DMA’s support of this development began with the client’s successful effort to secure the 10th and “last” Illinois gaming license. We led entitlement work to establish a new zoning district in Des Plaines. Our design and procurement schedule minimized up-front expenditures and prepared for rapid progress on the 21-acre site once approvals and financing were secured.

DMA led complex design team efforts that included a highly detailed interior with 1,200 gaming positions, situated above a state-mandated water requirement. We sequenced the relocation of existing tenants and environmental remediation, demolition, and recycling of existing buildings to prolong revenue generation. Full-time, onsite DMA staff oversaw construction. Despite an unusually snowy winter and a three-week, Chicago-wide construction union strike, the project opened one month early and significantly under budget.

Rivers Casino includes Hugo’s Frog Bar and six other food and beverage options. The 1,560-car parking structure boasts an innovative, customer-friendly guidance system procured at extremely low cost. The project achieved LEED Gold certification—the first casino in the world to do so. Ongoing operations continue to benefit from the building’s energy efficiencies. Rivers Casino is also one of the highest grossing casinos in the country on a per position basis. 

Infographic: How Rivers Casino Turned Green Ideas Into LEED Certified Gold