Des Plaines wraps up casino details
The Des Plaines city council Monday night gave final approval for a preliminary planned unit development to build a 140,000-square-foot casino, and a special zoning district for the project allowing variances from city code for taller parking garages, larger signage and building density.
The city council unanimously approved amending the current zoning code to allow exceptionally large signage for the casino project targeted for about 20 acres fronting the Tri-State Tollway at the northwest corner of Devon Avenue and River Road.
The developer wants 57 signs on the property in the first phase of construction, including five free-standing digital LED screens, four of which will face the Tri-State Tollway to attract clients.
Some of the signs would measure up to 68 feet, City Manager Jason Slowinski said.
The first phase of casino construction involves approximately 45,000 square feet. it will be a single-level casino with 1,200 gambling positions, and a second-story skywalk connecting to a four-story parking garage with 1,242 spaces.
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.
Chicago developer Midwest Gaming & Entertainment may now move forward, after they close on the land purchase March 31, Des Plaines Mayor Marty Moylan said.
"They needed this final piece of ordinance for their financing and for their construction package," Moylan said.
City officials also recently agreed they would not make building the casino to meet the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED certification standards not a zoning requirement.
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification, which measures building sustainability, was initially included as one of four standards of development required under the new casino zoning district.
Casino project manager Michael Levin, of Development Management Associates, argued making LEED certification a requirement under city code or through a separate agreement would hinder the developer's chances of securing a $300 million loan to begin construction.
The estimated project cost for the first phase of construction is $450 million, two-thirds of which will be covered by bank loans. The casino is expected to open in late summer or early fall next year.