{"id":2391624,"date":"2026-04-27T16:50:18","date_gmt":"2026-04-27T16:50:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2391624"},"modified":"2026-04-27T16:50:18","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T16:50:18","slug":"inside-chicagos-1-7-billion-riverfront-transformation-the-massive-entertainment-district-taking-shape-near-river-west","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/inside-chicagos-1-7-billion-riverfront-transformation-the-massive-entertainment-district-taking-shape-near-river-west\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside Chicago\u2019s $1.7 Billion Riverfront Transformation: The Massive Entertainment District Taking Shape Near River West"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"post-76110\">\n<header class=\"col-12\">\n<p class=\"single__subtitle\">Chicago\u2019s first-ever full-scale casino is racing to meet its 2026 opening date \u2014 here is everything we know so far.<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<section class=\"article__content\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<section class=\"article__body col-md-8\">\n<figure class=\"module-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"simple-thumbnail-row\">\n<div class=\"simple-thumbnail-caption-row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"0 0 512 512\" class=\"svg-inline--fa\" role=\"img\" aria-hidden=\"true\" height=\"1em\"><!--! Font Awesome Pro 6.7.2 by @fontawesome - https:\/\/fontawesome.com License - https:\/\/fontawesome.com\/license (Commercial License) Copyright 2024 Fonticons, Inc. --><path d=\"M191.1 32c-20.7 0-39 13.2-45.5 32.8L135.1 96 64 96C28.7 96 0 124.7 0 160L0 416c0 35.3 28.7 64 64 64l384 0c35.3 0 64-28.7 64-64l0-256c0-35.3-28.7-64-64-64l-71.1 0L366.5 64.8C359.9 45.2 341.6 32 320.9 32L191.1 32zM175.9 74.9c2.2-6.5 8.3-10.9 15.2-10.9l129.9 0c6.9 0 13 4.4 15.2 10.9l14 42.1c2.2 6.5 8.3 10.9 15.2 10.9l82.7 0c17.7 0 32 14.3 32 32l0 256c0 17.7-14.3 32-32 32L64 448c-17.7 0-32-14.3-32-32l0-256c0-17.7 14.3-32 32-32l82.7 0c6.9 0 13-4.4 15.2-10.9l14-42.1zM256 400a112 112 0 1 0 0-224 112 112 0 1 0 0 224zM176 288a80 80 0 1 1 160 0 80 80 0 1 1 -160 0z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/><\/svg><figcaption class=\"single__featured-image-caption\">Source\/ Bally\u2019s Casino by HKS<\/figcaption><\/div><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group template-parent-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-smn-post-author\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-smn-post-author__col\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-smn-post-author__avatar\">\n\t\t\t<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-force-follow=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/secretchicago.com\/author\/tori-levy\/\" rel=\"follow\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/offloadmedia.feverup.com\/secretmedianetwork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/16210138\/profile-pic-levy-150x150.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/offloadmedia.feverup.com\/secretmedianetwork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/16210138\/profile-pic-levy-150x150.png 2x\" class=\"avatar avatar-40 photo\" height=\"40\" width=\"40\"\/><\/a>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-smn-post-author__col\">\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t<span>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\tStaff Writer\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<time class=\"wp-block-smn-post-author__date\" datetime=\"2026-04-27T16:27:51+00:00\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t<span>\u00a0\u00b7\u00a0<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\tApril 27, 2026<br \/>\n\t\t<\/time>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>You<strong> may have noticed the ample construction activity <\/strong>at the site formerly known as the Chicago Tribune Publishing Center\u2014<strong>soon to be home to the $1.7 billion Bally\u2019s Chicago casino.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Bally\u2019s is<strong> expected to bring a mini Vegas to the heart of Chicago.<\/strong> The casino <strong>will showcase a 35-story hotel tower featuring 500 rooms<\/strong>. Additionally, it will house an expansive gaming floor with 3,400 slot machines and 173 table games. Beyond gaming, <strong>there will be a state-of-the-art 3,000-seat theater, a sprawling 2-acre public park<\/strong>, and a 2,000-foot-long extension to the Riverwalk.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large alignfull wp-caption\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"606\" src=\"https:\/\/offloadmedia.feverup.com\/secretchicago.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/27112420\/Ballys-Casino-by-HKS-2-1024x606.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-76111\" srcset=\"https:\/\/offloadmedia.feverup.com\/secretchicago.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/27112420\/Ballys-Casino-by-HKS-2-1024x606.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/offloadmedia.feverup.com\/secretchicago.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/27112420\/Ballys-Casino-by-HKS-2-300x178.jpg 300w, https:\/\/offloadmedia.feverup.com\/secretchicago.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/27112420\/Ballys-Casino-by-HKS-2-768x454.jpg 768w, https:\/\/offloadmedia.feverup.com\/secretchicago.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/27112420\/Ballys-Casino-by-HKS-2.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption wp-caption-text\">Source\/ Bally\u2019s Casino by HKS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"what-to-expect-for-chicagos-first-ever-full-scale-casino\" class=\"wp-block-heading toc-heading\">What to expect for Chicago\u2019s first-ever full-scale casino<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A <strong>35-story glass-and-metal tower set to rise at the northern edge of the site<\/strong>, crafted to resemble a \u201cbeacon\u201d offering panoramic views of the skyline.<\/li>\n<li>The<strong> main building will feature an eight-story layout, with the gaming floor situated on a lower level<\/strong>, including multiple levels dedicated to parking, diverse dining options, and lively entertainment venues.<\/li>\n<li>The <strong>landscape will be expanded to include a 2-acre public park and a 2,000-foot-long extension of the Riverwalk<\/strong>, complete with a water taxi stop and a pedestrian bridge for easy access.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"will-it-be-done-by-this-year\" class=\"wp-block-heading toc-heading\">Will it be done by this year?<\/h2>\n<p>There are <strong>growing concerns that the development will miss its targeted opening deadline of September 9, 2026<\/strong>, which is now less than six months away. If you drive past the site, it seems quite unlikely.<\/p>\n<\/section><\/div>\n<hr class=\"single__meta-line-divider\"\/>\n<\/section>\n<footer>\n<\/footer><\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source secretchicago.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Chicago\u2019s first-ever full-scale casino is racing to meet its 2026 opening date \u2014 here is everything we know so far. Source\/ Bally\u2019s Casino by HKS \u00a0\u2013\u00a0 Staff Writer \u00a0\u00b7\u00a0 April 27, 2026 You may have noticed the ample construction activity at the site formerly known as the Chicago Tribune Publishing Center\u2014soon to be home to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2391625,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2391624","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Inside-Chicagos-17-Billion-Riverfront-Transformation-The-Massive-Entertainment-District.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2391624","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2391624"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2391624\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2391626,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2391624\/revisions\/2391626"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2391625"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2391624"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2391624"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2391624"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}