Chicago’s push for a casino has stirred fervent debate focused mostly on the predictable: whether the right site was chosen, how much tax revenue it will generate and whether it will worsen noise, traffic or problem gambling.
But river advocates and ecological preservationists see the complex in a different light. To them, the Bally’s plan to replace the Tribune printing plant in River West can be a meaningful next step in the ongoing makeover of the city’s riverfront – if done right.
The casino plan is still unfolding, but it will join an urban landscape in mid-transformation. Roughly since the beginning of this century, the banks of the Chicago River have been growing from bit player to star attraction, an ever more alluring aspect of a city where natural beauty can be scarce.
