I think that salt district redevelopment would be a cool take on a casino, but maybe too gimmicky and so ultimately I would advocate for a new construction and ultra-luxury casino tower by a Wynn. That would probably help differentiate from the other casinos in the region too.
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As much as a mob based Casino could sell, for.image purposes I think that Chicago should be distancing itself from any sort of crime image when it comes to things like this.
The casino is supposed to bring in money. To do that, you need to target everyone from a tourist to a local to a high roller (wherever they live). They need to be true to something being world class and not a dingy casino in the middle of Iowa. |
Yeah we need to leave that kind of stuff to the history museum and whatever tacky gangster tour operators. Chicago's casino needs to reflect well on the city; considering how long we've struggled with a perception of high crime (whether mob or gang-related), and the very real connections between gambling and organized crime, the theming of the casino should not play into this.
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just call the style "old Chicago" and make it '20s themed. Same difference
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They could add an "escape room" premise to it where you choose to be a good guy or a bad guy in the 20's and thats how you get out or in. Lol.
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It is in the past and there's no reason to promote [old timey Western Town] unless you believe [the genocide of native Americans] should be promoted. If anyone thinks that, then you shouldn't be ever saying a word about [tourism in Arizona.] |
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http://static01.nyt.com/images/2007/...y=90&auto=webp MGM Grand Atlantic City. PRNewsFoto/MGM Mirage http://www.casino-review.co/wp-conte...as-696x391.png http://www.casino-review.co/resorts-...ional-climate/ http://www.splendorconcierge.com/wp-...nderings-3.jpg Resorts World Las Vegas http://http://www.splendorconcierge....rld-las-vegas/ http://scontent-mxp1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/...9d&oe=5EF6A3E7 The 2,000 ft observatory tower |
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I'm sure there are better examples to come up with but come the F on. Incredibly weak arguments. Nice try though
Let's put it this way. Chicago's current image is one that has to do with high crime whether you like it or not. A government sponsored establishment going the route of glorifying the time of gangster violence is about the last thing they need to be pulling. The last thing they should be doing is putting their seal of approval on anything that directly has a theme of violence on it when the city is trying to already trying to lessen crime. I'll bet most of my money that a mob/al capone themed casino will never happen in Chicago if the governments of Chicago and/or Illinois have anything to do with it. Would it bring in money? Maybe, but it's realistically a stupid idea given everything going on especially the last 4 years in the city and the image problems. I know people love to glorify and romanticize the gangsters of yesteryear but..not happening for this project. They will pick something with a Chicago flair on it I'm sure, and it'll hopefully be a nice place but the Chicago flair is certainly not going to be Al f*cking Capone. They will use blues, jazz, etc music long before considering the other. |
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There's plenty of space between "glorifying a murderer" and acknowledging Chicago's rough and tumble, anything goes history from a century ago. Speakeasys, Flappers, bootleggers and the mob are all part of a zeitgeist that exists. You could throw a party with that theme and everyone would know what to wear and how to act. Since it's not going away, it probably isn't a bad idea to tap into a little bit of that mythology while, of course, not forgetting to avoid glorifying murder. You could drive a tractor between the space between those two concepts, so the marketing and publicity is a breeze to do with needing to get all self-righteous. |
Nobody is denying that it would sell. I have had people in foreign countries do the same thing to me. But this is a government sponsored casino, essentially. The same governments that are not only trying to clean up the image but actually trying to clean up the crime itself. There's no way they're going to whore themselves out like this. If it was a private company then it would be a completely different story and I'm sure they'd be more open to it.
A 1920s theme would probably work for them as long as they aren't taking a hard line violence/mob type of angle to it. I think crime, even if it's of the yesteryear association, is still a very sticky situation with the government of Chicago and Illinois, and would bet most of my money that it's not something they're willing to do. Perhaps you do see a 1920s themed place, but my guess as you said it would be more centered around the idea of a speakeasy, jazz, etc and not specifically about the mob, Al Capone, etc. |
Last summer the Sun-Times ran a series of articles by Ed Zotti titled “City at the Crossroads”, including one that talked about proposals for a casino in Chicago. I posted a link to the article at the time and in light of the renewed interest now, I’m posting it again.
