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Thursday, Dec 13, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller

Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Wednesday floated a port district site on the Far Southeast Side as the possible location for a Chicago casino, if state lawmakers finally grant the city the long-sought gambling palace.

In a meeting with the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board, Emanuel noted his “love-hate” relationship with the idea of a casino but said if the city finally builds one it should be away from the Loop and McCormick Place. Instead, he said it should bring economic development to an area of the city that needs it, before floating an Illinois International Port District site near Pullman as “an example.”

The land, just off the 111th Street exit on the Bishop Ford Freeway, currently is home to the Harborside International golf course with some harbor operations and terminals nearby on Lake Calumet. The port district that owns the land is a joint city-state entity.

“If you go down to the port authority where the golf course is, there’s enough land there for both a hotel and a casino,” Emanuel said. “That would be a big boon economically to the Southeast Side of the city.”

That area really does need some investments, but when have casinos ever helped a neighborhood to thrive? They suck people inside and do everything they can to keep them there until the customers have no money. Hey, I’m not anti-gambling. It’s a free country. But let’s not kid ourselves here.

Remember when East St. Louis lost its city hall in a lawsuit? The Casino Queen was supposed to help revitalize the town. It did pump money into the local government and has provided some jobs, but the casino didn’t do much for economic development otherwise. Alton is no different. Same with Atlantic City.

So, color me skeptical.

If a goodly chunk of the revenues from the casino is dedicated to local reinvestment, then maybe. Perhaps they can use some cash to build a high-end golf/gambling resort or something. Aurora’s Paramount Theater is one example of a casino helping an area.

But Emanuel wants casino revenues directed to the city’s pension funds. I don’t think that simply plopping down a casino will do much for the region. We’ll see.

34 Comments

- Wow - Thursday, Dec 13, 18 @ 10:36 am:
7 years too late by da Mare… the casino needs to be no more than a 10 min cab ride from downtown hotels. CHICAGO needs a world class casino that takes dollars from the visitor/ tourists that fill 23,000 hotel rooms each night.

- mauislick - Thursday, Dec 13, 18 @ 10:39 am:
Horseshoe Casino is 6.7 miles away from Harborside. Does Rahm really think there is untapped casino revenue so close to other Indiana casinos? With the idea of economic development and pension revenue, there seems to be some fantasizing going on.

- City Zen - Thursday, Dec 13, 18 @ 10:41 am:
The casino needs to be where the tourists are. It’s too close to the one in East Chicago yet not close enough to create a gambling destination.

Extend the CTA into the SE side so those folks can have access to the jobs a downtown casino offers.

- Anon324 - Thursday, Dec 13, 18 @ 10:41 am:
I thought part of the point of a Chicago casino was to capture convention attendee dollars in and around McCormick Place (as well as other out-of-towners in and around the Loop). I get the attractiveness of a development project, but I agree with you, the idea a casino will fit that bill doesn’t add up. Plus Horseshoe Hammond is basically right there…

- Just Me 2 - Thursday, Dec 13, 18 @ 10:44 am:
Mmmmmmm…..the East Peoria casino did a lot for that community.

- OneMan - Thursday, Dec 13, 18 @ 10:47 am:
If the thought was to catch people to take business away from the Indiana boats it might make sense. But as the primary/only location. Seems like kind of a bad idea.

- Six Degrees of Separation - Thursday, Dec 13, 18 @ 10:47 am:
===Extend the CTA into the SE side so those folks can have access to the jobs a downtown casino offers.===

The already-planned Red Line extension will pretty much do that, although it swings a little west of that 111th and Pullman development. And the South Shore and Metra Electric already serve southeast neighborhoods like Pullman and Hegewisch.

https://www.transitchicago.com/redeis/preferred-alignment/

- Cheryl44 - Thursday, Dec 13, 18 @ 10:49 am:
If we’re getting a casino, it needs to be where the tourists go already.

- NoGifts - Thursday, Dec 13, 18 @ 10:50 am:
I still think the Thompson Center would be a good location. Interesting building close to hotels and the subway from the airport. It already has a food court.

- @misterjayem - Thursday, Dec 13, 18 @ 11:01 am:
Every decision regarding a Chicago casino should be made with the express intention of separating out-of-towners from as much of their money as possible.

The proposed location fails that threshold test.

– MrJM

- 47th Ward - Thursday, Dec 13, 18 @ 11:05 am:
Casinos are not economic engines they are economic vacuum cleaners. Let’s not kid ourselves.

Having said that, Chicago should be encouraging the development of a sports book centered entertainment complex, possibly in proximity to McCormick Place. Think of a giant wall of televisions, where thousands of people can gather to watch games, eat and drink. If they do it right, and quickly, it could be a tourist draw to bring in visitors/revenue that we might not otherwise get in Chicago.

That’s the kind of gaming development I’d like to see.

- Blue Dog Dem - Thursday, Dec 13, 18 @ 11:07 am:
Wont be long and Illinois will have a port district for every tug i the state.

- Pundent - Thursday, Dec 13, 18 @ 11:10 am:
I agree with the Thompson Center as a viable location. With rare exceptions casinos don’t revitalize neighborhoods. Look no further than East Chicago if you need evidence of that. If the city wants to maximize their take they need to prioritize around convenience and customer density. Thompson has the infrastructure with the CTA terminal and central loop location.

- Steve - Thursday, Dec 13, 18 @ 11:16 am:
It would be better placed near McCormick Place.

- Anon - Thursday, Dec 13, 18 @ 11:28 am:
===That area really does need some investments, but when have casinos ever helped a neighborhood to thrive?===

Research has consistently shown that they’re a net economic/net social negative. Especially when the profits flow out of the community. While the do generate tax revenue, it’s still a net social negative.

