* 3:42 PM - The Illinois Gaming Board has announced its three finalists for the long dormant 10th casino license. The south suburbs didn’t make the cut…
Alex Yemenidjian’s Trilliant Gaming Illinois LLC and his backer Onex Corp. of Canada, which have offered $435 million for the license to locate a casino in Rosemont. The northwest suburb has battled hard for a casino since Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan scuttled a 2004 plan after ruling that organized crime influences in the northwest suburb made the town unsuitable to host a casino.
A group of Waukegan developers, led by Charles Bidwell III, who owned Sportsman’s Park Race Track, and developers Richard Stein and Allen Ludwig. The group is offering $225 million for the license.
Casino operator Neil G. Bluhm, who wants to build a gaming complex at River Road and Devon Avenue in Des Plaines. It’s the same spot where he wanted to build in 2004 when he last attempted to get a casino license. Mr. Bluhm has offered $100 million for the license.
The top bid of $435 million is about $100 mil or so below original expectations.
* Also, You probably saw this elsewhere, but I was busy and never got around to posting it. Bill Cellini formally pled not guilty today…
“He pleads not guilty to each and every charge in the indictment,” defense attorney Dan K. Webb told Zagel.
LIVE session coverage...
- Truth - Friday, Nov 14, 08 @ 3:44 pm:
Another thing left unaccomplished for President Jones.
- Six Degrees of Separation - Friday, Nov 14, 08 @ 3:47 pm:
Hmmm…why would the state sell a license for $100 mil when it is $5 bil in the hole?
Hello, Rosemont!
And, shouldn’t the Cellini blurb read “formally” pled not guilty? Unless he changed his plea, that is:-)
- Rich Miller - Friday, Nov 14, 08 @ 3:50 pm:
===“formally” pled not guilty? ===
Oops.
- Billy "Not THAT Bill" Dennis - Friday, Nov 14, 08 @ 3:53 pm:
Just do what I do Rich. Blame spell check.
- Vote Quimby! - Friday, Nov 14, 08 @ 4:14 pm:
==but I was busy ==
Running the Bill campaign is demanding work.
- Speaking At Will - Friday, Nov 14, 08 @ 4:21 pm:
What a bargain! If I knew that license was gonna go that cheap me and wordslinger would have bought it!
- Rich Miller - Friday, Nov 14, 08 @ 4:23 pm:
==Running the Bill campaign is demanding work.===
Who woulda thunk that manufacturing a spontaneous outburst of fake support for a fake candidate would take up so much time?
- wordslinger - Friday, Nov 14, 08 @ 4:26 pm:
Will, I’m waiting on my bailout. At 200 pounds, I’m too big to fail.
Tough talk from Webb. When’s the last time he won a big one? When I was on vacation in Michigan this summer, he was on the news every night talking about how Kwame Kilpatrick was going to fight everything to the bitter end.
- Vote Quimby! - Friday, Nov 14, 08 @ 4:31 pm:
==fake support==
seems genuine to me. I think Bill would be as legible and coherent as any other current US Senator.
- The Doc - Friday, Nov 14, 08 @ 4:33 pm:
Hard to envision the Rosemont bid not winning considering the $$$ involved.
Donald Stephens is rolling over in his grave, I imagine.
- Casino Fan - Friday, Nov 14, 08 @ 4:35 pm:
Interesting that you put the 10th riverboat license story along with Cellini’s plea. The Waukegan guys actually kept one on Cellini’s right hand men and partners on their bid. (Mike Piazzao sp? not sure of spelling )You would think anyone who was serious about winning wouldn’t want anyone who was associated with Cellini on their application.
And didn’t those other guys on Waukegan’s bid, from Sportmen’s park, go bust? Why use them?
- 2ConfusedCrew - Friday, Nov 14, 08 @ 4:58 pm:
Looks like the gamblers are still willing to pay between $362K and $187K per position..much more than they claimed when the expansion bill was being debated.
- Arthur Andersen - Friday, Nov 14, 08 @ 5:04 pm:
That would be Pizzuto.
That gentleman is also a Rezko, er, Blagojevich appointee to the State University Retirement System.
- You Go Boy - Friday, Nov 14, 08 @ 5:09 pm:
OK…nothing to do with this issue particularly but, if others agree….sneaky, if you keep your point in one place (along the right side), as a weasel might, the thing changes so that if you are not paying attention, and “enter”, you get some advertisement you never intended. I expecte better from Rich….the straight shooter.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Nov 14, 08 @ 6:31 pm:
Dude, are you stoned or something? There are no hidden ads on this site.