Chicago’s Rivers 78 casino project fosters concerns among South Loop residents
The mayor will narrow the three potential project bids on the table down to one finalist.
Residents of Chicago’s South Loop area have raised concerns regarding the city’s newest potential casino building project, Rivers 78. In a survey conducted among residents, 78% of the 400 respondents oppose the construction of the casino, according to The 78 Community Advisory Council Co-Chair Debbie Liu.
The city is looking at three potential bids for a new casino: Rivers 78, Hard Rock Chicago, and Bally’s Corporation.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has created a city council that will narrow the bids down to one finalist. The final bidder would need to apply for state approval to build once nominated.
Concerns raised against the other bidders include the potential of increased crime in the area, heavier local traffic and the threat of gambling addiction.
Some opposing voices came from local youth.
“A casino in my neighborhood is not going to do anything for me,” an 11-year-old resident said. “How can I feel safer as a kid when you build a casino as my neighbor?”
Another South Loop resident said, “We don’t need a casino in order to have a nice development at the 78 that’s for the community.”
Liu said the city should slow down the selection process: “so all stakeholders can better understand each of the proposals” and said that the project was inconsistent with the land’s original vision.
However, The Rivers 78 team insisted the new casino would benefit the area and create a boost in local tourism. The team argued that its $1.6bn bid stands out from the other two because of plans to extend the Chicago Riverwalk to Ping Tom Park and add a 300-room hotel and a 1,078-foot observation tower.
Related Midwest President Curt Bailey called it “an Eiffel Tower for Chicago.”
“We’re creating an entire neighborhood from the ground up,” Bailey said. “We’re shifting the epicenter of Chicago’s tourism south.”
If approved, Rivers 78 has been projected to create the smallest amount of tax revenue for the city out of the three existing bids. The city has projected Rivers 78 would generate $174.2m in city tax revenue, a decrease of $17m from Bally’s and $11m from Hard Rock.
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