Story posted Friday, January 29, 2010
Development Committee Approves Casino Plan
The city's three-member Community Development Committee Tuesday night unanimously approved preliminary plans for the new Des Plaines casino. Their recommendation will be sent to the full city council, which will likely consider the billion dollar project on Tuesday, Feb. 16.
Unlike Monday night's Des Plaines Plan Commission meeting where a number of casino representatives engaged in a nearly two-hour formal presentation, Tuesday's night's meeting was shorter.
According to committee chairman Ald. Rosemary Argus (8th), Mike Conlan and Scott Mangum of the city's Community Development Dept. presented details of the casino project. A full presentation involving casino representatives is expected to be given at the Feb. 16 meeting.
Midwest Gaming and Entertainment, LLC is seeking city approval to designate the 20-acre site on River Road north of Devon Avenue as a Planned Unit Development (PUD) and for several zoning changes. Plans call for the property, where 11 office buildings now stand, to be redeveloped into two phases to include a 140,000 sq. ft. casino, two parking garages, one or more restaurants, and two high-rise hotels.
Once city approval is granted and state suitability requirements met, demolition of the first three or four buildings on the site will begin, probably in March. Construction of the casino may begin in July with its opening in 16 to 19 months.
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