A person fired shots towards two Chicago police officers Nov. 3, 2021, in Gresham. | Sun-Times file

The officers were attempting to respond to a domestic incident in the 8000 block of South Aberdeen Avenue when someone down the street fired shots in their direction, Chicago police said.

Shots were fired towards two Chicago police officers Wednesday night in Gresham on the South Side. No one was injured in the incident.

About 9:15 p.m., the officers were attempting to respond to a domestic incident in the 8000 block of South Aberdeen Street when someone down the block fired shots in their direction, Chicago police said.

The shooter then fled the scene, according to police.

The officers were not injured and did not return fire, police said.

There is no one in custody as Area Two detectives investigate.

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Police oversight agency released body-worn camera video showing officer shooting 61-year-old after 911 caller reported Craig was being attacked with a knife by his wife.

Michael Craig was desperate for help from police in the early morning hours of Oct. 4, the day he was shot dead by a police officer, according to his son, Patrick Jenkins.

Wednesday, after Chicago’s police oversight agency released its files on the shooting, Jenkins said there was ample evidence that Craig himself had called police and was the victim of an attack by his knife-wielding wife.

Not long after he woke, the 61-year-old Craig called 911 and said his wife was holding a knife to his throat as he lay in bed, apparently as his 7-year-old son looked on, according to a recording released by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability.

“I need the police over here, my wife’s got a knife on my neck, on the bed. Are there any officers coming here?” Craig asked dispatchers.

“She’s got a knife on my neck, and I can’t move. If I move she’ll kill me. I’ve got the front door open, tell the officers the door is open, my kid is opening the door,” Craig said, before directing his son. “Go downstairs so you can let the police in. Go. Do like I said, go downstairs.”

But the first officer to arrive shot Craig, twice, within seconds of entering the apartment.

“Everything my father told them, everything he cried out for, they ignored,” Jenkins said. “And then they let him die like a dog.”

A neighbor, awakened by Craig’s 7-year-old son, also called 911 that morning and reported that Craig was being threatened by his wife. Craig’s son was waiting on the sidewalk when the officer arrived, and the boy told him that his mother had the knife and his father had been the one that told him to call police. As he approached the door with his Taser drawn, the officer called out to the people inside the apartment, and Craig shouted back, “She’s got a butcher knife to my neck.”

Then there is a scream from inside the apartment, and the officer switches the Taser to his left hand and draws his pistol, and an instant after crossing the threshold, he fires both weapons at Craig as he and his wife dart across a narrow, half-dark hallway. Stepping closer as Craig and his wife both lay on the floor, the officer fires a second shot at Craig as the man tries to sit up.

“Every bit of evidence (police) had on the way to the scene, the statements by Craig himself, point to him being the victim, but he fires those shots with no hesitation” said Michael Oppenheimer, an attorney for Craig’s family said Wednesday.

Moments later, a second officer, standing behind the officer who shot Craig, asks, “Who had the knife?” The officer replies, “He did. He was poking her with it.”

“He was, st-stabbing her with it?” the officer asks.

The officer repeatedly asks the woman where she was cut or if she is hurt, but she gives no response.

Oppenheimer and Craig’s family reviewed the video with COPA staff on Tuesday. He said it did not appear clear that Craig was holding a knife as the officer opened fire.

“There was no sign that he was holding a knife. It was on the floor behind him, closer to her, Oppenheimer said, adding that Craig had been stabbed “at least” four times while Craig’s wife was unhurt.

“He was the victim here, and they knew that. They made him a victim again.”

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times file
Chicago police investigate inside an apartment in the 7700 block of South Carpenter Street after an officer shot and killed a man Oct. 4, 2021, while answering a call of a domestic disturbance in the Gresham neighborhood.

The day after the shooting, Deputy Chief Rahman Muhammad told reporters that officers were dispatched to Craig’s address after getting a call about a “domestic disturbance” between a man and a woman.

“The officers observed a domestic altercation coming from within,” Muhammad said. “The responding officer discharged his service weapon, striking an individual.”

Fire Department officials later confirmed that Craig had died, and that his wife had been taken to a hospital.

Oppenheimer said Craig’s wife was hospitalized for mental health issues. The 7-year-old son now is living with relatives. Craig’s wife was not among the family members present to watch the video Tuesday at COPA offices, Oppenheimer said.

