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Meet Journal Star enterprise and authorities reporter JJ Bullock
Journal Star reporter JJ Bullock writes about native authorities, politics and enterprise in and round Peoria.
- The metropolis of Peoria is suing the Illinois Gaming Board to dam a vote on Boyd Gaming’s new on line casino plan in East Peoria.
- Peoria argues the brand new land-based on line casino violates a 1991 settlement requiring such amenities to be on Peoria’s facet of the Illinois River.
- The Peoria City Council rejected a settlement provide from Boyd Gaming that might have paid town an estimated $1.8 million yearly.
PEORIA — A Cook County choose won’t hear Peoria’s case for a restraining order in opposition to the Illinois Gaming Board till subsequent week, organising a pivotal Thursday morning vote on Boyd Gaming’s contested plans to construct a brand new on line casino in East Peoria.
The impending vote by the gaming board comes simply days after the Peoria City Council voted to reject a settlement provide from Boyd and moved to sue the board, Boyd Gaming and town of East Peoria. The swimsuit contends Boyd Gaming’s plan to construct a 29,000-square-foot on line casino violates state regulation and a 1991 intergovernmental settlement.
Peoria’s lawsuit sought a brief restraining order in opposition to the Illinois Gaming Board, in hopes of stopping it from voting on Boyd’s plan — a proposal town of Peoria believes the gaming board will approve.
The Peoria City Council break up 5-5 on Monday evening in rejecting Boyd’s settlement provide, which might have paid town an estimated $1.8 million yearly. Instead, town has opted to pursue litigation, placing strain on Boyd and the gaming board.
Peoria Mayor Rita Ali voted to approve the settlement and was not shy in voicing her disappointment in Monday’s final result. However, now that the lawsuit is a actuality, she advised the Journal Star on Wednesday that he hopes the “doors remain open” for a possible settlement.
“As you know, I think this was a missed opportunity for the city to resolve our issues and move forward because I honestly don’t believe the end result of our court battle will result in a land-based casino in Peoria, Boyd’s land-based casino in Peoria,” Ali stated. “So, we’ll continue to fight.”
For these on the council like Ali who voted sure on the settlement, the submitting of the lawsuit put them in an fascinating place of needing to keep up assist for town and its path ahead whereas not essentially agreeing with the trail taken.
“I want to remain optimistic in this situation. I believe it’s going to be a long battle, but what I am looking for is a positive end result,” Ali stated. “I don’t want to fight just to fight. I don’t believe that there is any rationale in doing so. I want to fight this so there is a good result and I am hesitant to believe that result is a land-based casino in Peoria.”
Ali and the 4 different councilmembers who voted to approve the settlement agree with the 5 members who voted in opposition to it that the on line casino Boyd Gaming goals to assemble within the parking zone of the present Par-A-Dice property will not be a riverboat. In reality, there are seemingly few individuals who would take a look at Boyd Gaming’s landlocked 29,000 sq. foot constructing constructed on land and mistake for a ship.
Regardless, Boyd Gaming is in search of approval from the Illinois Gaming Board to qualify that constructing as a ship as a result of it would construct a basin of water beneath the on line casino flooring. By that logic, as a result of the constructing sits on high of water, it’s a boat.
In its lawsuit, Peoria referred to as this rivalry by Boyd Gaming “ludicrous” and referred to the basin of water plan as a “gimmick.”
Boyd’s reasoning behind referring to this constructing as a ship rests in its need to maintain its on line casino operation in East Peoria. Boyd, as members of the Peoria City Council acknowledged Monday evening, has zero need to maneuver to Peoria.
However, the 1991 intergovernmental settlement signed by East Peoria and Peoria, which was then codified by state statute in 2019, dictates that any land-based gaming within the space have to be on Peoria’s facet of the Illinois River and any riverboat gaming operation have to be docked in East Peoria. Boyd’s water basin gambit is a shot at utilizing an “end-around,” as Peoria calls it in its lawsuit, of each the settlement and the regulation.
Those who voted in opposition to the settlement imagine Peoria can and can prevail in court docket and/or the lawsuit will drive Boyd Gaming, a publicly traded firm, again to the negotiating desk.
“My position was pretty clear on Tuesday that there is a 1991 agreement, IGA, and a 2019 state law that codified that, those need to be taken seriously and the fact that the gaming commission in the past has been very generous in the definition of a riverboat doesn’t mean we have to accept that,” Peoria City Councilman Tim Riggenbach advised the Journal Star.
Riggenbach believes Peoria can and may goal a growth like Rockford has seen with the Hard Rock Casino, an almost $400 million growth that dwarfs as compared the $160 million plans Boyd unveiled for East Peoria.
“Respectfully, why can’t we have that?” Riggenbach stated. “… I think we’re selling ourselves short here.”
The timing of the lawsuit filed by Peoria, which got here simply two days earlier than the gaming board was set to fulfill, was “unfortunate,” City Councilman Alex Carmona stated.
Carmona, a type of who additionally voted in opposition to the settlement, believes a special, and higher, settlement is in play.
“I believe, and I’ll speak for myself, we’re still willing to work with them and figure out a way not to, even though of course we’re the one now litigating and pushing this forward, to come to a better agreement without making this drawn out and pushing them back on what they’re trying to do, either,” Carmona stated.
Carmona stated he’s cautiously optimistic that Boyd will need to attain a brand new settlement settlement.
“It’s just best for all parties to not want to drag this out, so I am hopeful I guess that we can come together and come to better terms,” Carmona stated.
Peoria City Attorney Patrick Hayes advised the council on Monday evening that the price of litigation might are available in round $1 million and, with the lawsuit seemingly ending up within the Illinois Supreme Court, it might take as much as two years.
For councilmembers who voted sure on the settlement corresponding to Andre Allen, hopes for the lawsuit relaxation on no matter the very best final result is for Peoria.
“Something that we will be able to look back and demonstrate a win for our constituents and that’s what I want, that’s what this council wants is a win for our city and something we can look back on,” Allen stated. “This is a legacy decision, so something we will be able to look back and say we did our best to take advantage of this unique opportunity and be able to have something to show for it.”
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