Illinois State Sen. Steve Stadelman | Facebook
Illinois State Sen. Steve Stadelman | Facebook
The Hard Rock Casino Rockford has been notified by the the Illinois Gaming Board that it can seek construction approvals to build temporary and permanent casino locations.
Giovanni's Restaurant at 610 N. Bell School Road in Rockford is being converted to house the casino until construction is complete on the casino's permanent location, according to Rockford Register Star. The 37,790-square-foot temporary venue will feature 736 slot machines, two restaurants and possibly include a "Rock Shop" gift shop.
"I am excited for this major step forward in the plans for the Rockford Casino," Illinois State Sen. Steve Stadelman wrote in a June 9 Facebook post. "I look forward to the day those in Rockford who enjoy gambling don’t have to travel to another state to do what they enjoy and can stay here in northern Illinois at the Rockford Casino."
The Illinois Gaming Board has also accepted a list of investors and granted the casino's landlord a supplier's license, Rockford Register Star reported. Each investor holds at least a 5% ownership stake.
The permanent casino location will be housed in a 65,000-square-foot venue and feature 1,500 slot machines, 55 table games, three restaurants and two cafes. These ventures are projected to create approximately 1,200 local construction jobs and 1,000 permanent casino jobs.
The Rockford City Council chose Hard Rock from among three finalists, Rockford Register Star previously reported.
Alerts Sign-up