Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Another version of a casino bill is expected to resurface on the governors desk within a couple months and legislators are much more optimistic about its passage.
Gov. Pat Quinn vetoed a casino bill Monday that would have opened up an opportunity for a south suburban license, in addition to four other licenses, the Chicago Tribune reports. This may not be much of a setback for Homewood’s casino plans, however. A new version of the bill with tighter regulations—as per Quinn’s request—is expected to surface before the end of session. “The governor may even like it,” bill sponsor Sen. Terry Link said. Last month, Homewood issued a request for casino proposals. Casino companies have until the end of the month to express their interest in teaming up with the village. Get the rest of the story by the Chicago Tribune
Friday, February 22, 2013
In this week's Patch Talk, Chris and Ryan touch on the home stretch of the 2nd District primary, radon gas and the Homewood casino.
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Tuesday, February 19, 2013
The village hopes to announce a casino partnership by the end of May.
Homewood is one small step closer to getting a casino, according to a press release from the village. Last Friday, the joint team of Homewood and East Hazel Crest issued what’s called a Request for Qualifications and Proposals (RFP) last Friday. As a result, casino companies will now compete to offer the best package proposal for our area. “The villages intend to select one successful applicant, enter into best-and-final negotiations, and enter into a Project Development Agreement to prepare for the Illinois Gaming Board license application process,” said a press release from the village. The villages intend to have the site developed into a long-term, quality gaming and entertainment destination with associated lodging, parking, and …
Friday, December 21, 2012
On this week's Patch Talk we're discussing a disagreement between the Chicago Heights mayor and an alderman. We're also looking at what a casino could bring to Homewood.
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Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Jobs, entertainment and funding for education are all anticipated to come along with a South Suburban casino should Homewood secure its development.
Plans for an “economic development engine” are starting to take shape after last Monday’s information meeting, hosted jointly with East Hazel Crest. While specific details, such as revenue approximations and casino concepts are slated to be answered later on in the process, the village is sketching a vision of what a future Homewood casino might look like. The casino will bring along with it an entire entertainment package, including a South Suburban hotel, according to the village’s legal counsel Craig Burkhardt. With that package comes about 1,000 jobs, according to Burkhardt. “These are good, solid, highly-paying jobs that support families that send their kids to college,” Burkhardt said. The issue of security and fear of an increased …
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
The Villages of Homewood and East Hazel Crest hosted a joint informational meeting Monday night to preview their casino development project.
How much revenue will the casino generate? What will it look like? How long might the development take? How will revenue sharing pan out? Those were some of the questions residents brought with them to a casino development informational meeting at the Irwin Center on Monday. And those questions will definitely get an answer—later. It’s not because anyone’s withholding information. Rather, many of these details will emerge once the request for proposals (RFP) process begins, according to Craig Burkhardt, an attorney with the village's casino development lawfirm Barnes & Thornburg LLP. For those of you who feel your concerns haven’t been heard or addressed yet, there will be time for that later, Burkhardt said. Public statements are a …
Monday, December 17, 2012
It's not too late to submit questions via Homewood's online submission form for tonight's informative meeting about the village's casino development project.
Residents will get a chance to learn more about Homewood’s casino development project tonight, Dec. 17 at the Irwin Center, 18120 Highland Ave. The village, along with East Hazel Crest, will hold a public meeting at 7:30 p.m. to “introduce the public to the gaming and entertainment development being sought by both villages,” according to a press release. READ: South Suburban Casino Could Be in Homewood's Future There will also be a question-answering segment at the end of the presentation. The villages are asking all questions be submitted online via this form no later than 3 p.m., Monday Dec. 17.
Monday, December 10, 2012
The Villages of Homewood and East Hazel Crest will hold a public meeting at 7:30 p.m. Dec 17 at the Marie Irwin Center to inform residents on their joint casino development project.
Residents will get a chance to learn more about Homewood’s casino development project Dec. 17 at the Irwin Center, 18120 Highland Ave. The village, along with East Hazel Crest, will hold a public meeting at 7:30 p.m. to “introduce the public to the gaming and entertainment development being sought by both villages,” according to a press release. READ: South Suburban Casino Could Be in Homewood's Future There will also be a question-answering segment at the end of the presentation.
Friday, November 30, 2012
This week on Patch Talk, we get into Homewood's surprise casino announcement and Senator Toi Hutchinson's intent to go after former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.'s recently vacated seat.
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Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Homewood is one step closer towards developing a casino, but village officials say there's still a long way to go.
Homewood trustees voted Tuesday night to take the next step towards developing a casino along with the Village of East Hazel Crest. Two agenda items now help to set the stage for a potential future casino development. The first is an intergovernmental revenue sharing agreement between Homewood and the Village of East Hazel Crest. As the larger property holder, East Hazel Crest will be receiving 55 percent of proceeds, leaving Homewood with the remaining 45 percent. Trustees also voted to hire law firm Barnes & Thornburg to solicit interest from casino businesses. Homewood Village President Richard Hofeld says the firm employs statisticians and financial analysts to determine the best, most profitable choice for the villages. This is a …
Tobias Cichon
1:13 pm on Sunday, March 10, 2013
Can't Homewood just get around this silly gubernatorial red tape by naming the casino "Wall St."? more ›