Special Committee on the Chicago Casino

@CHIdocumenters The meeting starts at 11:00

Here is a good background on the Casino. Lightfoot is recommending the Bally Casino which will take over the current Tribune publishing house.

@CHIdocumenters https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-casino-timeline-next-step-in-ballys-casino-approval-to-take-place-monday/2827379/

@CHIdocumenters The project would cost 1.74B, and would include a 3000 seat theater, a 500 room hotel, 3400 clots, and 170 game tables.

@CHIdocumenters The city estimates a casino will bring in $200 million a year in tax revenue – money that is earmarked for police and fire pensions

@CHIdocumenters The special committee is chaired by Ald. Tunney (44th) and vice chaired by Ald. Ervin, and includes all the city council chairs and vice chairs.

@CHIdocumenters As of 11:03 Tom Tunney has brought the meeting to order

@CHIdocumenters Dowell, O’shea, Brookins, Scott, Maldonado, Taliaferro, Villegas, Cappelman, Martin, Osterman, are currently not present (there might be some others who are missing, as several people were talking over each other.)

@CHIdocumenters On to public comment period. There are 14 speakers. Each limited to 3 minutes

@CHIdocumenters Mary Richardson, former building commissioner and former TIF chair is up first. She speaks favorably and is one of the minority investors of the Casino.

She says that she believes the Casino will generate a game-changing amount of tax dollars and around 3000 construction jobs.

@CHIdocumenters Next up is Cathy Smith. She is a resident just across from the Casino. She is objecting to this location specifically and to the casino in general. She says that the lights,noise and safety will affect daily life. She says that property values will decrease around the Casino.

@CHIdocumenters She says that a casino will only add to the crime increase in River North.

She asks that once the gamblers leave the property what will happen, will there need to be more police?

@CHIdocumenters Alisa Starks is up, she is an investor in the Casino and the CEO of Innercity Entertainment.

She speaks in support of the Casino, for its support of Black and Brown Communities

@CHIdocumenters Chairwoman Garza is unmuted and on hotmic says something about “eating a shit sandwhich”

@CHIdocumenters Stark continues, she says that the development has made major strides in including minority representation in investment, construction, and operation.

@CHIdocumenters Matt Martin, Villegas have joined the meeting

@CHIdocumenters Debbie Lou from Chinatown is here to speak. She talks about the experience of living in Chinatown which she says has advertising about Indiana Casinos at every exit.

She says that her concern is for problem gamblers of black and brown communities.

@CHIdocumenters She asks for research on problem gambling and support services before the project.

@CHIdocumenters Melvin Buckley is up, he is a small business owner from the city. He speaks in support of the project. He says that the level of minority support is unheard of. He says that as of now the contracting team is 50% minority, and that folks of color have been included at every level.

@CHIdocumenters Lewis Cobb, President of Media Sales for BET is up. He is in support of the Casino. He says that he supports it because Chicago needs to progress, that this will help by expanding the tax base.
He also says that casino security and cameras will support neighborhood security.

@CHIdocumenters He also says that Las Vegas real estate prices have increased despite the number of Casinos and that concerns on home values are overstated.

@CHIdocumenters Raymond Lopez is present

@CHIdocumenters Karen Kent president of Chicago’s Hospitality Union is up.
She says the hospitality industry is still struggling from the COVID-19 related downturn. She is in support of the project as it is the only bid to support a path for “good jobs” that highlight fairness and communities

@CHIdocumenters Rob Reiter, Chicago CFL President is up.

He says that the only operator to negotiate a Labor Peace Agreement was Bally’s and that they negotiated early and in good faith.

He says the casino will bring jobs and taxes along with good jobs.

@CHIdocumenters Torres who is a member of Unite Local one is up. She talks about the role that good hospitality union jobs have had on her life.

She says that the Chicago Casino will provide other folks good paying jobs like hers.

@CHIdocumenters Elizabeth Moreno a room attendant and member of Unite She says that her union job allowed her to buy her home and provide for her family’s future. She says that when she lost her husband, his union provided support.

says that immigrants deserve good union jobs like the casino

@CHIdocumenters Sam Toia President of the Illinois Restaurant Association is up. He speaks in support of the project, especially he speaks in support of the temporary location set up in River North (As he stresses “if an agreement gets made”)

@CHIdocumenters This concludes Public Commentary. Chair Tunney says that a draft casino ordinance, which will not be voted on today, will be circulated as a reference.

@CHIdocumenters Ald. Sawyer is up. He has to catch a flight and is speaking first. He says that while the Labor Peace is good, we need more intentionality of employing Chicagoans, all chicagoans. He says that he wants an executed Community Benefits Agreement.

@CHIdocumenters Ald. Tunney is giving a historical overview of the Casino battle. He says that the discussion has been 30 years in the making. Lightfoots team began the formal process with an RFI 3 years ago, which concluded with pitching this last December.

@CHIdocumenters Ald. Tunney says that the pitching included 5 bids. The bids dropped to 3 after the MTA’s opposition to using McCormick Place was made.

This brought the number of bids to 3. Which then led to a series of Casino town halls.

@CHIdocumenters He says that on April 22nd and 25th, all objections and correspondence were sent to committee members. Then in late April answers were sent from the various bids to committee staff .

Lastly, on May 5th, Lightfoot announced her support for Ballys’

@CHIdocumenters Ald. Ervin is up now. He says that he wants to “get it right and get it done” and to not make the mistakes on other projects like the statewide cannabis rollout.