A casino industry veteran on Monday detailed plans to build a casino at Interstates 57 and 80 in Country Club Hills, a project he says will spur economic development and tourism.
With the deadline for bids Jan. 19 for the state’s last casino license, Joseph Canfora, former president of Empress Entertainments, said it was time to reveal his company’s plans and the city’s vision for sharing revenue from the gaming venture.
“We’ve decided to go public at this point because of the bidding process,” said Canfora, chief executive of Southland Development Group. “We’ve finalized our agreement with our developer. It’s a 300-acre site, and we think obviously [such a large site] gives us a very good competitive advantage for a true economic development project.”
Already in the running for the license is Donald Trump, who proposes to build a casino in Crestwood, but Canfora believes the Country Club Hills site is much more likely to win state approval because of its location and the possibility for further development of the large parcel.
“We’re on Interstate 80,” said Canfora, whose former company operated casinos in Joliet and northwest Indiana. “You’re looking at new tourist money no other site has. Everybody that comes through Chicago will see this new venue off the interstate, and they will make plans to stay and enjoy those amenities.”
Country Club Hills Mayor Dwight Welch said the city has developed conjoining pieces of property with a theater and a Wal-Mart. This year, some 12 new restaurants are also expected to build on the land, he said.
“We look at the casino as just one part of this whole picture,” Welch said.
He argues that Country Club Hills is the best site for a casino not only because of its location, but because the city’s economic needs and large minority population best meet state criteria for the license.
The mayor also said revenue-sharing agreements, similar to Crestwood’s plan to split taxes with poorer surrounding towns, have been discussed.
“There would be a certain percentage of the money that goes to the host community and then to schools, and there will be a sharing agreement,” he said.
Welch added that the proposal includes a significant minority involvement because the landowner, who will participate in the development, is prominent in the African-American business community.
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The group behind Trump’s proposed Crestwood casino says it is not backing out of bidding for the license. “We’re still strong, and we still believe Crestwood is the ideal location,” a spokesman said.
Initial proposals for bids on the license must be submitted by Jan. 19, and on Feb. 23 the Illinois Gaming Board is expected to select three finalists.
The licensing process was complicated by the state’s refusal to issue the last license to Emerald Casino because of alleged ties to organized crime. The Emerald was to have been built in Rosemont, and officials there are expected to push to keep any new casino in that town.
But Welch believes if the state takes a close look at his city, there won’t be any contest. “I think we’re the sleeping giant that is going to come forward with the best plan,” he said.