

I'm just a lowly DJ turned restauranteur turned blogger so I admittedly don't know shit, but I'll tell you right now what will and won't work for this project location wise.

WILL NOT WORK -

The Lincoln Yards Project

Get this one out of your brains immediately. 

This deal took the city basically telling neighboring residents to shove their concerns up their asses, lots of money in envelopes, and a secret last-minute vote to pass. People are still rip shit about it. 

The main concerns? 

For starters the infrastructure over in that area is abysmal. You're landlocked by the river somewhat so there's basically one way in and one way out. Traffic is already a fucking nightmare all along Ashland, and that Webster intersection is and always has been a cluster fuck, and that's without a soccer stadium over there.

Oh yah, Sterling Bay really thought the city was going to approve them putting a soccer stadium in Lincoln Park. No joke. The same city that doesn't want a hamburger and milkshake restaurant replacing a run-down auto body was going to give the thumbs up to a modern stadium in a quaint upper-middle-class to upper-class neighborhood? 

(sidebar - The original proposal also included 4 Live Nation music venues of all sizes which would have effectively wiped out the independent music venue scene in Chicago. Thank God for guys like Joe Shanahan mobilizing the independent venue owners to get in the city's ear and squash this)

Putting a casino in the Lincoln Yards is a non-starter politically, even for Chicago, and would be a nightmare of epic proportions for the entire near north side. Congestion, degenerates, crack heads, ladies of the night and all the other fun stuff that comes along with urban area casinos would wreak havoc in that neighborhood. 

Pretend this idea never happened.

WILL POSSIBLY WORK BUT PROBABLY NOT-

The "78 Project" In The South Loop aka "Rivertown"

This project finally got finalized last year after sitting vacant for what seems like 20 years. That giant plot of prime real estate right along the Chicago river's south branch in the south loop finally sold to Related Midwest who named it "the 78" which has since been renamed "Rivertown" which is way better.

If the city's "daddy", The Friends of The Parks District, isn't ever letting it turn that monstrous part of McCormick Center that sits on the east side of Lake Shore Drive (and never gets used) into revenue-generating space, ya know, like a casino, then the next best spot is the 78/Rivertown location in South Loop.

South Loop is/was a booming neighborhood. It's on the up and up and is full of young and open-minded residents. Not old, set in their ways, yuppies that don't want any development whatsoever once they've moved in. 

So it will be easier to get done.

The location is also MUCH more accessible. 

You've got public transportation including Metra right there, there's already some brand new hotels recently built in the immediate vicinity, and its close enough to downtown entertainment AND Soldier Field AND DePaul's swanky new arena. 

This is a no brainer. 

Line up some mid range talent concerts at Wintrust Arena then bank off the crowd. Bears game crowds are a walk away. You're close enough to McCormick Center that if this city ever makes it affordable for convention business to return here you'd clean up on that as well. 

I could never do the job Lori's done as well as her, but I feel like this really isn't this hard of a decision…

The southside neighborhoods they were kicking around earlier in the year all sound great and I'm sure are full of great people but the money from downtown is NOT traveling out that way to gamble, dine, have a night on the town. 

If you truly want a "city casino" then put it in the city. Don't overthink it and fuck it up like you do everything else.