Crowd sounds off at meeting on planned River West casino
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Dozens of people got a chance to sound off Monday night on Chicago's plans to build a casino in River West.
They filled a room at the old Tribune Publishing site to voice their concerns about the $1.7 billion Bally's project.
Casino representatives outlined their strategy for the deal – from construction to completion. They, along with city leaders, fielded questions from residents about issues – including minority inclusion during the building process, and how the casino plans to deal with crime and traffic.
Bally's is also scheduled to appear before the Chicago Plan Commission to discuss possible changes stemming from the public meetings.
The City Council voted 41-7 in May to approve Bally's plan to build a casino, hotel, and entertainment complex on the site that is currently home to the Chicago Tribune newsroom and printing plant. The $1.7 billion project now goes to the Illinois Gaming Board for approval of Bally's casino license.
Critics have accused the Lightfoot administration of ramming the Bally's plan through City Council without properly addressing concerns about how the already congested River West neighborhood will handle the influx of additional traffic, or how the casino might lead to an increase in crime.
City officials have said the casino ultimately will generate $200 million a year in tax revenue for the city, which will go towards the city's woefully underfunded police and fire pension systems. Mayor Lori Lightfoot and her allies said earlier this year that without the casino revenue, the city would be forced to seek a major property tax increase to shore up those pension funds.