The City of Peoria has withdrawn its lawsuit against Boyd Gaming, the Illinois Gaming Board, and the City of East Peoria after Boyd decided to abandon plans to build a 29,000-square-foot casino facility on its current Par-A-Dice Casino site.
City of Peoria Drops Lawsuit
Peoria’s decision to withdraw its lawsuit followed Boyd Gaming’s shift in strategy to construct its new casino in East Peoria on a barge along the Illinois River. Boyd caught Peoria off guard on February 5 when it unveiled the barge proposal. Some wondered if the company had managed to develop entirely new casino plans within days or had long kept the riverboat option in reserve during negotiations with Peoria. The original plan was to build a 29,000-square-foot facility in the parking lot of its current Par-A-Dice Casino location.
State law and the 1991 agreement between Peoria and East Peoria required that any land-based casino in the region be located within Peoria. However, instead of engaging in a legal battle with Peoria or negotiating a new settlement agreement, Boyd Gaming quickly shifted to plans for a permanently moored casino barge on the Illinois River. This barge proposal complies fully with both state law and the 1991 agreement.
The New Plans Came Somewhat Unexpectedly
It seems that the new proposal took Peoria officials by surprise. Just days earlier, the City Council had deadlocked 5-5 on a settlement offer from Boyd Gaming. The offer would have given Peoria 2.25% of gaming revenues (roughly $1.8 million annually) if the city agreed to drop its objections to Boyd’s planned land-based casino building.
Council members Tim Riggenbach, Zach Oyler, Alex Carmona, John Kelly, and Kiran Velpula voted against the settlement, while Mayor Rita Ali, Mike Vespa, Andre Allen, Bernice Gordon-Young, and Denise Jackson voted in favor. Councilman Denis Cyr was absent from the meeting.
Instead, the Council chose to pursue litigation, arguing that Boyd’s plan to construct the 29,000-square-foot building on land violated both state law and the 1991 intergovernmental agreement. That’s because Boyd initially wanted to label it a “riverboat” by adding a shallow pool of river water beneath it.
While the new plans saw Peoria lift the lawsuit, according to an official release, the city would reinstate it if Boyd Gaming reverts its plans. The Illinois Gaming Board also has a vote on this matter, as it will vote on Boyd’s new proposal for a river casino on February 26.
