City approves updated design for Bally’s Casino

Bally’s Casino has received site plan approval from the Chicago Department of Planning and Development. Announced yesterday by Bally’s Corporation, the approval solidifies the plan for the $1.7 billion development to begin construction in late 2024.

As the first urban casino, the entertainment complex will include the casino space with 3,400 slots and 173 table games, 10 food and beverage venues, a 3,000-seat theater and event space, a 20,000 square foot exhibition and museum venue, and a 500-key hotel tower at the north end of the site. The complex’s interior spaces will be complemented with more than 10 acres of outdoor space that include a park for the community with various outdoor programming planned for the site.

As part of Bally’s progress on the project, the development team has been outlined in detail. Bally’s Corporation and minority-ownership Community Investment Programs make up the ownership team. Architects Solomon Cordwell Buenz are leading the masterplan in collaboration with V3 Companies, Gensler, and Site Design Group. Gensler has taken over the architecture of the entire complex, except for the hotel tower which Solomon Cordwell Buenz will be the architect for.

Site Design Group will be the landscape architect, SOSH Architects will lead the casino’s interior design, STL Architects will lead the theater interior design, and local firms UrbanWorks and Nia Architects are working as associated architects. 

For engineering, V3 Companies will be leading civil engineering and site infrastructure, Magnusson Klemencic Associates and Milhouse Engineering will be the structural engineers, and MEP engineering will be done by Environmental Systems Design and Milhouse Engineering.

The owner’s project development advisors include DMA, Rider Levett Bucknall, and BRG Consulting Ltd. Chicago Community Builders Collective will be the project’s general contractor.

With site plan approval secured, Bally's Chicago has the city approval to begin construction as planned late in 2024. Prior to opening gaming operations, they must meet Illinois Gaming Board regulatory and statutory requirements.