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Remembering the man who made it all possible By Nick Reiher Managing Editor
At nearly the same time Harrah’s Joliet officials were celebrating 20 years of anchoring the city’s downtown development, the man responsible for bringing that casino to City Center passed away at age 94. Were it not for hotel developer and philanthropist John Q. Hammons, that downtown riverboat likely would not have happened, said Joliet Councilman Mike Turk. Turk remembers Joliet officials had been working with officials from Hammons Harrah’s nearly since Illinois allowed cities to apply for riverboat licenses in the late 1980s. But when a group of local investors got a license for Empress Casino (now Hollywood Casino) downriver, he said, Harrah’s corporate officials pulled out several days before the request for proposals were due. “We were devastated,” said Don Fisher, then a “young planner” who would become the city’s Planning Director and a councilman.“All the See HARRAH’S, page 2
NEWS State approves bill allowing public-private airport partnership
JUNE 5, 2013
Vol. 5 No. 40
HARRAH’S JOLIET 20 YEARS LATER
Harrah’s Joliet celebrated its 20th year on May 26 by sharing the wealth with 20 local not-for-profit organizations.
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