Demolition work begins on the new Bally’s Casino in Chicago, while Chairman Soo Kim promises the project, including the hotel, will be completed in 2026

CHICAGO (WLS) — Demolition work began on Tuesday at the future site of Bally’s permanent casino in Chicago.

An excavator removed the first pieces of rubble from the former Chicago Tribune publishing building at the corner of Chicago Avenue and Halsted Street while Queen’s “We Will Rock You” played Tuesday morning. The building closed in May.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

The demolition is expected to take three to four months, with workers working 12 hours a day, seven days a week. Authorities hope to start building the new casino by the end of the year.

Bally’s said that neither explosives nor wrecking balls would be used in the demolition.

“We are very excited to be doing something here that will benefit all of Chicago,” said Bally’s CEO Soo Kim.

Bally’s expects to open its $1.7 billion permanent casino, 500-room hotel, 3,000-seat theater and 10 restaurants in fall 2026.

“Instead of throwing paper, we will welcome guests, millions and millions of guests,” Kim said.

The project was not without controversy.

A makeshift casino opened nearly a year ago in River North’s Medinah Temple has failed to take off, raising questions about whether the deal signed two years ago by former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration with the stated goal of funding Chicago police and fire pensions is any good.

“If we don’t do that, what then? So we have to hope it goes well, and whatever they get is better than nothing,” said Walter Burnett, 27th District City Councilman.

Yet two months ago, even Mayor Brandon Johnson expressed doubts.

The reason for this was a change in the construction plans after it was discovered that the planned location of the hotel tower would damage the existing infrastructure.

And the funding for the project only came about last month.

“They gave us money up front. We’ve already received some of it. But at the same time, this development alone. The construction work that’s going to happen alone is billions of dollars that will flow into the community,” Burnett said.

Bally’s recently released new renderings of the proposed casino after announcing that financing for the complex had been secured. The site plan calls for a 34-story hotel tower, which still needs to be approved by the Chicago Planning and Development Department.

Late last month, the company also accepted a takeover offer from its largest shareholder for more than $4.5 billion.

Standard General, a hedge fund run by Kim, will buy the company’s remaining shares so that the company will continue to trade on the stock exchange.

The Illinois Gaming Board said it was aware of the takeover and was reviewing it.

Bally’s told the Chicago Tribune that plans for the Chicago casino remained unchanged.