Illinois: City of Rockford is accepting casino proposals

The City of Rockford is currently accepting proposals for a casino after Illinois government announced it was granting six new casino licenses as part of the gambling expansion bill signed in May.

Mayor Tom McNamara says the proposals include details such as where the casino will be built, and how it will run, Northen Public Radio reports.

"First they need to have a project labor agreement," he said. "Second, we want to bring additional benefits to our community, such as a hotel. Third, we want to discuss revenue sharing opportunities the casino could provide to the city, as well as what they would do to support our local social services and nonprofits."

In addition, the site must be within Rockford city limits, or on land that can be directly annexed.

Two sites could be in the mix. First is the former Clock Tower Hotel and Resort next to Interstate 90. Hard Rock International expressed interest in developing it, and the project is being touted by Cheap Trick frontman Rick Nielsen. Republican state Sen. Dave Syverson, who drafted much of the state's gambling expansion law, says the site's location also makes it attractive to out-of-town visitors.

"If it was downtown, for example, McHenry County would end up going to Elgin instead of to Rockford, but this makes Rockford closer, so we're able to draw from the rooftops of McHenry County and from Wisconsin," he said.

The other site is downtown, immediately south of the coming Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center. Wisconsin-based Gorman and Company is responsible for the hotel and wants to expand its work to build a casino. Democratic state Sen. Steve Stadelman says this location also has advantages.

"I think it's true that a casino downtown by itself doesn't necessarily generate economic development on its own, but I think as part of a larger entertainment complex, I think it's an easy idea to sell, that this could be a boost downtown," he said.

Both the interstate and downtown proposals are still in the planning stages. Sen. Stadelman says he wouldn't be surprised if other casino operators introduce their own ideas.

"I think both proposals are extremely attractive, but I want to see what else may be put forth as far as an offer the city will consider before I offer any other thoughts or judgments on it," he said.

Syverson, on the other hand, prefers the I-90 site. And though the city and casino operators are acting quickly, Stadelman says the process is far from over:

"We just passed the state legislation in May. The deadline for proposals is this month, and by October the state Board will make a decision. So it's a very expedited process, it's very quick, but it's very exciting as well."

The City of Rockford is not limited in how many proposals it can send to the Gaming Board, but only one operator will ultimately receive the license.