7801 East State Street
Rockford, IL 61108
Hard Rock International will build a $310 casino in Rockford, Illinois at the location of the former Clock Tower Resort at East State Street and I-90. The 65,000-square-foot casino will include a Hard Rock Cafe, a Hard Rock Live concert venue, restaurants, retail stores and a hotel.
In October 2019 the Rockford City Council selected Hard Rock International as its sole casino choice under the Rebuild Illinois Act of June 2019.
The Rockford casino results from the Rebuild Illinois Act signed into law by Gov. Pritzker on June 29, 2019. The law authorizes the licensing of new casinos in Rockford and five other Illinois cities.
On October 7, 2019 the Rockford City Council selected Hard Rock International as its sole choice from three casino proposals. The vote allows Hard Rock to submit its application to the Illinois Gaming Board for a casino license.
Hard Rock Casino Rockford was selected over the proposed Rock River West Casino, which would build a downtown casino with an entertainment district and aquarium (see plan), and the proposed Forest City Casino, which would build a $1B casino, hotel and entertainment complex south of Mercyhealth Javon Bea Hospital-Riverside. (see plan)
The Illinois Gaming Board gave a preliminary approval to the Hard Rock Rockford project on Feb. 4, 2021, which effectively green lights the start for construction of the casino.
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The Illinois Gaming Board has given preliminary approval to the Hard Rock Rockford casino project, which sets the stage for construction. There will be three building phases in the Hard Rock Casino Rockford plan.
PHASE 1 - TEMPORARY CASINO
Hard Rock will use space from Giovanni's Restaurant and Convention Center for a temporary casino while the proposed casino is under construction. The temporary facility would host 700 slot machines.
PHASE 2 - PERMANENT CASINO
Construction of the permanent ard Rock Casino Rockford will take 18-24 months to complete.
PHASE 3 - HOTEL
A hotel is planned for the future, however there have been no details or schedule announced.
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$310 million casino
65,000-square-foot casino
Further details are pending
Hard Rock Cafe
Additional restaurants and food venue TBA
Hard Rock Live - entertainment and concert venue with 1,600 seats
Details are pending
March 15, 2021
Construction crews are clearing the site for the Hard Rock Casino planned for Rockford, IL following preliminary approval from the Illinois Gaming Board to begin construction. Crews are removing the former Coco Key Water Resort, which closed in 2015, and the Forest City Tennis Center, which burned down in 2020.
Crews clear way for future Hard Rock Casino site - Courtesy of Eyewitness News WTVO WQRF, Mar 10, 2021. Available from YouTube
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February 11, 2021
The Illinois Gaming Board voted unanimously last week to allow construction of the Hard Rock Casino Rockford to move forward. The board found "preliminary suitability" for the casino project although questions remain unanswered concerning the video gambling endeavors of the key investor.
Hard Rock can begin construction on temporary Rockford casino - Courtesy of Eyewitness News WTVO WQRF, Feb 4, 2021. Available from YouTube
The Gaming Board's action is an important step for the Rockford casino, howevedr, it is only another preliminary step. After further investigations are completed by the board, the final step will be the issuance of a casino license for the Hard Rock Casino Rockford.
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October 12, 2019
The Rockford City Council voted 11-1 last week to certify Hard Rock International's $310 million casino proposal as the city's single choice for a casino. The vote allows Hard Rock to submit its casino application to the Illinois Gaming Board, which has up to one year to review, process and approve their license.
Video courtesy of Rockford Register Star
The Rockford City Council selected Hard Rock International over two other proposals. Rockford. Gorman & Co. proposed building a casino in the downtown Rockford and Forest City Partners proposed building a casino at I-90 and Spring Creek Road.
Hard Rock has guaranteed payments to the city. The temporary casino will begin operations upon state licensing. At that time the city will receive 15% of net income but no less than $1,820,000 in the first year. Afterwards it will receive 5% of net income but no less than $1,070,000 per year.
When the permanent casino opens the city will receive 1% of net income in the first two years and 0.5% of net income afterwards.
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September 23, 2019
Proposed Forest City Casino Site
The third applicant for a Rockford casino license is Forest City Partners. The company proposes a $500M casino complex off Lyford Road in Forest City.
The Forest City proposal includes a casino, hotel, golf comples, waterpark and senior housing. The proposed site is 136 acres. The casino and hotel would reuire 52 acres. Senior housing would be allocated 7 acres.
The Rockford City Council will recommend one of more of the applicants to the Illinois Gaming Board by September 30.
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DOWNTOWN CASINO, ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT, AQUARIUM
July 29, 2019
The Hard Rock Casino proposal for Rockford now has serious competition from Rock River West Casino Group, a local partnership with developer Gorman & Company. This group is proposing a downtown casino with an entertainment district including an aquarium.
Artist rendering of a downtown Rockford casino with entertainment district
Gorman & Company is building the Embassy Suites Hotel and Rockford Conference Center in downtown Rockford and has an option to buy 13 acres south of the hotel.
The company proposes building a downtown casino and entertainment complex on that site with pedestrian walkways to the hotel and adjacent train station. The project includes and aquarium.
This casino proposal will be submitted to the city by the August 16 deadline.
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July 17, 2019
The first announced proposal to build a casino in Rockford came from Hard Rock International. On Tuesday Hard Rock CEO Jim Allen hosted a news event at the former site of the Clock Tower Resort. This property is the proposed location for the Hard Rock Casino Rockford. Hard Rock introduced the casino plan it will submit to the Rockford City Council before the deadline Aug 16th.
Video courtesy of Eyewitness News WTVO WQRF
The Hard Rock plan includes a casino, a music and entertainment venue, rstaurants, retail stores and a hotel. The first phase of construction is estimated to take 12-14 months to complete.
Artist rendering of the proposed Hard Rock Casino Rockford
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