Brian Hopkins, 2nd, expressing concern over the Bally’s Freedom Center proposal. In December, the River North Residents Association, a 22,000-member nonprofit neighborhood advocacy group, sent a letter to Ald. If it ultimately wins approval, Bally’s plan would be to open a temporary casino on the site by the second quarter of 2023, with the permanent casino opening in the first quarter of 2026, according to the city. The proposed $1.6 billion Bally’s Chicago casino, hotel and entertainment complex at the site of the Chicago Tribune Publishing Center, located at the corner of Chicago Avenue and Halsted Street.
