Latest Post | Last 10 Posts | Archives
Previous Post: Today’s quotable
Next Post: Pritzker signs three laws designed to increase access to menstrual products
Posted in:
* Delays are not optimal, but this is still good news from Greg Hinz…
Citing a flurry of last-minute interest, the city now is considering extending the period in which gambling companies can submit a bid to operate Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s proposed mega-casino, according to a source familiar with the matter.
An extension of two months or so now appears likely, and an announcement is possible by the end of the week.
Bids now are due on Aug. 23, and the mayor has faced the politically awkward possibility of getting only one bid, from a partnership of Chicago casino mogul Neil Bluhm and Related Midwest, with the facility going on Related’s The 78 development at Roosevelt and Clark. […]
Though Lightfoot has insisted there is “no hometown favorite,” awarding a pact to the Blumn/Related team without competition could generate some negative headlines, given that Bluhm’s daughter, Leslie Bluhm, has donated and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the mayor’s campaign fund.
Um, yeah.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 11:49 am
Sorry, comments are closed at this time.
Previous Post: Today’s quotable
Next Post: Pritzker signs three laws designed to increase access to menstrual products
WordPress Mobile Edition available at alexking.org.
powered by WordPress.
It’s now going to be a race to see if Lightfoot can land the plane and get a casino at least physically rolling to be real and her own re-election campaign and election day finish line?
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 12:16 pm
A solo bidder will just prove how misguided the entire proposal was from the beginning, even with the changes to the bill. Of course, Covid played its part in this fiasco, but the bottom line is if the big casino players aren’t interested, that’s a red flag something is seriously wrong with the deal. Lightfoot is crash-landing the plane on Northerly Island as it is; this won’t help.
Comment by thisjustinagain Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 12:48 pm
Bluhm is large and in charge. From Waukegan to Arlington Hts, to Des Plaines, to Chicago. He makes other Illinois dealers look like chumps.
Comment by walker Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 3:45 pm
Don’t be surprised if Chicago never gets a casino. The City made a terrible mistake in opting out of the original gaming bill from many years ago. The City didn’t have to build a casino, but it should have retained the option to do so at the proper time. Now, there is simply too much competition from Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa casinos to make a Chicago casino profitable. Oh, and did I mention the exorbitant taxes, fees, union costs, parking and hotel costs in Chicago? It’s a loser.
Comment by Old Lobster Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 3:58 pm