Craig and his wife had been married for 10 years, and neighbors said police had come to the apartment because of loud fights many times over the years. Craig’s wife was arrested in 2016 after stabbing him, but those charges were dropped, Oppenheimer said. A police report released by COPA states that there were three past incidents of domestic abuse.

In a use-of-force report, in the section listing the “subject’s actions,” the officer checked the boxes for “did not follow verbal directions” and “physical attack with a weapon.” In the section “Reason for Response” the officer marked “defense of a member of the public” and “subject armed with a weapon.”

The officer is on administrative duty, per department policy on officer-involved shootings, CPD spokesman Don Terry said Wednesday. The COPA investigation is ongoing.

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Mikayla Renfrow stars as the title character in “Cinderella.” | Photo by Thomas J. King

There’s plenty to see and do online and in-person in the week ahead.

Theater

Academy Award nominated actor David Strathairn stars in “Remember This — The Lesson of Jan Karski,” Clark Young and Derek Goldman’s solo play about the World War II hero who risked his life to carry the first eyewitness reports of the Holocaust to the White House where his warnings were met with inaction and disbelief. The play first began at Georgetown University where Karski (1914-2000) taught for decades after the war. Goldman, who also teaches there, was tasked with creating a production about his life and legacy for a celebration of Karski’s centennial birthday. He brought his friend Strathairn on board and now the goal is to perform it for audiences around the country and world to bring attention to Karski’s amazing deeds. From Nov. 4-14 at The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare at Navy Pier, 800 E. Grand. Tickets: $43-$75. Visit chicagoshakes.com.
Teresa Castracane Photography
David Strathairn as real-life World War II hero Jan Karski in “Remember This: The Lesson of Jan Karski.”Alexis J. Roston and Hollis Resnik star in “Sister Act,” the musical comedy based on the 1992 film about a disco diva (Roston) who witnesses a murder and is put in protective custody in a convent. Disguised as a nun, she runs up against the ridged lifestyle and an uptight Mother Superior (Resnik). But she finds salvation in the church choir. Directed by Reneisha Jenkins. From Nov. 5-Jan. 9 at Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 N. Southport. Tickets: $35-$85. Visit mercurytheaterchicago.com.
Brett Beiner
Alexis J. Roston stars in “Sister Act.”
Pumpkins transform into carriages and tattered rags magically become a beautiful gown in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella,” the famed music theater duo’s take on the classic fairy tale. Mikayla Renfrow, making her Chicago debut, stars as Cinderella. Direction and choreography are by Brenda Didier. For ages 5 and up. From Nov. 10-Jan. 9 at Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena. Tickets: $36-$74. Visit paramountaurora.com.
Kokandy Productions present the Chicago premiere of “Hundred Days,” The Bengsons and Sarah Gancher’s new musical which explores the question: “How do we make the most of the time that we have?” Filled with The Bengsons’ anthemic folk-punk music, the show has been hailed as “”a luminous musical memoir that celebrates and laments the elusive radiance of a shared life.” Directed by Lucky Stiff. From Nov. 7-Jan. 9, at Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division. Tickets: $38. Visit kokandyproductions.com.

Michael Brosilow
“Hundred Days” at Chopin Theatre.
It’s that time of year when the Hallmark Channel begins airing its popular lineup of saccharin holiday movies and The Second City is taking note with “Deck the Hallmark: A Greeting Card Channel Original,” a sendup of the films that “wear out cliches and keep former child actors employed.” From Nov. 4-Jan. 2 at The Up Comedy Club, 230 W. North. Tickets: $49+. Visit secondcity.com.

Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble and Re-dance Group return with a double bill of live performances. Chicago Danztheatre performs “The Yellow Wallpaper,” a piece inspired by Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story about a woman facing physical and mental issues, choregraphed and directed by artistic director Ellyzabeth Adler and the cast. Re-dance Group presents Michael Estanich’s “The Attic Room,” an intimate story of escape and desire. From Nov. 5-20 at Ebenezer Lutheran Church, 1650 W. Foster. Tickets: $13, $20. Visit danztheatre.org.
Silent Theatre’s “Unearthed Crown” is a visually enhanced radio drama written and directed by ensemble member Phillip Lewis. The six-part sci-fi mystery follows the story of two high school students as they uncover a series of uncomfortable truths about their South Side Chicago neighborhood. Performed live and streamed for a virtual audience at 8 p.m. Sundays Nov. 7-Dec. 12. Free, but donations appreciated. Visit silenttheatre.com.

