By Illinois Radio Network

SPRINGFIELD – Rockford is one step closer to a casino now that its city council has chosen a preferred
bid.

The city council voted to back a proposal by Hard Rock International to build a
65,000-square foot facility along Interstate 90, on the far east side of the city.
Rockford was awarded a license in the recent gambling expansion bill.

“The city of Rockford has done its job,” Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara said. “We are
now full partners with Hard Rock. We will work to finalize our packet and send it down
to the state so the Illinois Gaming Board can finalize and license Hard Rock Casino so
the city of Rockford can open our casino, the state can start making money, the city can
start making money, and so can the owners.”

The Hard Rock International bid was selected over two other proposals. Officials wanted
to avoid any confusion in sending multiple packages to the Illinois Gaming Board for
final approval.

“It was by far the most thorough and complete proposal,” McNamara said. “We believe it
has by far the greatest likelihood to be licensed and we also believe the city of Rockford
should make the decision on who is going to get the license. By sending only one down,
we essentially get to do that.”

Prior to the recent gambling bill, State Sen. Dave Syverson, R-Rockford, had been
advocating for more than two decades for a casino in the Forest City. He said he expects quick
action from Springfield.

“This is a clean application, probably the cleanest application going in,” Syverson said.
“There’s no controversy, there’s not multiple applications coming from Rockford. The
gaming board can look at this and put it at the top of their list.”

In addition to the casino, the plans call for a Hard Rock Café and a 1,600-seat Hard Rock
Live venue at the facility. The agreement also guarantees the city at least $7 million
annually in gaming tax revenue.

“We’re talking about an international brand,” McNamara said. “We are talking about a
more than $300 million development with over 2,000 jobs, both construction and
permanent jobs.”

Syverson lauded the cooperation among local officials in the effort to attract Hard Rock’s
interest to the area.

“We were able to make the case to Hard Rock to invest along I-90,” Syverson said. “You
have the ability to draw in all the rooftops in McHenry County, DeKalb County, and
southern Wisconsin. Hard Rock was familiar also with [Cheap Trick guitarist] Rick
Nielsen. With him being a part of this, that’s one of the things that excited them.”

The planned location for the new casino is on the former location of the Clock Tower
Resort, known for a massive clock tower seen by passing motorists along the highway.
The new design calls for a huge replica of one of Nielsen’s trademark guitars outside the
complex, also to be clearly visible along I-90.

“[Hard Rock] is a brand that people will travel to visit,” Syverson said. “So what it means
for Rockford is people coming to go to the Hard Rock to eat, listen to music and spend
money that normally wouldn’t come to Rockford. The music, the restaurants, the jobs,
the extra tax money coming into the city … those things are all used to help relieve
property taxes and grow the economy.”

Rockford leaders pushed hard for the license, in part because of a mega-casino being
planned just north of the Wisconsin border in Beloit. Syverson said this news might
change those plans.

“With the name ‘Hard Rock’ and being right on I-90, now Beloit is re-thinking their
Indian casino, which would be just ten minutes north,” Syverson said. “That’s also great
news for northern Illinois and Rockford.”

“Gov. Pritzker and the Illinois legislature did a wonderful job in pushing this
legislation through on a quick time frame,” McNamara said. “We plan to help them on
the promise to beat Beloit.”

Hard Rock also has agreed to transform a nearby restaurant/convention center into a
temporary casino that could open as soon as early 2020. Syverson projects that, with
approval from the state, the new facility could be completed in 18 to 24 months.

McNamara said this is just the latest item in a string of encouraging news for his city.

“We’ve seen the highest property growth in our city this past year since 1994,”
McNamara said. “We saw the three-month quarterly average home sale price the highest
ever in Rockford’s history. We’ve seen tremendous economic development with more
than a billion dollars invested in our health care sector. Our airport was just named the
fastest-growing cargo airport on the face of the planet. You can’t throw an indicator at me
right now that I couldn’t tell you is heading in the right direction.”

Illinois Radio Network can be reached at [email protected].