In her letter, Irizarry listed two overriding concerns in the casino debate: “listening to the community” and “promoting public parkland.” A bid from Hard Rock suggests Lakeside Center or McCormick Place North as temporary sites until a permanent one can be finished nearby on a development site known as One Central. Chicago Ave., or one from Bluhm’s Rivers Casino that relies on 62 vacant acres southwest of Roosevelt Road and Clark Street.Īnother Bally’s proposal would put the casino in the marshaling yards, while the second Rivers plan places it in the Lakeside Center. The only proposals that would not touch McCormick Place are a Bally’s bid for the Chicago Tribune’s Freedom Center printing site, 777 W. “In 2019, 35,000 trucks used the marshaling yards and their proximity to our campus is a competitive advantage,” Clark said. The marshaling yards, she said, reduce truck congestion and helps exhibitors and contractors set up and take down items quickly. “This access for visitors, including those who are not using the casino, would activate this space that has blocked east-west access to the lakefront for decades, instead inviting all Chicagoans to enjoy the glory of Lake Michigan from a perch above the parkland.”Ĭlark reported that McCormick Place North was booked nearly to its maximum level in the years before the pandemic knocked out most convention business.

“Such access is the idea that we envisioned back in the early ’90’s when we advocated for a new public entrance that makes it possible to enter the building from the lakefront path,” Irizarry wrote. Irizarry noted Rivers Chicago McCormick Place calls for installing a green roof atop Lakeside Center, enhancing the McCormick Bird Sanctuary and creating nearly five more acres of public plaza surrounding the building “without expanding” the existing footprint. Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration has said it wants to decide in a few weeks. The civic group’s support of the Bluhm plan comes as city officials weigh which proposal to support and present to the Illinois Gaming Board.

A mini ‘Eiffel Tower,’ thousands of jobs and a jackpot for the city: Developers make pitches for a Chicago casino.

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