Mindy Tucker Photo
The Den Theatre’s production of “Jacqueline Novak: Get on Your Knees.”
The Den Theatre presents the Chicago debut of the Off-Broadway hit, “Jacqueline Novak: Get on Your Knees.” Novak’s one-woman show is an unexpectedly philosophical and high-brow show about oral sex — part feminist outcry, part coming-of-age tale of triumph. Ira Glass (“This American Life”) says the show is a “nearly Talmudic dissection of a subject. Really funny and just really like nothing else.” From Nov. 4-7 at The Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee. Tickets: $26-$50. Visit thedentheatre.com.
Lifeline Theatre’s season begins with “Carmilla,” Aly Renee Amidei’s episodic audio drama adaptation of J. Sheridan Le Fanu’s gothic novella that inspired Bran Stoker’s “Dracula.” Streams through Nov. 30. Tickets: $20 or pay-what-you-can. Visit lifelinetheatre.com.

Music

Pokey LaFarge tours behind his new album, “In the Blossom of Their Shade,” a 10-song set of new songs written by LaFarge, like many other songwriters, during quarantine. “This album is a result of my 2020 experience. Before the pandemic, I was in a dark place, but the pandemic created the much-needed space for me to reflect,” LaFarge says. “Turns out being completely sedentary for once was a good thing. I found peace in the stillness. I was able to recalibrate what it is I do and why I’m doing it. Who I’m to do it with and most importantly, who I’m doing it for.” At 8 p.m. Nov. 4 at Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport. Tickets: $20, $30. Visit thaliahallchicago.com.
Eliot Lee Hazel Photo
Pokey LaFarge

WisdomSound, an online benefit concert for the Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery and Nagi Nunnery in Nepal, features performances by Laurie Anderson, Jon Batiste, Norah Jones, Angelique Kidjo, Steve Miller Band, Gregory Porter and Maggie Rogers, plus special guest Richard Gere. At 7 p.m. Nov. 8 (available online to Nov. 22). Free, donations appreciated. Visit boxoffice.mandolin.com/wisdomsound.

The Civic Orchestra of Chicago, the CSO’s premier training ensemble of emerging professional musicians, returns with a program of music by American composers: Carlos Simon’s 2020 orchestral work “Fate Now Conquers,” Adolphus Hailstork’s “An American Port of Call,” William Schuman’s “New England Triptych” and William Grant Still’s “Symphony No. 1 (Afro-American).” The orchestra is led by guest conductor Thomas Wilkins. At 8 p.m. Nov. 8 at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan. Admission is free. Visit cso.org.

Gene Reed Photo
Karen MasonBroadway actress and award-winning cabaret performer Karen Mason returns with “Vaccinatin’ Rhythm,” a new show that features her favorite songs and arrangements including “You’ve Got a Friend,” “Lulu’s Back in Town” and “Broadway Baby” plus new music. From Nov. 4-7, Mason also celebrates the 23rd anniversary of her first appearance at Davenports Piano Bar & Cabaret, 1383 N. Milwaukee. Tickets: $40 plus two-drink minimum. Visit davenportspianobar.com.
D. Darr Photo
Charles Lloyd

The Charles Lloyd Quartet opens the 10th season of Jazz at the Logan. With his warm, expansive sound and melodicism in both composition and improvisation, saxophonist Lloyd has defined the sound of a generation. He performs with Gerald Clayton, Rueben Rogers and Eric Harland. At 7:30 p.m. Nov. 5 at Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th. Tickets: $10-$40. Visit tickets.uchicago.edu.

The Orion Ensemble continues its 29th season with three November performances featuring works by Paul Hindemith, Florence Price and Franz Schubert. At 3 p.m. Nov. 7 at New England Congregational Church, 406 W. Galena, Aurora; 7:30 p.m. Nov. 10 at PianoForte Studios, 1335 S. Michigan; and 7 p.m. Nov. 14 at Lake Street Church, 607 Lake, Evanston. Tickets: $15-$30. Visit orionensemble.org.

