July 8, 2022 Reilly Reports
The City of Chicago in coordination with Bally’s Chicago is hosting a Virtual Community Meeting on Tuesday, July 19th at 6 PM regarding the temporary casino at the Medinah Temple, 600 North Wabash Street. Click here to register for the virtual meeting.
At this meeting, Bally’s Chicago will present its plans with respect to historic preservation and answer questions related to historic preservation of the Medinah Temple, since it is a Chicago Landmark. This is in advance of the Landmark Department’s Permit Review Committee review of the project, scheduled to take place in August.
The community may submit any questions or comments in advance via email to chicagocasino@cityofchicago.org. Additional public engagement related to traffic, public safety, and other community concerns will take place at an in-person public engagement session in the near future. However, the July 19th meeting will focus solely on historic preservation.
The Mayor’s Office also recently announced the creation of a Casino Community Advisory Council (CAC) in order to create a forum for ongoing community engagement throughout the development of the Bally’s Casino. The CAC will have 20 members representing impacted community areas, as well as subject matter experts in a range of fields including transportation/infrastructure, economic equity, and gambling addiction. If you are interested in serving on this CAC, please apply here by Friday, July 15.
Alderman Reilly remains extremely frustrated about the City Council’s approval of the casino at these locations. Please click here to review Alderman Reilly’s position on the matter, published in Reilly Reports on May 27, 2022.
The casino proposal is still awaiting review by the Chicago Plan Commission (CPC) to discuss the proposed amendment to the Planned Development. CPC will also allow for additional public comment. After CPC, the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) will consider the application and there will be another opportunity for the public to weigh in on the issuance of the casino license. Stay tuned t for more information regarding public engagement opportunities with the IGB.
