Key operators, investors approved for Hard Rock Casino Rockford
Jeff Kolkey
ROCKFORD — Hard Rock Casino Rockford took another major step toward becoming a reality Wednesday as Illinois Gaming Board officials approved a series of key businesses, executives, managers and owners needed to operate the casino.
Among those winning approval to participate in the casino project were Hard Rock International CEO James Allen, Hard Rock Chief Operating Officer Jon Lucas and Dotty's gambling café chain owner Dan Fischer, who is the chief investor behind the casino.
“This is a giant step forward," Lucas said in a written statement. "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.”
Last month, the Gaming Board gave a green light for a proposed temporary casino that will open in the former location of Giovanni's Restaurant and Convention Center, 610 N. Bell School Road.
Construction of the $8.8 million temporary casino at the 37,790-square-foot location is expected to be complete within in 90 to 120 days. It is expected to feature 620 slot machines, two restaurants and a retail area.
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Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara said an extraordinary amount of "work, time and energy" went on behind the scenes to bring the casino project to this point.
The temporary casino is expected to operate for about two years while the permanent, $311 million Hard Rock Casino Rockford is under construction. That project must still obtain further permission before construction can begin at the entrance to Interstate 90 and East State Street at the former location of the Clock Tower Resort.
Additional businesses associated with the proposed Hard Rock Casino, key persons, managers and executives who will operate the casino and additional investor owners approved Wednesday were:
Associated businesses:
- HR Rockford Owner, LLC – 815 Entertainment, LLC – owner, business entity
- Rockford Casino Development, LLC – 815 Entertainment, LLC – owner, business entity
- Seminole Hard Rock International, LLC – 815 Entertainment, LLC – owner, business entity
- SHRE/SHRI, LLC – 815 Entertainment, LLC – owner, business entity
- Seminole HR Holdings, LLC – 815 Entertainment, LLC – owner, business entity
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Management and executives:
- James Allen – 815 Entertainment, LLC – president, chief executive officer, and member of the board of managers of Seminole HR Holdings, LLC
- Jon S. Lucas – 815 Entertainment, LLC – COO of Hard Rock International, USA, Inc. and Hard Rock entities
- Agnes Billie-Motlow – 815 Entertainment, LLC – member, board of managers of Seminole HR Holdings, LLC
- Brad Buchanan – 815 Entertainment, LLC – member, board of managers of Seminole HR Holdings, LLC
- John R. Eder – 815 Entertainment, LLC – executive vice president, CFO, secretary, treasurer of Seminole HR Holdings, LLC
- Jeffrey E. Hook – 815 Entertainment, LLC – executive vice president of Seminole Hard Rock International, LLC
- Robert L. Gips – 815 Entertainment, LLC – member, board of managers of Seminole HR Holdings, LLC
- Carla S. Gopher – 815 Entertainment, LLC – member, board of managers of Seminole HR Holdings, LLC
- Alexander Johns – 815 Entertainment, LLC – member, board of managers of Seminole HR Holdings, LLC
- Jim Shore– 815 Entertainment, LLC – member of HR Rockford Owner, LLC and Seminole HR Holdings, LLC.
- Connie Whidden – 815 Entertainment, LLC – member, board of managers of Seminole HR Holdings, LLC
Additional owner investors:
- Daniel Fischer – 815 Entertainment, LLC – chief owner investor and president of 815 Entertainment, LLC
- Danelle R. Boose – 815 Entertainment, LLC – owner
- Miles E. Bretsch – 815 Entertainment, LLC – owner
- Brian J. Bear – 815 Entertainment, LLC – owner
- Karen Eng – 815 Entertainment, LLC – owner
- Bryan G. Westerman – 815 Entertainment, LLC - owner
Jeff Kolkey: jkolkey@rrstar.com; @jeffkolkey