Museums

Courtesy Polish Museum of America
“Tytus Brzozowski displays his watercolor of Chicago from the exhibit “Tytus Brzozowski: 12 Cities.”The Polish Museum of America presents “Tytus Brzozowski: 12 Cities,” a new exhibit featuring a series of watercolors commissioned by the POLONIKA Institute. Brzozowski is a painter, architect and creator of fantastic and fairy-tale-like murals decorating the streets of Warsaw. The paintings on display are his artistic vision of the cities in which objects, documents or places originating from Poland or connected to Poland can be found, including Chicago, Padua (Italy), Lviv (Ukraine), Tbilisi (Georgia) and Rapperswil (Switzerland). Brzozowski will discuss his work at 7 p.m. Nov. 12 (Polish language event). The exhibit runs through Dec. 11 at Polish Museum of American, 984 N. Milwaukee. Admission: $10. Visit polishmuseumofamerica.org.

Movies

Courtesy Black Harvest Film Festival
The documentary “Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over” opens the Black Harvest Film Festival.The 27thBlack Harvest Film Festival, the annual celebration of Black cinema, returns for live screenings with 28 feature films and 36 short films, free panel discussions and tributes to Gordon Parks (a retrospective of his films) and Melvin Van Peebles (screenings of “Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song”). The opening night film is the documentary, “Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over,” with director Dave Wooley in attendance. The roster also includes Reinaldo Marcus Green’s “King Richard,” starring Will Smith as the father of Venus and Serena Williams, and “It’s Different in Chicago,” David Weathersby’s chronicle of house and hip-hop music. The festival concludes with a 30th anniversary presentation of Spike Lee’s “Jungle Fever.” Some feature films and all the shorts will be streamed. From Nov. 5-Dec. 2 at Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State. Tickets: $12, $60 festival pass, $50 opening night. Visit siskelfilmcenter.org.
Courtesy CIFF
“Make a Distinction” opens the Chicago Underground Film Festival.The Chicago Underground Film Festival, the annual event that showcases documentary, experimental, avant-garde and cult cinema, returns with a three-day roster of features and shorts. Opening night showcases Chicago-based filmmakers Andrew Mausert-Mooney and Kera Mackenzie’s “Make a Distinction,” which features stylized scenes of field botanists, retail clerks, soldiers and a production company shooting a cop show in Chicago, and challenges the viewer to “name the enemy or become it.” From Nov. 5-7 at the Logan Theatre, 2646 N. Milwaukee. Tickets: $10, $50 festival pass. Visit cuff28.org.

Family fun

Any child fascinated by dinosaurs will find much to love at Jurassic Quest, the epic prehistoric (and very realistic) experience with more than 100 life-like dinosaurs, themed rides, dinosaur shows, interactive science, art activities and a play area. From Nov. 5-7 at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 N. River Rd., Rosemont. Tickets: $18-$22, children under 2 free, rides and activities extra. Visit jurrassicquest.com/events/rosemont-il.
Courtesy Jurassic Quest
Jurassic Quest comes to life Nov. 5-7 in Rosemont.The annual Cornelia Arts Building Open House pulls back the curtain on the working spaces of artists. More than 50 artists and artisans have studios here including painters, sculptors, photographers, ceramic artists, printmakers, jewelry designers and more. It’s an event for the entire family where you can meet the artists, explore their art and purchase artwork. From 6-10 p.m. Nov. 5 at 1800 W. Cornelia. Admission is free. Visit corneliaartsbuilding.com.

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A man was critically wounded in a shooting Nov. 3, 2021, in Grand Crossing. | Sun-Times file photo

He was standing on the sidewalk in the 7200 block of South Woodlawn Avenue when someone in a vehicle fired shots at him, Chicago police said.

A man was critically wounded in a shooting Wednesday night in Grand Crossing on the South Side.

The 33-year-old was standing on the sidewalk about 5:20 p.m. in the 7200 block of South Woodlawn Avenue when someone in a vehicle fired shots at him, Chicago police said.

He was struck in the head and transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition, police said.

There was no one in custody.

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Enzo Garcia, 6 (left), holds 9-year-old brother Dante Garcia hand while Marco Reyes, a Medical Assistant with Esperanza Health Centers, administers the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination Wednesday. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

Clinics started administering shots Wednesday after the federal government signed off on the Pfizer vaccine Tuesday.

Dante Garcia, 9, does not like needles, but he pulled up his sleeve and got his COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday — the first day shots were available to kids his age.

“It’s important because I don’t want to get anyone sick and I don’t want to get sick,” said Dante, who was given an outer space-themed sticker after getting the jab.

