Plans for a casino at Hawthorne Race Course in the west suburbs remain in limbo, with officials saying they are still trying to complete financing for the project but still plan to open next year.

The race track has demolished much of the inside and the front glass face of the Hawthorne’s grandstand in preparation for building the casino in the grandstand of the Stickney racetrack.

But blaming inflation, high interest rates, supply disruptions, the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and market volatility, Kevin Kline, CEO of Gaming at Hawthorne, told the Illinois Gaming Board that the track has not been able to get financing for the deal. The project now is “shovel ready” for a 14-month renovation, he said, once they finalize financing.