“Nothing develops around casinos because they are destination points. People go to them game, eat, and go home.”
-Senator Dave Syverson
Many, including our Senator Dave Syverson, believe the Clock Tower Casino proposal is best for Rockford because early regional casinos were built at the fringe of communities and replicating that is easy. And, while the site is easy to build and will have I90 visibility it fails to leverage the value of a casino property as part of a downtown revitalization strategy. Lets not repeat past mistakes by sprawling east or not recognizing the value of the potential before us.
“Nothing develops around (island) casinos because they are destination points. People go to them game, eat, and go home,” Senator Dave Syverson
We respectfully have to disagree… These are photos are of two different casino (Island vs. Urban) models, Both appear to be disconnected from their
communities by large roads and/or highways. What is edited out is the actual surrounding areas. Let’s look at Peoria as it is an example of an urban gateway casino project at the fringe of its downtown and has indeed spurred additional development.
Let’s see what Peoria officials have to say, [City Administrator] Brimberry said, “The Par-A-Dice has done more for the city than just bring in revenue; it brought in development.”
The Peoria Pair-A-Dice Casino is an example of an Urban Casino.
“The terms, “Urban Casino” or “Urban Gaming” are used in a variety of contexts. Historically, they have been used to broadly describe casinos that have been developed within the boundaries of American cities. They include everything from the casinos along the boardwalk in Atlantic City to casinos housed on riverboats and barges moored near central business districts and in the industrial zones of many Midwestern cities”
There are also Island Casinos. “The vast majority of casino development in North American cities can best be described as island casino development. This term refers to casinos that are built as self-contained developments. They are physically separated from the surrounding community.”
In looking at the Rock Island site, we see exactly why it is called an Island Casino:
IS THIS ISLAND CASINO MODEL ON BUSINESS ROUTE 20 AND THE I-90 CORRIDOR REALLY WHAT SENATOR DAVE SYVERSON WANTS FOR OUR CITY?
(Source: Klebanow, Andrew M., Casinos and the City: A White Paper on the History of Casino Development in Cities, Past and Current Trends, and Recommendations for Future Development, Global Market Advisors LLC)
Join Us In Improving Our City By Becoming An Advocate And A Member Of This Grass Roots Group!
Join us for this Journey Here!
