Demolition of a former newspaper building in Chicago, Illinois, USA, to replace the former Chicago Tribune building with a $2 billion casino facility, has been underway since August 27.
Two excavators with demolition attachments have made the first blows, accompanied by a ceremonial brick-pounding.
The demolition and upcoming construction will be carried out by US-based gaming, gambling, and interactive entertainment company Bally’s Corporation. Bally’s Corporation is building a 550,000-square-foot (51,097-square-meter) complex in Chicago’s Riverwest district that will include a casino, a 500-room hotel, a 3,000-seat theatre, and new dining options.
The demolition contractor is Chicago-based Brandenburg Industrial Services. The demolition is expected to take up to four months, with workers working 12-hour days. The future 34-story hotel will be built on the site of the Tribune, also known as the Freedom Center. The newspaper closed its doors in May of this year.
The Chicago Tribune was founded in 1847, and after a $185 million (approximately $600 million in 2024) construction project was completed in 1982, the paper moved its printing facilities and headquarters to the Freedom Center. Chicago architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill designed the building.
Bally’s Chicago Casino and Hotel Overview
Development of the project gained momentum in 2019 when the state of Illinois approved six new casino developments, including Bally’s. Chicago Community Builders Collective (CCBC) is the general contractor for the Bally’s Casino project. CCBC is a joint venture between Chicago-based Brown & Momen, d’Escoto, Milhouse, Powers & Sons Construction, SQN Associations, Ujamaa Construction, Riteway-Huggins Construction, and Wisconsin-based Gilbane Building Company.
The waterfront complex will be built along the Chicago River. The project has received financing commitments of up to $2.07 billion from Gaming and Leisure Properties, a Pennsylvania-based real estate investment firm specializing in casinos. Chicago-based architects HKS designed the first renderings. Bally recently accepted the terms of a $4.6 billion merger deal with Standard General, a New York-based hedge fund. Standard General has signed an agreement to buy all of the company’s remaining shares, which Bally said would then be the combined company, but did not disclose the name or brand. The deal is subject to regulatory approval.
The gaming and lodging facilities are scheduled to open in 2026.