But there’s plenty of room on this 62-acre parcel of former railroad property now owned by Related Midwest. An important caveat is that the casino does not interfere with plans for the Discovery Partners Institute, the important research center to be operated by the University of Illinois. It’s bordered by Roosevelt Road to the north, Clark Street to the east, 16th Street to the south, and the South Branch of the Chicago River to the west. The 78 (the name is a riff on Chicago’s existing 77 neighborhoods) is located south of the Loop and north of Chinatown. And we think it is the easiest of these three entities for Chicago to hold accountable in the long term. Rivers has shown an ability to showcase Chicago businesses, such as Hugo’s Frog Bar, which has an outpost in Des Plaines. The major investor, Neil Bluhm, has deep roots in this city and a vested interest in doing right by everyone. Rush Street Gaming is a proven operator of arguably the most successful of the current Illinois casinos, Rivers in Des Plaines. We think Rivers is the most qualified and suitable operator, and the area known as The 78 is the most viable site.
We’ve read all the proposals, listened to arguments.