The vaccine means he can attend a hockey tournament in Michigan, and visit family out-of-state, with fewer worries he will contract the virus or get seriously sick.

“We have some family in Mexico and Korea, and we haven’t been able to visit them, or more Delta-variant prone areas like in the South,” said Eun Sem Kil, his mother. “I’m hoping we can go now. I’m excited because it’s been a long time for everyone.”

Dante, and his brother, Enzo, were among the first children under the age of 12 to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Health officials hailed the shots — now available for kids ages 5 to 11 — as a major breakthrough after more than 18 months of illness, hospitalizations, deaths and disrupted education around the world. Kid-sized doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine had cleared a major hurdle Tuesday when they were given a green light from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The vaccine — one-third the dose given to older children and adults and administered with kid-sized needles — requires two doses three weeks apart, plus two more weeks for full protection. That means children who get vaccinated before Thanksgiving will be covered by Christmas.

With the federal government promising enough vaccines to protect the nation’s 28 million children in this age group, pediatricians’ offices and hospitals started welcome children for inoculations Wednesday. Schools, pharmacies and other locations plan to follow suit in the days ahead; many are already scheduling appointments.

Esperanza Health Centers, 6057 S. Western Ave., administered the vaccine for the Garcia brothers and at least nine other young children. Parents can sign their children up for the vaccine online, and already at least 20 more children are expected to get the shot on Thursday. The medical clinic serves residents on the Southwest Side of Chicago, which has historically struggled with less access to health services.

At the University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital, vaccine scheduler Rajean Randle said she’s seen a steady demand for the vaccine since the hospital started accepting appointments for young children last week. The hospital has continued to open up vaccine appointments in small increments.

Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
Dante Garcia, 9, shows off his bandage where he received his first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, at Esperanza Health Centers, 6057 S. Western Ave., Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2021.

Laura Torres was also able to sign her 7-year-old niece, Diana, for the shot Wednesday afternoon at Esperanza. Diana was visiting from Guatemala, where she does not have access to the vaccine yet.

“We had been worried the entire time because we had been hearing stories of children getting sick,” Torres said, through a translator. “We’re just very happy that we were able to access it now.”

Diana reacted well to the vaccine and is experiencing more pain in the arm where she was given the flu vaccine, also on Wednesday, Torres said.

Illinois Department of Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike has said medical experts have reviewed data from clinical trials, and that children in the trials saw the same side effects as adolescents and adults but to a lesser extent. The side effects included injection site pain, redness and swelling, fatigue, headache, muscle or joint pain, chills, and fever, and generally lasted one to two days.

The Garcias planned to spend Wednesday evening celebrating what they saw as a historic moment and the brothers overcoming their fear of needles with — as Mom promised — Pokemon cards and doughnuts.

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Pop Band Hanson performs on Fox & Friends’ All-American Summer Concert Series at FOX Studios on July 14, 2017 in New York City. | Getty Images

The seven-track release is a rich and diverse group of songs that showcase the brothers’ range, musicianship and influences — ones that leave their monster sugar pop hit “MMMBop” far in the rearview mirror.

Hanson, “Against the World” (3CG Records)

The guys from Hanson are celebrating 30 years as a band next year, and if that makes you feel old, it’s not their fault. They’ve even put out an album to help you feel young again.

The seven-track “Against the World” is a rich and diverse group of songs that showcase the brothers’ range, musicianship and influences — ones that leave their monster sugar pop hit “MMMBop” far in the rearview mirror.

AP
This cover image released by 3CG Records shows “Against the World” by Hanson

The album kicks off with “Annalie,” which has bright harmonies and guitar work reminiscent of Paul Simon. “Don’t Ever Change” has a rocking Cheap Trick sound, which is probably because Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick plays guitar.

The rock-pop “Only Love” has an Eddie Vedder-like vocal that transforms from a dark, spare space into an arena singalong. The Hansons’ harmonies are glorious in the Queen-like “Stronger,” “One” is a nice plea for unity and the anthem “Fearless” leans on an orchestra as the brothers soar above strings.

But the highlight is Isaac, Taylor and Zac Hanson on the title track. “We belong with the restless/Keep company with rebels and with dreamers,” they sing. “There’s equal scars from victory and failure.” If it’s them against the world, we’re on their side.

