Building permits have been issued for the temporary casino at Medinah Temple planned by Bally's Corporation. As part of their winning casino bid, Bally's will be operating a temporary casino at Medinah Temple until the full-fledged casino is completed at the site of the current Tribune Freedom Center printing plant.
Originally designed by Huehl and Schmidt, the four story structure at 600 N. Wabash Avenue was built in 1912 in the Moorish Revival style.
The landmark building used to serve as an auditorium meant to house up to 4,200 people. Its new programming, overseen by STL Architects, will preserve all exterior features while modifying the interior. SOSH Architects will also be involved with the inside design, with plans to tear down many of the partitions allowing for more open gaming floor areas.
Chicago Yimby states that the new venue will have no new parking but will be accessible via an assortment of transit options, including:
- Bus stops for Routes for 2, 3, 22, 26, 29, 36, 65, 143, 146, 147, 151, 157, 850, 851, 855
- The CTA Red Line is also nearby with subway access just one-block south to Grand station
Gilbane Building Company will be serving as the general contractor, with work expected to be completed by the summer of 2023. The main casino is expected to open by mid-2025.
Urbanize Chicago reports that the current signage from Bloomingdale's will be removed and replaced with Bally's signage that matches the same configuration and scale.
On the interior, Bloomingdale's conversion in 2003 consisted of filling in the original 4,200 seat auditorium to create large floor plates for the store. The proscenium was also protected by the landmark status and was retained and painted white.
The casino plan will consist of:
- Removing most of the interior partitions to open up the floors for gaming
- New walls and rooms on the top floor will be built below the original ceiling to keep the coffered ceilings intact
Once the permits are issued, the construction will begin. Plans are for the casino to run for 24 months until the full casino site is opened to the public.
See DataBid Blog titled - Bally's Plans to Build Temporary Casino in River North
See DataBid Blog titled - Casinos in Chicago & Rockford Making Progress
