Is Hollywood Casino Moving To New Joliet Location?

JOLIET, IL — Joliet's Hollywood Casino is located at 777 Hollywood Boulevard, but with hundreds of acres of surrounding land being gobbled up for industrial development, operators of the Joliet casino may be looking to move elsewhere.

A Joliet Facebook page informed its social media followers Thursday that the Joliet Hollywood Casino may be looking to move to the Cullinan Properties' Rock Run Crossings development along Interstate 55 near Interstate 80.

"It sounds like Hollywood Casino is going to build a new casino and hotel at the corner of I-55 and I-80," one source told Joliet Patch on Friday morning.

The Cullinan Properties development of Rock Run Crossings got off to a slow start and has been in the news for about a decade. However, there has been substantial work taking place at the property along the southeast frontage road since October 2020.

Since 2020, J. Russ & Company has been performing mass site grading and excavation across the sprawling 265-acre parcel.

In February 2019, Mayor Bob O'Dekirk revealed at his state of the city speech that a giant, first-class theater, with 17 movie screens, would break ground in Joliet late that March.

"This is a game changer for Joliet," O'Dekirk assured the crowd. "I know Cullinan (Properties) has signed a number of agreements. I've been told there are two hotel chains that they are going to be announced in the very near future, but I was authorized to announce today that the first groundbreaking is going to happen on that site March 22, less than a month from now. Cullinan is going to announce that Regal Cinemas, it's a company from London, England, is investing in Joliet."

So far, the Regal Cinemas movie theater has not come to fruition at the Cullinan Properties.

On Friday afternoon, Anaise Berry, director of marketing and communications with Cullinan Properties, told Joliet Patch that the Regal Cinemas project remains in the works, and construction is fully expected to begin in the spring or summer of 2022.

Regarding the Hollywood Casino project, Berry said there was nothing she could comment on at this point. When asked if the Hollywood Casino construction moves ahead whether that would symbolize a huge positive development for Rock Run Crossings, she answered, "I would agree.

"There is definitely super-positive momentum going on at Rock Run Crossings," Berry added.

She said Culinan Properties is expecting to have several announcements about "new tenants" after Jan. 1.

Joliet Patch also left messages for comment with Lydia Garvey, general manager and vice president at the Joliet Hollywood Casino.

Troy Township Supervisor Joseph Baltz told Patch he's heard rumblings during the past few months about the prospect of Hollywood Casino building a new casino closer to I-55 at the Cullinan Properties, but nothing definitive.

Baltz said if that happens, he would support the project.

After all, the existing Hollywood Casino off Route 6 is part of Troy Township, and the Cullinan Properties along I-55 is also part of Troy Township. Therefore, the property tax assessments would still stay within Troy Township, Baltz said.

"The only bad news would be if I ever heard they were moving out of Troy Township," Baltz remarked Friday afternoon. If Hollywood Casino builds at Cullinan Properties, "it's still a win-win for Troy Township because they are still in Troy Township."

The possible relocation of Hollywood Casino Joliet to the Cullinan Properties' Rock Run Crossing has not been listed on any recent meeting agendas for the Illinois Gaming Board. The board had its most recent meeting Thursday, and Joliet's Hollywood Casino was not listed as an item up for discussion.

"The IGB has not received any application seeking to relocate the Hollywood casino in Joliet," Joe Miller, director of policy with the Illinois Gaming Board, notified Patch on Friday afternoon.

The Illinois gaming board's next regular meeting is set for Dec. 8.