Politics & Government
Waukegan Casino Proposals To Be Presented At Genesee Theatre
Six developers will publicly present their proposals for a new Waukegan casino Wednesday evening.
WAUKEGAN, IL — A public hearing on proposals for a future casino development in Waukegan has been moved to the Genesee Theatre to accommodate a larger crowd, city officials announced.
Members of the public will get a chance to hear presentations from each of the casino's six potential developers and operators and offer their comments about the proposals from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the city-owned theater at 203 N. Genesee St.
Ahead of the hearing, city staff earlier this month released portions of each of the responses to its request for proposals — five casino plans and one "separate, but parallel proposal" from a developer that argues a 15-year-old redevelopment agreement gives it the exclusive right to operate a casino in town.
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The gambling expansion bill sponsored by local state Sen. Terry Link and signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker in July permits licenses for six additional casinos. In addition to the one it allows in Waukegan, the bill provides for additional casinos with up to 2,000 gambling positions in Danville, Rockford, south Cook County, Williamson County and a larger development in Chicago.
Significant portions of the proposals have been redacted. City officials said the redacted portions contain either trade secrets or information that would frustrate the procurement process. Both are permitted exemptions under state public records law. But all of the proposals include plans to build the casino on the city-owned Fountain Square parcel. The city bought the 32-acre site of the demolished Lakehurst Mall in 2003 for $7 million and by last year owed nearly $13 million on it.
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Here are the five proposed casino designs and some of what's been promised from their developers — two of which are linked to politically connected video gaming interests that have spent heavily in local elections — presented in alphabetical order, along with links to their redacted proposals:
American Place
From: Full House Resorts (Proposal)
Includes: 1500 slot machines, 60 table games, multi-tiered entertainment venue, 20-room boutique hotel, a "helipad for high roller guests."
Casino Fontana
From: Waukegan Development Associates LLC, a joint venture of principals of Next Realty, Carroll Properties and Chesapeake Gaming Group (Proposal)
Includes: A $7 million offer for the city-owned site, 91,00-square-foot casino with 1,350 slot machines, 30 table games and room for bars, restaurants and a food court, 40,000-square-foot center for entertainment use, an additional 1,200-seat multi-use facility and a 120-room luxury hotel as part of a multi-phase development.
North Point Casino
From: A joint venture of Warner Gaming and Tap Room Gaming called Lakeside Casino LLC (Proposal)
Includes: A $420 million development over several phases, a two-acre outdoor entertainment venue, a 200-room hotel, an 81,500-square-foot casino able to be expanded to 2,000 positions, a 5,300-square-foot sportsbook, retail and entertainment district.
Rivers Casino Waukegan
From: A joint venture of Churchill Downs Incorporated and Rush Street Gaming (Proposal)
Includes: 1,625 gaming seats with room to grow to 2,000, a poker room, will "pump over $150 million" into local economy, includes "upscale gastro-pub," establish local brand and database.
Potawatomi Waukegan Casino
From: Potawatomi Hotel & Casino (Proposal)
Includes: A 130,000-square-foot casino with 1,800 gaming devices and 50 table games, a variety of dining options, a project budget of $400–450 million and a design incorporating sustainable elements and local history.
The sixth developer, Waukegan Gaming LLC, entered into a 2004 redevelopment agreement with the city. It submitted a proposal saying that it was working with another development team to "exercise its rights" as the exclusive developer of a casino in Waukegan. It said it was not required to submit a response to the city's request for proposals and that the city was obligated to support its application to state gambling regulators. Nonetheless, it said, Waukegan Gaming assigned its rights under the redevelopment agreement to CDI-RSG Waukegan, the joint venture that submitted the Rivers Casino Waukegan proposal.
No action will be taken at the Sept. 18 hearing. The City Council will make its formal recommendation of preferred proposals to the Illinois Gaming Board by the end of next month, according to city staff.
City officials will also accept written comments until 5 p.m. Oct. 4. They can be emailed to casino@waukeganil.gov or dropped off at the City Clerk's office on the first floor of City Hall.
Earlier:
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