Bally's took another notable step in the process to build its $1.7 billion casino in downtown Chicago on Tuesday, as the first demolition work took place on the former Chicago Tribune publishing plant.
City and state officials, Bally's officials, guests and media looked on as an excavator rumbled to life. After a thin celebratory haze of red and white smoke came into the foreground, the excavator's pincher landed squarely on the front of the building, pulling down a chunk as part of the ceremony. The demolition work will continue for the next five months, as Bally's has targeted a September 2026 opening for the casino in the River West neighborhood.
"The future begins today as we bring our vision for Chicago's first and only casino one step closer to reality," said Bally's Chairman Soo Kim. "With demolition now underway, we celebrate this milestone, embark on the revitalization of this glorious riverfront location, and eagerly anticipate the world-class casino and entertainment resort that will soon rise up on this spot."
Bally's is also nearing the one-year anniversary of the opening of its temporary casino at Medinah Temple in nearby River North. Tuesday's ceremony marked the continuation of a banner summer for the gaming company: Bally's acquired full property rights to the Tribune Publishing Plant grounds in early July and secured $940 million in funding for the casino, lifting the total capital accrued for the project to more than $2 billion. That deal gave Bally's the ability to construct both the casino and 500-room hotel together as one full project.
City Officials Eager To See River West Development
Vice Mayor and Alderman Walter Burnett Jr., whose 27th Ward includes the River West neighborhood where Bally's is building, thanked Kim and Bally's for keeping their commitment to the local area. As a longtime resident of River West, Burnett stressed that his constituents will be at the front of the line when it comes to the benefits of the casino.
"When this Tribune building was built, I was living three blocks away in the row houses in Cabrini-Green," Burnett said. "I was a teenager when this building was built. This is my neighborhood. These are my people in this neighborhood. So it's only incumbent upon me to make sure that people from my neighborhood do well. And the people from my neighborhood benefit on the prosperity that everybody else is going to benefit from, whether it's union workers … whatever the case may be, this is personal for me."
First-term Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who inherited the Bally's casino project from predecessor Lori Lightfoot, did not attend the ceremony, as it came on the heels of last week's Democratic National Convention held downtown. His office released a statement that read: "The City of Chicago joins Bally's in celebrating this historic day. This $1.7 billion casino and entertainment development is one of the largest economic investments in Chicago. For many years to come, this project will have an incredible impact on our city as a job creator, hospitality destination and revenue generator.
"Investments like this continue to show that Chicago is open for business. Like all Chicagoans, I will be watching eagerly as Bally's rises along the river."
A Lot of Busy Work along the Chicago River
Bally's secured five demolition permits for the two structures on the property, one of which was a building previously owned by U-Haul that has already been demolished. The demolition crews will be working from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily in compliance with Chicago Noise Ordinance rules, and there will be no use of explosives or wrecking balls.
Trucks will primarily use the Grand Avenue entrance to gain access to the 30-acre site, and the dust mitigation plan as part of the demolition work has been approved by the Chicago Department of Public Health.
John Bosca, who is the President Emeritus at Neighbors of River West and is on the Casino Community Advisory Council, described the multiple construction projects that will take place simultaneously with the casino's construction. Those inclulde tearing down and rebuilding the Chicago Halsted Bridge and replacing the Chicago River Bridge, which will have the ability to adjust in height.
"In my mind, we're baking a cake. God's turned on the oven already," Bosca joked in reference to the sweltering weather during the ceremony. "But at the end of the day, we're going to break some eggs. The first egg on this particular property is going to be the Tribune Building and the Freedom Center.
"We celebrate what was going on there, but we also are going to hand the baton off to Bally's and their development as this moves forward. So, on behalf of Neighbors of River West, let's start baking a cake and let's break some eggs."