Zotti says there are two ways to build a casino: the “island model” and the “London model”. In the island model, “the casino and related activity — typically a hotel, restaurants and bars, shops, entertainment venues, other attractions and parking — are designed as a single, self-contained complex. Patrons drive to the casino and don’t leave until they’ve spent their last dime hours later and drive home. They never set foot in the surrounding neighborhood and might as well have been visiting Madagascar. The great majority of U.S. casinos are designed this way ...”Most of the U.S. urban casinos built in the latter part of the 20th century are island model developments, including the ones shown in Sky88’s post above. Today, many of these are seen as disappointments or failures (Atlantic City, Reno, etc.) In the London model, the casino is put it in an existing entertainment district and designed so that it contributes to a lively street scene. He gives the London Hippodrome as an example. Here’s a picture. Zotti also says the Thompson Center "might make a good casino — perhaps a spectacular one." I agree. The Thompson Center is one of the great Chicago buildings built in the past 45 years and I’d be very sad to see it sold and demolished. Repurposed as a casino / entertainment center, it could include hotels, restaurants, shops, cocktail lounges, sports bar, blues bar, theaters, bowling alley, etc. Maybe even a very tall observatory tower. All of this would be done in a way that maximizes interaction between the building and the surrounding downtown area. Wow. I also think the block surrounded by Illinois, Rush, Hubbard and Wabash would make a fantastic site. I'd tear down the Realtor's building and widen the Plaza of the Americas (but leave 444 No Michigan). The main pedestrian entrance to the casino would be on the east side, facing the Tribune Tower. With hotel and residential above the casino, this would be a very large project; i.e., easily more than $1 billion. So I don’t understand people who think that One Central or somewhere near the United Center or on Goose Island would be good sites. Despite what suburbanites say, these locations are not downtown. Or the 78. Or the Tribune site at Halsted and Chicago. None of these are good sites. Finally, Zotti said he was greatly influenced by gaming and hospitality industry experts Andrew Klebanow and Steven Gallaway who co-authored a paper title “Casinos and the City”. This is an interesting overview of casinos in other cities - mostly U.S. - what’s worked well and what hasn’t. |
^ casinos and the city
So I read that entire report. I find the following to be most interesting:
"The single greatest mistake that government can do is to designate a site for gaming that is inappropriate for an casino. Simply because government has identified a site that needs to be redeveloped does not make it compatible for an integrated urban casino resort." "Rather, working with the developer, government should identify a zone within the city that would be designated as an entertainment/commercial development zone. This zone would have within it certain qualities that assure compatibility with surrounding businesses such as restaurants, nightclubs, hotels and theaters. The zone would also be near both mass transit and the region’s highways and the site should be of sufficient size to support a gaming enterprise. An urban casino stands the greatest chance of success when it is located on a site that is mutually compatible with surrounding businesses. " |
There will always be people who find the idea of a casino controversial, so the tendency is to put the casino in a site that's empty, unwanted and far from existing businesses or residents. If it fails, it doesn't cast a pall on surrounding areas and it can be developed into something else later.
Not saying that's right approach for success, but it's certainly the politically easiest approach. Put it in Motor Row, you're dealing with the PDNA people and the South lakefront Black community, neither of which want to be next to gambling. Both Ald. Dowell and Ald. King were clear that they don't want a casino anywhere in their wards. I do think a casino could be integrated into The 78 and have a successful neighborhood grow up around it, assuming the casino is compact and well-designed. You might even be able to dedicate the casino revenue to The 78's infrastructure needs and let the TIF expire, kill two political birds with one stone. |
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