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Impoverished Illinois Suburb Hopes for Casino

SUMMIT, Illinois – As reported by the Chicago Tribune: "Felix Rodriguez would love to hear the ka-ching of slot machines in Summit. The 55-year-old father of five children has been unemployed since the plant where he inspected aircraft wings moved from the area more than a year ago.

"…In the high-stakes race to win the gaming license, Summit's hard times could provide an unusual boost. Of the five suburbs vying for the casino, Summit might be the poorest by some measures, and a town's level of poverty is a factor to be considered under state law by the Illinois Gaming Board as it chooses among bidders.

"Mayor Joseph Strzelczyk is banking on his village's dire straits catapulting it to the top of the contenders' list.

"…Close to Midway Airport and Interstate Highway 55, the town of 10,000 has slowly descended into poverty since the halcyon era decades ago when its mostly Polish and Irish immigrants and African-American residents had their pick of factory jobs.

"…Many of the big factories closed or moved away, which left Summit with an unemployment rate hovering at about 8.3 percent, according to the 2000 Census, and it hasn't changed much since, the mayor said.

"The town's poverty, in fact, helped persuade the managers who run the state's most successful gambling house, the Grand Victoria in Elgin, that Summit would be a competitive venue, a spokesman said.

"'The law requires the casino to be in a community that needs economic development,' said Dan Azark, senior vice president for Hyatt Development Corp., which teamed up with Mandalay Resort Group to submit the bid to build in Summit…"

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