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  #3281  
Old Posted Dec 9, 2010, 4:13 PM
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^^^Umm it's the circus, the can fit 20 clowns in a vw beetle, why not 50 elephants in the Sullivan center..
     
     
  #3282  
Old Posted Dec 9, 2010, 4:50 PM
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A casino in Block 37 would make more sense if they finished the unbuilt tower and made it into hotel rooms. I also think a quality casino at that location would kill the Indiana casinos. I am not a big fan of casinos in Chicago, but I always found it amazing that there are a ton of free shuttles to Indiana that take Chicago money with them.
     
     
  #3283  
Old Posted Dec 9, 2010, 4:58 PM
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Originally Posted by jdcpamba View Post
A casino in Block 37 would make more sense if they finished the unbuilt tower and made it into hotel rooms. I also think a quality casino at that location would kill the Indiana casinos. I am not a big fan of casinos in Chicago, but I always found it amazing that there are a ton of free shuttles to Indiana that take Chicago money with them.
That is highly unlikely. Just like added highway lanes only increases traffic, added casinos increases access to and temptation to gamble. But it's for the schools, right?
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  #3284  
Old Posted Dec 9, 2010, 4:59 PM
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I personally think its a great idea. I don't know too much about State street back in the day but I know it was never a class st like the Mag Mile so putting a Casino here wouldn't hurt its reputation. If you want elegant and high end shopping head north of the river; if you want a fun colorful street (potentially) full of vibrant attractions head south of the river. There's already mcdonalds, blick arts, chicago theater, foot locker, and other cheerful looking places on state so a Casino could really step the vibrancy up a notch if done right imo. And if it does get a tower on top, I hope it has some nice architectural value to it...
     
     
  #3285  
Old Posted Dec 9, 2010, 6:13 PM
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No doubt a casino would bring in more foot traffic to the area, but what kind of people are you attracting with a casino? The alcoholic, high school drop out, that just got off his shift at Chili's, going to blow his tip money, or a suave, sophisticated day trader looking to continue his winning (or losing) streak? I just think it's a bad idea, not only for the city, but for our city's people.
     
     
  #3286  
Old Posted Dec 10, 2010, 5:48 AM
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No doubt a casino would bring in more foot traffic to the area, but what kind of people are you attracting with a casino? The alcoholic, high school drop out, that just got off his shift at Chili's, going to blow his tip money, or a suave, sophisticated day trader looking to continue his winning (or losing) streak? I just think it's a bad idea, not only for the city, but for our city's people.
I work with a couple guys who have six-figure incomes and love to travel down to the Indiana casinos. One of them lives downtown, one lives in Naperville, both work in the Loop. They'd both take advantage of a downtown casino.

The way you keep the riff-raff out is to have a dress code - I believe that's how they do it in European casinos.
     
     
  #3287  
Old Posted Dec 10, 2010, 6:05 AM
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Originally Posted by J_M_Tungsten View Post
No doubt a casino would bring in more foot traffic to the area, but what kind of people are you attracting with a casino? The alcoholic, high school drop out, that just got off his shift at Chili's, going to blow his tip money, or a suave, sophisticated day trader looking to continue his winning (or losing) streak? I just think it's a bad idea, not only for the city, but for our city's people.
Depends on what else you put in it. Looking at Detroit's three downtown casinos, MGM always seemed to have a younger, diverse, upper class clientele. More expensive restaurants, retail, and clubs within. The other two casinos? Well...exactly what you imagined. Just my opinion.
     
     
  #3288  
Old Posted Jan 4, 2011, 2:45 AM
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No Casino at Block 37, Please

I think given the state's financial problems (now I believe finally being given its due recognition as most severe among the 50 states) I think it's a fait accompli that a large gambling expansion package is going to pass. I just really, really, really hope politicians don't try to strong-arm it into block 37. It just doesn't work there.....once BofA sells the project at a steep discount to a new owner, I think it could surprise some folks how quickly it could be stabilized with substantial tenancy at rents that make economic sense with entertainment and dining tenants occupying the vast majority of the 3rd and 4th floors and retail shops on the 1st and 2nd, provided it is successfully sold within the next 4-5 months, tops.......again, the common theme of the overriding problems we've had with Block 37's development for the past 25+ years has been way, way too much government involvement in it.........the politicians need to finally just let this one go and let the market solve it - not try to further influence by trying to cram a casino into it...
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  #3289  
Old Posted Jan 4, 2011, 3:58 AM
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I liked the Loop Alliance's suggestion of putting it in the vacant Trump retail spaces. It has great river views, it would increase bookings at the Trump hotel, and it's beautifully designed. Trump already runs several casinos, although the casino/resort company is completely independent of the hotel/condo company.
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  #3290  
Old Posted Jan 4, 2011, 3:38 PM
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^ Assuming the layout would work at Trump, much better location for it from my point of view...


On Block 37, I also worry that the mere fact that it is yet again being talked about in some circles of the public sphere may cause BofA to delay, or move too slowly with its auction in the hopes that the state or city may pay overmarket for it (or a portion of it) for use as a casino.......I wish this bad idea can just be taken off the table once and for all so we can get a new owner of the project at a much-needed significantly lower cost basis and this thing can finally come to life
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  #3291  
Old Posted Jan 5, 2011, 4:16 AM
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Depends on what you mean by "work". If you're referring to a Vegas-style casino with a large, expansive floorplate and no windows, then no, Trump would not work. Put that shit out in Lakeside Center.

