Three years after Rockford chose the Hard Rock from among three viable casino proposals, Hard Rock Casino Rockford threw an invitation-only party to celebrate the start of transforming a 25-acre empty field into a more than $310 million resort.

It is a moment decades in the making: A casino that will mean millions in local revenue, breathe new life into the city’s East State Street corridor and create more than a thousand jobs is finally being built.

“I have called Rockford my home for my entire life, and I’m so thrilled to see Hard Rock install a little piece of rock ‘n roll in my backyard,” said Rick Nielsen of the legendary rock band Cheap Trick.