Des Plaines leaders want 'green' casino
Des Plaines' proposed new casino will be the first "green" casino building in Illinois, if city leaders have their way.
And, they're not just talking about the money it rakes in.
City officials haggled with Midwest Gaming & Entertainment Tuesday night, arguing the Chicago developer should be required to build the casino to meet U.S. Green Building Council's LEED certification standards for measuring building sustainability.
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification was included as one of four standards of development required under a new casino zoning district.
Casino project manager Michael Levin, of Development Management Associates said making LEED certification a requirement, either under city code or through a separate agreement, will hinder the developer's chances of securing a $300 million loan to begin construction in March.
The estimated project cost for the first phase of construction is $450 million, two-thirds of which will be covered by a bank loans.
"It cannot be a zoning ordinance requirement. We won't get financing for this project," Levin said.
The city council Tuesday night approved the first reading of an ordinance establishing a special casino zoning district - allowing variances from city code for taller parking garages, larger signage and building density. The casino is expected to be built on a dramatically different scale than any other commercial project in the city.
Officials reluctantly took out the LEED certification requirement from the ordinance, but still intend to pursue LEED certification by working out a separate deal with the developer.
"We saw this as an important benchmark that we (should) try to achieve," said Mike Conlan, Des Plaines community and economic development director.
Any project applying for LEED certification is graded on a point system on various aspects of construction, such as the amount of recycled and renewable materials used, construction waste management, how "green" the indoor environment is, and controlling indoor chemicals and pollutants, heating and lighting.
To achieve certification, a project must score 40 points. The highest level of certification requires 80 to 110 points.
Des Plaines has at least one LEED certified building - a new interment chapel and office complex at All Saints Cemetery, 700 N. River Road. Nicor Gas also is awaiting LEED certification for its new regional facility at 1665 Birchwood Ave.
There aren't many casinos nationwide that have LEED certification, though some are trying for it.
Levin said there is a premium cost to building up to LEED standards. The Des Plaines casino is Midwest Gaming's first green venture, he added.
Levin said while Midwest Gaming is committed to making the project as green as possible, the developer cannot guarantee the casino building will gain LEED certification in advance. That determination usually isn't made until six months to a year after construction.
"We will make every reasonable effort," Levin said.
That assurance was enough for some city officials.
"I am very pleased that Midwest Gaming is continuing its pursuit of LEED certification," 6th Ward Alderman Mark Walsten said. "It shows that they are in the 21st century."
The city council Tuesday night also approved preliminary site plans for the casino development.
The 140,000-square-foot casino is targeted for about 20 acres fronting the Tri-State Tollway at the northwest corner of Devon Avenue and River Road.
Last week, state gambling regulators found Midwest Gaming & Entertainment and its partners "suitable" for an ownership license for the proposed casino in Des Plaines, even though the license was awarded in December 2008.
The finding came after a yearlong investigation into the dealings of various ownership entities and key players associated with Midwest Gaming, as well as the group's finances and business practices.
The Chicago developer can move forward with casino construction as soon as the city council approves final plans, possibly in March.
The first phase of construction calls for approximately 45,000 square feet of gambling space within a single-level casino with 1,200 gambling positions, and a second-story skywalk connecting to a four- to five-story parking garage with 1,242 spaces.
The casino building will sit on a structure that has roughly 4 inches of water underneath, as Illinois does not allow land-based casinos.
About 30,000 square feet of restaurants and bars and an additional 773 surface parking spaces also are planned in the first phase of development. The casino is expected to open in late summer or early fall next year.