But if we're gonna do a European-style small casino, then Trump is pretty good. There is about 70,000 sf of space across two levels, but there's a big elevator core in the center and the walls are pretty curvy.
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  #3292  
Old Posted Jan 5, 2011, 4:26 AM
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Originally Posted by ardecila View Post
I liked the Loop Alliance's suggestion of putting it in the vacant Trump retail spaces. It has great river views, it would increase bookings at the Trump hotel, and it's beautifully designed. Trump already runs several casinos, although the casino/resort company is completely independent of the hotel/condo company.
I don't think Casinos generally want good views from the casino floor. They want the main focus - the only focus - to be gambling.
     
     
  #3293  
Old Posted Jan 6, 2011, 5:47 PM
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Originally Posted by ardecila View Post
Depends on what you mean by "work". If you're referring to a Vegas-style casino with a large, expansive floorplate and no windows, then no, Trump would not work. Put that shit out in Lakeside Center.

But if we're gonna do a European-style small casino, then Trump is pretty good. There is about 70,000 sf of space across two levels, but there's a big elevator core in the center and the walls are pretty curvy.

Good Point, and I agree that if there is to be a downtown casino, best to model after urban European casinos......however this not being Europe, I find it highly unlikely that a developer would risk deviating from the miserable tried-and-true American formula ...........I could always be pleasantly surprised however...
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Last edited by SamInTheLoop; Jan 7, 2011 at 2:17 PM.
     
     
  #3294  
Old Posted Jan 6, 2011, 7:50 PM
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Put the casino in the Uptown Theater. It's big, windowless, over-the-top opulent, and needs the work.
     
     
  #3295  
Old Posted Jan 7, 2011, 7:01 PM
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Put the casino in the Uptown Theater. It's big, windowless, over-the-top opulent, and needs the work.
Unfortunately, I could imagine a beast of a parking structure going up across the street.
     
     
  #3296  
Old Posted Jan 7, 2011, 10:14 PM
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That is highly unlikely. Just like added highway lanes only increases traffic, added casinos increases access to and temptation to gamble. But it's for the schools, right?
Gamblers are already flocking to casinos. I can go to Chinatown and get on any one of 5 free shuttle buses to casinos in Indiana or Four Winds in Michigan. Four Winds even gives you $5 in free gambling money just for ridding the bus. I've been to Horseshoe in Hammond about 4 times, and each time I noticed that at least 90% of license plates in the packed parking garage are from Illinois. I remember one particular Saturday night when a friend and I only found open parking spaces on the roof level of the garage and I counted only 11 license plates that weren't labeled Illinois. This is out of 7 levels of parking in a garage with enormous floor plates.

The concern of it siphoning money away from poor city residents is flawed, because that money is already going to the casinos in the burbs and in Indiana. The one major difference a downtown casino has, is that it will capture money from foreign tourists and business travelers who won't venture into Indiana.

I still believe the post office is the best location: huge floorplates, plenty of room for internal parking, easy highway and transit access, riverfront property for restaurants and/or entertainment venues and plenty of additional floor space for a hotel.
     
     
  #3297  
Old Posted Jan 8, 2011, 3:12 AM
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I suppose a casino would be ideal for the Post Office. The interior of the floorplates can be used for the gaming floors and then the perimeter 20 feet of the building becomes a really long, skinny hotel facing the river.
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  #3298  
Old Posted Jan 8, 2011, 6:41 AM
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^ It sure does seem ideally suited. Other than the prohibition against land-based casinos, wasn't there, in the past, concern about the location being too far from McCormick and/or hotels and/or River North, or too close to the comparatively sober (and sombre) business district, or too close to River North and thus a threat to existing nightlife, or something like that? Or is there some kind of insurmountable incompatibility with the building or site?
     
     
  #3299  
Old Posted Jan 9, 2011, 6:20 AM
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The insurmountable problem is the SIZE. Even with a massive, Detroit-sized casino with hotel, that still leaves millions of square feet unused. Many casinos have convention space attached, but there's no way the city will allow a private casino to usurp business from McCormick Place, and the building doesn't have high enough ceilings or column-free spaces.

There's no longer a ban on land-based casinos, so that's no longer a problem.


On a related note, the Des Plaines casino is coming along quickly.
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  #3300  
Old Posted Jan 22, 2011, 10:51 PM
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Which Wich (pedway) and Local Charm (first floor) opened. According to more recent marketing materials, it looks like the movie theater might once again be operated by Paragon Theaters, a company started by former Muvico executives. This certainly ideal over the last proposal for some sort of suburban "upscale" experience. Let's see if this deal is announced. In the mean time, more fun:

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/artic...#axzz1Biijk8Rt

Freed faces forgery probe on Wisconsin mall loan
By: Eddie Baeb January 24, 2011


...B of A is the lead lender on Block 37. The four-level mall on North State Street in the Loop is scheduled to be auctioned on Feb. 2, the next step in the 16-month-old foreclosure case.

The bank group has put the $206.7-million loan on Block 37 up for sale and has received bids in the $85-million range, sources say. That's less than some of the banks wanted, and the group is now debating how to proceed.


masMiguel/ flickr

katherine of chicago/ flickr

Block 37/ Facebook
     
     
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