For that to happen, the casino would have to win $1.4 million-a-day, all 365 days-per-year, with no accounting for snow, protests, crime, January and February in Chicago every year, etc., etc. “This casino needs to generate about $550,000 a day in taxes. He argued Lightfoot’s eleventh-hour “switcheroo” to the landmark building as the temporary site will make an alarming spike in River North crime infinitely worse and that the already-congested area can’t handle the influx of traffic.Īlderpersons who backed the casino cited its economic promise for the city and said its help for the pension funds reduces the risk of a property tax increase.ĭuring Monday’s committee hearing, Reilly accused the Lightfoot administration of putting too much weight on the $40 million upfront payment and not enough on what he portrayed as Bally’s pie-in-the-sky revenue projections. Wabash Ave., into a temporary gambling den, at least through the first quarter of 2026, or exempting Medinah from the liquor moratorium on that block. Reilly likewise is dead-set against the idea of turning Medinah Temple, 600 N. Michele Smith (43rd) were the only committee members to vote “no.” Further, they noted, Lightfoot went around the committee she created to give herself “political cover” for a decision she had already made. They had argued Bally’s will create an impossible bottleneck in an already congested area, and also that Bally’s has never built a casino from the ground up. Brian Hopkins (2nd) failed to convince their colleagues. So in a way, this is actually worse than the process for the parking meter deal.” “In speaking with Burke, who’s been here for 50 years - he’s never seen anything like this. this sprint to the finish and the gymnastics that we’re doing today” is similar, Reilly said. I’m not even saying it’s the same kind of transaction.

“I’m not saying this is the parking meter deal.

Reilly said the rushed process is similar to what happened when the city struck a much-criticized deal to privatize its parking meters. Brendan Reilly (42nd) to tweet a GIF of a woman in a bikini doing somersaults on a beach and landing face-first in the sand. The frenzied and “unprecedented” schedule prompted downtown Ald. The full council then voted to “defer and publish” the host agreement, setting the stage for final approval on Wednesday. The City Council had met earlier Monday, recessed, then reconvened after the casino committee’s vote. The 27-3 committee vote came during a dizzying day at City Hall.

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