|
||||||
 |
||||||
|
||||||
|
 <<
HOME |
      |
'It's about time' Southland benefits Emil Jones backs Country Club Hills' effort to land the last casino license Saturday, January 17, 2004 By John Dobberstein Staff writer Standing before a throng of mayors from economically needy south suburbs, Senate President Emil Jones urged the Illinois Gaming Board on Friday to seriously consider Country Club Hills' bid for a casino license. "The gaming board should look at the law and what the law says, and not do what they did several years ago and decide to send the license elsewhere," Jones said, referring to the failed riverboat casino deal in Rosemont. "It's not a question of (gaming) expansion, it's a question of gaming already being here in Illinois, and it's about time our communities in the south suburbs reap the benefits." At least six proposals for the state's last riverboat gambling license will be submitted Monday to the gaming board on behalf of Country Club Hills, Summit, Waukegan, Rosemont and Des Plaines. Country Club Hills is proposing a casino and massive entertainment and shopping complex on 275 acres of land where Interstate 80 intersects Interstate 57. The property is owned by the Gatling family. The casino would be run by Merit Management Group, formed recently by three past executives of Empress Casino Inc. Citing competitive concerns, Country Club Hills Mayor Dwight Welch and the city's attorneys declined to reveal the project's investors and sources of financing. Welch doubted the lack of involvement by a well-known gaming company would hurt his town's chances. Harrah's, which already operates in Joliet, is bidding for Waukegan. The Hyatt hotel chain, which is a partner in Elgin's casino, is bidding for Summit. "How many licenses should one casino operator have?" Welch said. "We've done the math and we've got somebody that's got a local history, local involvement, and was very successful. We'll be at the table with real money, real dollars." Emerald Casino Inc. was awarded the state's 10th gaming license for Rosemont several years ago, but the plan sunk after key investors failed to pass muster with the gaming board. At the time, Rosemont officials already had begun construction on a $40 million parking garage, and the village sued Emerald Casino Inc. in federal bankruptcy court, tying up the license. A settlement was approved by the gaming board recently between the Illinois attorney general's office and Emerald investors in hopes of freeing the license. A recent Illinois Appellate Court decision boosted Rosemont's claims to the license, but a decision Thursday by a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge will allow the auction to continue. The Southland coalition decided to follow the process outlined by the gaming board instead of waiting on courtroom conflicts to be resolved, said attorney Anthony Bass, who is representing Country Club Hills in its bid. "It's our contention that this rests solely with the bankruptcy judge and with the gaming board," Bass said. "If there's going to be a license issued, we're saying it's our time, it should be in the south suburbs, period." Crestwood and a consortium of nine suburbs had been pursuing a riverboat deal with Trump Hotel and Casino Resorts. But after the deal fell apart this week, the coalition threw its support behind Country Club Hills' plan, which would share revenues with 18 suburbs and 32 school districts. Crestwood Mayor Chester Stranczek predicted that education, public safety and economic development programs "will no longer be dreams but a reality" for residents if a casino comes to the Southland. "As individual communities, our needs have been overlooked. As a region, we have been ignored," he said. Under a revenue-sharing agreement already drawn up, Country Club Hills would share 85 percent of its gaming-tax revenues with 18 suburbs, including Crestwood, Alsip, Blue Island, Calumet Park, Ford Heights, Midlothian, Phoenix, Posen, Riverdale, Robbins, Calumet City, Chicago Heights, Dixmoor, Dolton, Harvey, Hazel Crest and Worth. Each town would get an estimated $600,000 a year or more, Bass said, and the school districts would get a share somewhere in the "six figure" range, Welch said. |
||
 |