What’s the status on Hard Rock breaking ground in Rockford? Here’s the next steps

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Hard Rock Casino is in the late stages of its work with state regulators to get the OK to move forward with construction of its full casino resort.

The casino needs permission from the Illinois Gaming Board before it can break ground at the former Clock Tower Resort near the East State Street and Interstate 90 intersection.

About a month ago it submitted its plans for state review, and then it resubmitted two weeks ago after addressing questions from the board, said Geno Iafrate, president of the Rockford Casino. Now it’s waiting for a response and permission to proceed.

“We’re still anticipating that we’ll get that response back from the IGB in short order, and we still anticipate a ceremonial groundbreaking by the end of the summer,” Iafrate said in an interview with the Rock River Current last week. 

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Hard Rock submitted its request to commence construction on July 26, and the Illinois Gaming Board is reviewing that request. The process toward approval is always a back-and-forth collaborative effort, said Joe Miller, the Illinois Gaming Board’s director of policy. There’s no set timeline for when construction may be approved.

Hard Rock opened its temporary casino at 610 N. Bell School Road, inside the former Giovanni’s Restaurant and Convention Center, on Nov. 10. Under gaming regulations, it can operate that site for up to two years before opening the permanent casino.

The construction schedule Hard Rock presented to the state would fit that timeline, Iafrate said.

“It’s a pretty aggressive schedule,” he said. “There’s always risk in any major construction project, so we just have to put forth our best effort and try to stay on schedule.”

There is a provision that would allow a 12-month extension if approved by the state, but Iafrate said the casino isn’t counting on needing that.

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What happens to the temporary site?

The temporary casino, called Rockford Casino: A Hard Rock Opening Act, will continue operating up until the full casino resort opens its doors down the street. What happens after that is undecided.

“There are a whole bunch of preliminary ideas around it, and we just haven’t come to a conclusion on it yet,” Iafrate said of the property at 610 N. Bell School Road.

Rockford Casino has brought in more than $34 million through its first eight months of operation, according to figures from November through June from the Illinois Gaming Board. The July revenue has not been released. The casino has generated nearly $2 million in local government tax revenue.

“We’re extremely happy with the performance of The Opening Act,” Iafrate said.

One limiting factor to its performance, he said, is the availability of parking, which can be particularly tight on Fridays, Saturdays and mid-day Sundays.

“There’s somewhat of a governor on performance, which is parking capacity,” Iafrate said.

Hard Rock is working on solutions for that, including a potential valet service, private bus line and shuttles between nearby hotels.

“We’re working on some creative solutions since we really cant’ grow our current parking footprint,” he said.

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Hotel plans

Hard Rock’s full resort will total more than 180,000 square feet, have multiple dining options and a Hard Rock Live entertainment venue with 1,600 to 1,800 seats. Those figures don’t include a hotel planned in addition to the casino.

That hotel, which would have 250 rooms, was initially planned for later phases of construction. However, Iafrate said the goal is to expedite that with an earlier start.

“We have worked a hotel into Phase 1 plans, but we have not yet finalized whether that hotel is going to be in Phase 1 or not,” he said. “Our desire is to move it forward but it’s not definitive that we will be able to move it forward.”

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas.