“The fact that the Medinah Temple is vacant creates safety issues and, as Samir noted, the city sees this development as an opportunity to revitalize the downtown area.” “Increased economic opportunity and foot traffic brings eyes on the street, which brings safety,” Huang Bennett said. She added that she believes the arrival of a temporary casino could even make the area safer.

Opponents have also noted that Friedman Properties CEO and Medinah Temple owner Albert Friedman - a past contributor to Lightfoot and other city leaders - gave the mayor’s campaign fund $6,000 on March 22, shortly before the city announced the building as the temporary location, instead of the developer’s choice.Ĭity of Chicago Chief Financial Officer Jennie Huang Bennett said during Monday’s casino committee meeting that $2 million in “community benefits” from Bally’s will support police resources around the temporary casino site.

came at the behest of the city, which approached Bally’s in late April with a shortlist of alternative sites and a short time to get it done. The eleventh-hour shift from a planned temporary casino at a former Tribune Publishing warehouse at 700 W.

Temporary casino downtown chicago