Hard Rock Casino is Rockford mayor’s choice

Mayor Tom McNamara’s administration recommended to City Council Monday that it back Hard Rock International to receive the city’s sole casino license.

McNamara said Forest City Casino’s application for a far east side casino has uncertainties. And although Gorman & Co. officials say they identified a casino operator late last week, consultants for the city said the operator has not formally committed to the project.recommend casino

Hard Rock Casino Rockford would be located at the former Clock Tower Resort property on 25 acres at 7801 E. State St. Giovanni’s Restaurant & Convention Center, 610 N. Bell School Road, would house a temporary casino until the Hard Rock Casino is built.

McNamara said the city should send a single casino to the Illinois Gaming Board, and make the decision on which casino proposal is best for the city. He said Hard Rock’s “financing structure is credible” and includes “realistic and sustainable minimum gambling tax guarantees, along with additional revenue sharing payments to offset impacts to the city.”We believe Hard Rock has by far the most thorough and complete proposal delivered to the city,” McNamara said. “We believe the other proposals have some fairly glaring weaknesses, and we believe the greatest likelihood for the city to get a casino is with Hard Rock.”

Hard Rock International is proposing a casino with 1,500 slot machines and 55 table games, a Hard Rock Café and 1,600-seat Hard Rock Live entertainment venue at the I-90 exit.

The casino recommendation is now in the hands of the 14-member City Council, which must vote by Oct. 26 to certify one or more of the applicants to the Illinois Gaming Board, which ultimately decides who gets a casino license. McNamara said he recommends that aldermen find consensus among themselves and cast a final vote on Oct. 7.