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An artist’s rendering of the proposed Rivers Chicago McCormick casino, one of five proposals for the long-sought city gambling temple. | Provided by JAHN

The proposal — one of two Chicago casino bids backed by billionaire Neil Bluhm — calls for “significant capital improvements” to the aging facility, which has only hosted a handful of large shows over the past few years, but has the “perfect” dimensions for a casino, developers say.

McCormick Place’s Lakeside Center would become the “gem” of a south lakefront entertainment district under a proposal to transform the 50-year-old structure into Chicago’s mega-casino.

A group of developers who are already behind a $4 billion redevelopment of the former Michael Reese Hospital site near Bronzeville said Wednesday they’re ready to go all in with another billion-dollar investment to turn the “iconic” but “sparsely used” convention space into an “entertainment mecca.”

“For years, we’ve been talking about how do we revitalize this thing, even way, way, way before the casino was in the lexicon here,” said Scott Goodman, founding principal of Farpoint Development. “Bringing more and more people to the lakefront has always been a goal of ours, and we think this is something that will help do that.”

Goodman’s firm is partnered with McLaurin Development and the nonprofit Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives on the Lakeside Center proposal, which was one of five bids submitted to Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office last week to launch the big-city casino that officials and developers alike have coveted for decades.

The developers say minority investors will have a 25% ownership stake.

Also in on the Lakeside Center proposal is billionaire casino mogul Neil Bluhm and his Rush Street Gaming company, which already runs Illinois’ most lucrative casino — Rivers Casino in Des Plaines — and which is hedging bets with different partners on a separate casino bid at another South Loop site.

“Clearly, [Bluhm’s] got competing interests because he’s in two bids, but we are very confident in our bid,” Goodman said. “We think that with all objectivity, we check as many boxes as are capable of being checked.”

Their Lakeside plan calls for “significant capital improvements” to the aging facility, which has only hosted a handful of large shows over the past few years, but has the “perfect” dimensions for a casino, Goodman said.

Sun-Times file
The McCormick Place Lakeside Center.

The so-called Rivers Chicago McCormick would include indoor and outdoor entertainment spaces plus bars and restaurants, as part of a roughly $1 billion plan that would create a “tremendous residual domino effect” of economic growth for the Cermak Road district near McCormick Place, developer Zeb McLaurin said.

The group said they’d add about 2,000 parking spots within the building, which is just south of Soldier Field. Whether the Chicago Bears stay there or take their flirtation with Arlington Heights to the next level with a suburban stadium “doesn’t have any effect on us one way or another,” Goodman said.

“We’d love for them to stay,” said Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives president David Doig, who previously served as the Chicago Park District superintendent under former Mayor Richard M. Daley at the time of the stadium’s controversial overhaul in 2002.

Goodman said they would seek a “very long-term ground lease” lease for the Lakeside Center property from the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, which owns McCormick Place.

The massive convention center, long floated as a viable casino site, is targeted in two of the five casino proposals submitted to Lightfoot’s office. Rhode Island-based Bally’s Corporation put in a bid centered at the truck marshaling yard south of McCormick Place, calling for $1.6 billion investments that include a luxury hotel, indoor and outdoor entertainment center, green space and fine dining.

A spokeswoman for the MPEA, a public-private partnership, said officials there have not yet “discussed any terms of use for our campus properties in relation to a proposed casino.”

Bally’s also submitted an alternate bid proposing to break ground at the Chicago Tribune printing plant site near Chicago Avenue and Halsted Street.

Bluhm’s second hand in the Chicago casino game is a partnership with development firm Related Midwest as Rivers 78 Gaming LLC. That proposal aims to break ground within the 62 vacant South Loop acres near Roosevelt Road and Clark Street. Specifics on that proposal have yet to be announced.

Rush Street Gaming CEO Greg Carlin said in a statement through a spokesman that Bluhm’s company “is offering the city two distinct options on two outstanding sites, with two great local development teams, which take advantage of our expertise developing from the ground up and operating some of the most successful casinos in North America.”

The fifth Chicago casino bid comes from Florida-based gambling giant Hard Rock International, which identified its chosen site as the proposed One Central development that would sit just across Dusable Lake Shore Drive from Soldier Field. Representatives did not return requests for comment.

Lightfoot’s office has said it will create “a review committee made up of a cross-section of City departments” to recommend a bidder. Lightfoot will have the final call on which is put up for City Council approval. The Illinois Gaming Board has the final say on issuing a license.

The mayor has said she expects the finished casino-resort to open by 2025.

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