Story posted Friday, January 15, 2010
Next On Casino Timeline: Select Builder, Demolish, Construct
A group of contractors gathered in a parking lot near River Road and Devon Avenue on Tuesday to tour property that will soon house Des Plaines' new casino.
Bids to select a general contractor will be taken over the next few weeks, and Midwest Gaming, operator of the yet-to-be-built casino, will spend February deciding on who will win the building contract, company President Greg Carlin told the Journal & Topics Newspapers on Wednesday, Jan. 13.
Demolition of existing buildings will likely begin in April with construction of the casino to begin shortly there after.
Construction is expected to be complete by July 2011, according building plans submitted to the city.
Carlin said he did not want to provide exact dates on the bidding period or when a general contractor will be selected.
There are currently 11 structures (nine buildings and two sheds) on the future casino site. Demolition will be completed in phases, Carlin said.
City building department staffers said only three or four buildings will need to be knocked down to make way for the footprint of the first phase of the project, the 140,000 to 150,000 sq. ft. casino building and 1,200-car multi-level parking garage.
All remaining structures will need to be knocked down for the eventual hotel and retail space in phase two of the plan, Carlin added. Carlin said he would present updated renderings of the casino site at a Monday, Jan. 25 Des Plaines Plan Commission meeting where a preliminary Planned Unit Development (PUD) will be presented and a zoning ordinance to allow the area to host a casino will be discussed.
A community development committee is scheduled to meet the following day to review casino plans and will pass on recommendations to the full city council.
If approved by the Plan Commission aldermen will likely discuss the initial plans at their Monday, Feb. 16 city council meeting.
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