But, like so many things in Illinois Government it is really hard for our elected officials to avoid trying to come up with one magic bullet or another to try to avoid addressing the budgetary sins of the past by raising taxes.

- Anonymous - Thursday, Dec 13, 18 @ 11:31 am:
Rosemont would be a good place for it.

- supplied_demand - Thursday, Dec 13, 18 @ 11:37 am:
“when have casinos ever helped a neighborhood to thrive?”

“Aurora’s Paramount Theater is one example of a casino helping an area.”

Anyone else confused?

- Amalia - Thursday, Dec 13, 18 @ 11:43 am:
There’s a very nice golf course down that way. But the Port Authority is an entity that deserves a wider look and not because I think it is a good idea to put a casino down there. weird stuff. why not more than one casino?

- wordslinger - Thursday, Dec 13, 18 @ 11:59 am:
Where did that come from? I thought a hotel/casino was the reason for the DePaul arena at McCormick Place. Big shows at the arena, hotel and casino next door.

I can’t see the demand for a hotel with a southeast side casino. It would be local day-trippers gambling. Don’t see many heads-in-beds for overnight stays.

Emanuel sure is a busy and chatty lil’ lame duck these days. Perhaps someone should remind him that his clout is gone.

- Da Big Bad Wolf - Thursday, Dec 13, 18 @ 12:05 pm:
The area has potential. There is the natural beauty of the lake, and all those bridges and shipyards. Transportation has to be a part of the deal. Plus, if the city doesn’t give the casino a liquor license, the casino might have to share the wealth.

- Lucky Pierre - Thursday, Dec 13, 18 @ 12:08 pm:
The concept sounds a lot like the very successful Mystic Lakes Hotel, Casino and golf course located in Prior Lake MN 25-30 miles southwest of the Twin Cities.

It is an Indian reservation and it is extremely busy even in the dead of winter.

http://mysticlake.com

- Lucky Pierre - Thursday, Dec 13, 18 @ 12:15 pm:
Take a trip up to Minneapolis sometime. Mystic Lakes Casino is a golf/hotel/casino/entertainment complex 25- 30 minutes southwest of the Twin Cities in Prior Lake MN.

It is very successful despite being quite a ways from the airport and downtown.

http://www.mysticlake.com/en/shows-and-events

- A Jack - Thursday, Dec 13, 18 @ 1:08 pm:
A casino should be located in Chicago’s financial district. Its in a good location between Union Station and the lake front. Several big banks are moving out of that area so there will be vacancies. And the remaining financial types might enjoy dropping a few dollars on their lunch hour or entertaining out of town business clients at a casino. A tourist is not going to be traveling to the south side to visit a casino. Tourists go to Chicago for the loop area, Grant Park, and the Magnificent Mile.

- Rich Miller - Thursday, Dec 13, 18 @ 1:12 pm:
LP, I would like to personally thank you for engaging on an issue outside of your usual lane. Please do more of this.

- wondering - Thursday, Dec 13, 18 @ 1:12 pm:
Aurora’s Paramount and its rehab predates Hollywood Casino. It was developed by the City, paid for by the Aurora Downtown Development Commission, a city creation and entity. Not a marketing major but not convinced that the casino helps nor hinders the Paramount. Seems like two different types of support patrons.

- 47th Ward - Thursday, Dec 13, 18 @ 1:45 pm:
===A casino should be located in Chicago’s financial district.===

You ever been to the Board of Trade? That’s the biggest casino this side of Wall Street.

- Lucky Pierre - Thursday, Dec 13, 18 @ 1:45 pm:
Will do Rich

- Anonymous - Thursday, Dec 13, 18 @ 2:49 pm:
Is the IPI now in the casino location business? Because they did so much for the State of Illinois.

- Anonymous - Thursday, Dec 13, 18 @ 3:21 pm:
Why not the old Reese site adjacent to McCormick Place? I’m not super keen on a casino right in the Loop but it seems like that would be an alright location where conventioneers are already located.

- Scenic Decay - Thursday, Dec 13, 18 @ 3:51 pm:
A suggestion that I haven’t heard is the former Michael Reese campus, aka the Olympic Village that never was. The City already owns the land (and is still paying for it) and it’s close to McCormick. Build there with a community benefits agreement to hire a certain percentage of employees from within the neighborhood and you’ve got a lot of benefits with few drawbacks.

- Commonsense171 - Thursday, Dec 13, 18 @ 4:10 pm:
The proposed location is ridiculous. There is a perfectly good location at McCormick Place East. Loads of parking, easily accessible, huge open floor space, has a theatre and restaurant spots near hotels convention and public transportation. Right now it is a white elephant and could be up and running in 90 days. This smells like some kind of payoff to someone

- Da Big Bad Wolf - Thursday, Dec 13, 18 @ 4:40 pm:
The Lakeside Center at McCormick Place is hardly a white elephant.

- Enviro - Thursday, Dec 13, 18 @ 5:30 pm:
Casinos tax revenues are a regressive tax on poor and minority groups. Those who are wealthy and/or educated visit casinos less often and buy fewer lottery tickets than poor people do. We do not need a casino or more gambling in Chicago.

- wordslinger - Thursday, Dec 13, 18 @ 5:49 pm:
–The Lakeside Center at McCormick Place is hardly a white elephant.–

It really is. Very old by industry standards, high maintenance costs, gets low-rent events plus overflow from the biggies.

Emanuel tried to get Lucas to tear it down for the Star Wars museum. McPier would love to tear it down and replace it. Will take a lot of money.

https://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20170422/ISSUE01/170429953/mcpier-sets-sights-on-lakeside-center-overhaul

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