The Illinois Gaming Board recently approved a series of key businesses, executives, managers and owners who will participate in the Hard Rock Casino Rockford project.
Approvals went to Hard Rock International Chief Executive Officer Jim Allen, Hard Rock Chief Operating Officer Jon Lucas and Dotty’s gambling café chain owner Dan Fischer, the casino’s chief investor.
Last month, the gaming board approved a temporary casino at the former Giovanni’s Restaurant and Convention Center. The $8.8 million, 37,790-square-foot temporary location is expected to be completed within 90 to 120 days and offer 620 slot machines, two restaurants and a retail area. It will operate for two years while the permanent $311 million Hard rock Casino Rockford is built at the former Clock Tower Resort location. That project is awaiting additional permissions.
Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara said an extraordinary amount of “work, time and energy” has been going on behind the scenes to bring the casino project to this point. Lucas stated, “This is a giant step forward. We’re grateful to the state of Illinois and the Illinois Gaming Board for their support. We’re excited to get this project up and running beginning with the construction of the temporary casino. It won’t be long before we need people to join our team and we plan to share more details on how the community can participate through employment and supplier roles in the days and weeks ahead.”
