Bally’s Chicago Casino Celebrates Construction Milestone, On Track for 2027

Bally’s Chicago held a ceremony for the completion of a major milestone in its development on Thursday.

The upcoming full-fledged casino in the heart of the Windy City celebrated the placing of its final structural beam yesterday, drawing Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Bally’s Executive Chairman Soo Kim, union leaders, and other distinguished guests.

The project is on track to be completed by early 2027.

Bally’s Chicago reaches development feat

The final structural beam – a fire engine red piece of steel – was hoisted into the air as Starship’s “We Built This City” was played over speakers. On the beam were the signatures of city, union, business, and local leaders.

Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who approved Bally’s for a casino license nearly four years prior to the day, was also on hand to support the milestone moment.

“It’s like the end of the beginning,” Kim said. “To get here, we just had a lot of random delays. Now it just feels real good. A thousand people working on-site — I can’t believe how fast we’re building now. So we feel good that we’ll be open early next year.”

The “random delays” referenced by Kim were, indeed, unexpected. 

One incident set the project back after officials realized their original plan would’ve damaged water lines. Another occurred after demolition debris fell off the construction site and into the Chicago River.

The most “random” of all of the delays was undoubtedly a two-week pause that was necessitated after the Chicago Sun-Times reported that developers were using an unapproved waste hauling company that was connected to the mafia.

Despite all of the headaches, Kim declared that he expects the casino to open in the first quarter of 2027. He did not specify a specific month or target.

Chicago’s casino plans

Bally’s opened a temporary facility at Medinah Temple in Sept. 2023. While that location has attracted many guests, the completion of its permanent home is expected to mark the start of a surge in economic activity.

“This is a significant milestone for Bally's Chicago and reflects the incredible effort of the union trades and partners who have made this moment possible,” Kim said on Thursday. “We're proud of the progress to date and excited to move into the next phase as we deliver a one-of-a-kind destination for the people of Chicago.”

The $1.7 billion project is part of a 30-acre transformation of the former Chicago Tribune Freedom Center site. 

Once completed, the location will be redeveloped into a riverfront destination bridging River West and the Near West Side to the Chicago River. Inside the casino, customers will find 3,400 slot machines, 173 table games with live-dealer options, 10 food and beverage locations, a 500-room hotel tower with a rooftop bar, a 3,000-seat entertainment theater and event center, public outdoor space, and more than 3,000 parking spaces.

Bally’s also released new renderings of key elements of the interior design on the casino floor.

Illinois law says a temporary casino can’t operate for more than 36 months, which means the Medinah Temple location only has until September. However, Rep. Kam Buckner (D-26) earlier this year introduced a bill that would allow the property to remain open for another year.