Let me first state I am OK with them going. If they are going to go, then it better be done right. Dont retrofit the racetrack, tear it down and build.

I will have my personal list of demands if it happens, (They seem to acknowledge them, so that will be next)

but the point is, if you want to talk to them, GO TALK TO THEM.

GET A PRICE! GET A TIMELINE. CALL THE MAYOR OF AH TO THE DAMN MEETING WITH SOME PLANNING PEOPLE. BRING A DAMN SKETCH!!!!!!

Reinsdorf had to have a city build him a whole park in order to get his deal done, this should have fucking told you something.

GO, HAVE THE MEETING. MAKE AN OFFER.....Don't Float these little stories to Danny B to tell everyone on the radio about how you are considering talking to AH, but your first choice is to stay in the city!

"If you're gonna be a Bear, be a grizzly"― Mahatma Gandhi

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

What are they doing to the former Sheraton over on the edge of that property?

Dont know and you never know who owns it as Sheraton is a franchise and you can open a Sheraton in any office building you want if you have the $$$, you just lease the building,.

The point is Rumors arent getting them anywhere anymore. Time to make a real move.

Rahm is just not going to let the Cubs leave this city on his watch at this point.

from Joe perillo, to Vienna, to every other sizeable business in this city that has threatened to leave, they all have deals with this city. Only the Cubs and small businesses dont have a deal yet.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

That's the point! Those businesses threatened to leave and the city caved in. Fucking Rickets says "W'ere never leaving Chicago". Dumbass 2nd generation silver spooner.

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CSFMB 2014 Nascar Pick 'em Champion

We don’t have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven’t taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much. — Ronald Reagan

No the reason I asked is I always have thought from the beginning of this rooftop nonsense that that land would be ideal for a new park. already got plenty of parking. Then have Arlington schedule their start times around the Cub games. 1:20 start? have a 4:30 post. Night game? Start at noon and wrap it up in time for people to grab dinner in the park and watch the game. It would help everybody.

Horse racing will be dead in Illinois soon. The Governor has tried to kill it a few times.

Not sure why they hate it so much. But they do

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

It's getting redeveloped already into condos.

Ok thanks I knew the building is being gutted (that much you can see from 53) but I wasn't sure if it was going to be re-done or imploded.

The governor has personal beef w/ Eaglo Jeff.

I believe there was a group trying to renovate it but they ran out of money or otherwise decided it wasn't worth the effort, and then sold off to some other group that wants to demolish it.

I think bigfan is pretty close to on the money here... Arlington Park has no other partner tracks nearby, therefore the good horses no longer race here. So the purses drop, you get more guys going in just to do OTB, and then eventually you have to look at the land you have. Hollywood Park made the same decision -- at some point, the land is wasted on horse racing, and you can make more money in other pursuits. They can keep a little bit of the land for their OTB, and then just turn the rest into Wrigley Field II or some other development that won't run into the legal wranglings that horse racing does.

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"All crowds boycotting football games shouldn't care who sings or takes a knee because they aren't watching." - Nas

The best thing to do at this point is give up and ignore this franchise. The team. The management. The park. Everything.

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Obviously, I'm on the record saying a suburban move would be an absolute disaster for the Cubs in the long term, but if they were to move, the Arlington Park site would be a logical landing spot.

Churchill is going to be looking to get out of there unless a casino bill passes and passes soon. However, there is a problem with continuing to operate an OTB without any race dates. It's against the law. The Racing Board looked the other way when Arlington rolled up shop in Moline, but they didn't knock the track down. You can bet your ass if the were to shutter Arlington and try to keep its OTBs, the IHBPA would be screaming bloody murder.

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Matthew, Tulsi, and Don

Aside from the cubs I have no idea how Illinois racing survives? With all of the government crap, limited dates and real estate overhead how do they stay in business?

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Elections have consequences.

They put a little clause in the original simulcasting bill called "Recapture" that basically states if on-track handle falls below what it was in the base year of 1994, the horsemen must pay the tracks the difference. That one little law has nearly destroyed racing in Illinois. Casino subsidies in almost every other state are finishing the job.

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Matthew, Tulsi, and Don

Always unintended consequences of laws to do good.

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Elections have consequences.

The state of racing in Illinois is sad. Arlington Park is a wonderful place & a great way to enjoy an afternoon. I have had corporate events their with customers & it is a great time. We used to go with the Family every Fathers Day. I wish I could go more. There is almost no hope for its survival & it's too bad.

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CSFMB 2014 Nascar Pick 'em Champion

We don’t have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven’t taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much. — Ronald Reagan

It's somewhat ironic that you enjoy Arlington Park, which, in many ways, is the Wrigley Field of racetracks. From the real gambler's perspective I could provide you a long list of all the things that are wrong at Arlington. Starting with the 7 or 8 bucks they charge to get in.

I wouldn't say there's almost no hope for its survival. Churchill is holding out for that casino. They'll wait a little longer. I'm not sure how they can overcome Neil Bluhm's clout though. They have to do whatever they can to beat Quinn. My guess- and I really haven't followed it closely- is that Kirk Dillard is their man.

If you follow the industry, you can see that online gaming is the future. That was one of the problems with the renewal of ADW and why they had to go down to the eleventh hour to get something passed. Churchill was trying to sneak an online casino element into the bill that would completely cut out the horsemen.

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Matthew, Tulsi, and Don

Yup. Someday when the Internet catches on it will destroy a lot of businesses.

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CSFMB 2014 Nascar Pick 'em Champion

We don’t have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven’t taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much. — Ronald Reagan