CHICAGO | City Casino

[west-town-brad]

I know its not exact but it kind of looks like this to me: https://www.thoughtco.com/oslo-opera...nohetta-177931

[BVictor1]

Originally Posted by Handro

Another blunder that will be a major part of Lightfoots legacy, fairly or not.

How so exactly?

[Handro]

Originally Posted by BVictor1

How so exactly?

This is going to eventually be the city equivalent of the riverboats in aurora and elgin. This is not shaping up to be a place that people with disposable income want to go and play like as a fun sideshow on their visit to the city, it will be a depressing monolithic hunk of corrugated metal alluring only to those without much left to lose. It will rest on the north branch riverbank as a constant embarrassing counter argument to claims that Chicago is a world class city. It all happened on lightfoots wafch with her thumb on scale.

Maybe Medinah temple location will turn out kind of cool and somehow become a permanent fixture.

[glowrock]

Originally Posted by Handro

This is going to eventually be the city equivalent of the riverboats in aurora and elgin. This is not shaping up to be a place that people with disposable income want to go and play like as a fun sideshow on their visit to the city, it will be a depressing monolithic hunk of corrugated metal alluring only to those without much left to lose. It will rest on the north branch riverbank as a constant embarrassing counter argument to claims that Chicago is a world class city. It all happened on lightfoots wafch with her thumb on scale.

Maybe Medinah temple location will turn out kind of cool and somehow become a permanent fixture.

The hyperbole is very strong in this comment. I mean seriously, you're that incredibly disappointed at some architectural changes to an enormous building that is going to serve as a serious economic engine as to type out these comments? I know most of us are armchair architecture critics, but wow...

Aaron (Glowrock)

[bhawk66]

If anything, I think the hotel component is the weakest link. That is such a vanilla, boring, so-called modern looking building. Missed opportunity. It doesn't fit the vibe. I mean, speak up.

The casino elements are actually more energetic and fresh looking. Though, agreed, that entry plaza is really bad. It shouldn't be that hard to spice that up without scrapping the bulk of the rest. Street level should be way more exciting/inviting...arouse curiosity as to what's inside. This is just lame.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by west-town-brad

I know its not exact but it kind of looks like this to me: https://www.thoughtco.com/oslo-opera...nohetta-177931

This is the comparison they want you to make (or Finlandia Hall) but uh, they're not quite there.

I just hope they move fast to fill in with towers around it. A bunch of new residents will activate the public spaces more than casino-goers will.

[SIGSEGV]

which one of you guys wrote this? https://www.chicagobusiness.com/opin...ards-ed-keegan

[r18tdi]

And no renderings showing the Jefferson Street side? I bet that elevation is as hideous as ever.

[Klippenstein]

Originally Posted by r18tdi

And no renderings showing the Jefferson Street side? I bet that elevation is as hideous as ever.

This is definitely what I'm worried about more than anything. Urbanize Chicago did post an image of "Bally's Way" and it looks horrendous.



And this ^ view is only half of the blank wall that side of the building is going to create.



This entrance for the theater seems to be the only thing breaking up the wall, much of which is meant to be across from the central park space in this development. I really hope we're missing something here, but I doubt it.

[Briguy]

Originally Posted by r18tdi

And no renderings showing the Jefferson Street side? I bet that elevation is as hideous as ever.

It's really not going to be a much used route, it would dump bikers mid Chicago Ave which is a no. The retail component of the phase 2 should probably be on Halsted anyways. Yeah it's ugly. Pretend it's a sporting venue or something, it would be just as ugly. the binnys in Lakeview is just as ugly. I'm kind of fine with it if the phase 2 development gets built like shown.

And they're now putting ALL the parking underground which is huge. Albeit using a lot of the space as temp surface parking before eventual development.

[SolarWind]

May 16, 2023

[twister244]

Progress being made on the temporary site....

https://wgntv.com/news/chicago-news/...edinah-temple/

A spokesperson for Bally’s said they hope to open the temporary location in late summer.

[twister244]

Great YIMBY article showing a few images of the interior of the temporary casino.

https://chicagoyimby.com/2023/06/bal...ompletion.html

[west-town-brad]

Originally Posted by bnk

I say keep it open and have two casinos.

The Illinois Gaming Board limits the operation of a temporary facility to two years. Bally’s may have an option to extend for an additional 12 months, allowing the casino operator to stay up to three years in Medinah Temple.

100% this will happen

either officially or unofficially by continuous extensions

[r18tdi]

Originally Posted by west-town-brad

100% this will happen

either officially or unofficially by continuous extensions

Congestion/loading concerns aside, the Medinah Temple casino is in the best possible position to drain money from tourists.

[west-town-brad]

the ballys signs are installed on the medinah temple

[west-town-brad]

I'm told that there is a "soft open" for the casino today but not sure if that means the gambling is going or what...

[r18tdi]

Originally Posted by west-town-brad

I'm told that there is a "soft open" for the casino today but not sure if that means the gambling is going or what...

They were targeting an "end of the summer" opening, so that tracks.

[ardecila]

^ Moved back to September now:

https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/8/...temple-delayed

They have to do a "test run" under Gaming Board supervision, whatever that means.

[SolarWind]

July 24, 2023