Chicago & Midwest CRE News In Your Inbox.

Sign up for Connect emails to stay informed with CRE stories that are 150 words or less.

Sub Markets

Property Sectors

Topics

Chicago & Midwest  + North Side  + Hospitality  | 
The vacant Mediniah Temple will house a temporary casino while Bally's is building its permanent facility nearby

Bally’s Will Operate Temporary Casino at Medinah Temple 

Assuming that Bally’s Corporation plans for a Chicago casino receive the necessary approvals, the gaming giant will operate a temporary casino at the Medinah Temple at 600 N. Wabash Ave. while building the permanent facility, the Lightfoot administration announced. 

The vacant 110-year-old property, owned by Friedman Properties, was selected to house the temporary casino due to its proximity to major transit and retail/hospitality corridors, as well as its ability to assist in the city’s post-COVID revitalization. It would open in 2023, with the newly built Bally’s casino following in 2026. 

The Lightfoot administration had suggested the Medinah Temple as a temporary site in March when it disclosed the shortlisted finalist proposals.  Its five floors could accommodate a 77,000-square-foot casino, including two levels of a casino floor, two restaurants and back-of-house operations. The casino floor would total 45,000 square feet and could include up to 1,200 gambling positions. 

Connect

Inside The Story

Mayor Lightfoot's office

About Paul Bubny

Paul Bubny serves as Senior Content Director for Connect Commercial Real Estate, a role to which he brings 13-plus years’ experience covering the commercial real estate industry and 30-plus years in business-to-business journalism. In this capacity, he oversees daily operations while also reporting on both local/regional markets and national trends, covering individual transactions across all property types, as well as delving into broader subject matter. He produces 15-20 daily news stories per day and works with the Connect team and clients to develop longer-form content, ranging from Q&As to thought-leadership pieces. Prior to joining Connect, Paul was Managing Editor for both Real Estate Forum and GlobeSt.com at American Lawyer Media, where he oversaw operations at both publications while also producing daily news and feature-length articles. His tenure in B2B publishing stretches back into the print era, and he has served as Editor in Chief on four national trade publications. Since 1999, Paul has volunteered as the newsletter editor of passenger rail advocacy groups (one national, one local).

  • ◦Policy/Gov't
New call-to-action