That being said, those arguments about the casino are under the bridge, so to speak.” “I think we could have been a little more patient. Reilly, I think the mayor probably short-circuited her decision,” Tunney, who voted yes Wednesday, said about the choice of Bally’s. Tom Tunney, 44th, the mayor’s hand-picked chair of the special committee that put forth the overall casino package, surprisingly found common ground with detractors. … People in this room raised these red flags now, and I hope to God they don’t come true.”Īld. “So it really raises the prospect for us as a city, what do they bring to the table? … They don’t bring the money that they need to make this happen.”Īnother downtown alderman, Reilly, warned ahead of his “no” vote Wednesday: “Remember this day. “This team is scrambling to find the capital needed to see this project to fruition,” Hopkins said. The company sold the land to a Chicago real estate investment firm, leasing it back for 99 years and raising up to $500 million to help build the casino. Hopkins rose in opposition to the casino and criticized Bally’s for a land swap deal and what he said were holes in the budget.

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