Bally’s Chicago: Built By, Of, And For The Community

Members of Bally’s Chicago construction management team the Chicago Community Builder’s Collective (CCBC) – a partnership between nine dynamic Chicago firms (left to right): Larry Huggins of Riteway-Huggins Construction; Shon Harris of LiveWire, Inc.; Rozie Makhani of SQN Associates, LLC; Jimmy Akintonde of UJAMAA Construction; Kelly Powers Baria of Powers & Sons; Ernest Brown of Brown & Momen, Inc.; Melanie Jefferies of Millhouse, Inc.; Karrie Kratz of Gilbane Building Company; and Miguel d’Escoto of d’Escoto, Inc. Photo Credit: Bally’s Corporation / Chicago Community Builder’s Collective
Members of Bally’s Chicago construction management team the Chicago Community Builder’s Collective (CCBC) – a partnership between nine dynamic Chicago firms (left to right): Larry Huggins of Riteway-Huggins Construction; Shon Harris of LiveWire, Inc.; Rozie Makhani of SQN Associates, LLC; Jimmy Akintonde of UJAMAA Construction; Kelly Powers Baria of Powers & Sons; Ernest Brown of Brown & Momen, Inc.; Melanie Jefferies of Millhouse, Inc.; Karrie Kratz of Gilbane Building Company; and Miguel d’Escoto of d’Escoto, Inc. Photo Credit: Bally’s Corporation / Chicago Community Builder’s Collective

 Bally’s Chicago: Built By, Of, And For The Community

When Bally’s decided to bid on the opportunity to open a world-class
casino in Chicago, their first priority was making sure their proposal was a reflection of the rich history and heritage across Chicago. So, they met with community organizations as well as diverse business owners and other Chicagoans interested in being involved in what will become its flagship casino resort – Bally’s Chicago.

As a newcomer to Chicago but certainly not new to the casino industry, Bally’s decades-long years of successful casino development and ownership starts with one primary premise - a
focus on the community. Creating meaningful career paths, empowering local businesses, supporting community organizations, and providing investment/ownership opportunities is a cornerstone of its success.

Like most companies, this starts from the top. Recognizing the
uniqueness of the Chicago market, Bally’s Chairman Soo Kim says, “This property will be built, owned, and operated by Chicagoans, with a focus on minority and women investors, contractors, suppliers, consultants, and employees.” Examples of Kim’s approach are easy to find. One key component of the project’s $1.6 billion budget is the company’s commitment to equitable economic development
and investment. Bally’s Chicago has set a 46% MBE/WBE (minority/women business enterprises) construction goal, a commitment that exceeds the City of Chicago requirements.

Its construction management team is the Chicago Community Builder’s Collective (CCBC) – a consortium of successful local, minority-owned firms with a depth of experience on major
construction projects throughout Chicago and across the U.S. CCBC is a partnership between Brown & Momen, Inc., d’Escoto, Inc., LiveWire, Inc., Milhouse Inc., Powers & Sons, Riteway- Huggins Construction, UJAMAA Construction, Inc. – all MBE-certified
firms – and SQN Associates, LLC, a W/MBE-certified firm, and Gilbane Building Company.

Bally’s seeks to not only empower today’s business leadership, but that of generations to come. UJAMAA president and CEO Jimmy Akintonde says that sense of community and focus on empowering future generations is what’s most attractive to him about the CCBC. “Transferring and sharing generational knowledge is what it’s all
about,” explains Akintonde. “As a Black entrepreneur, I am indebted to the generations of Black-owned construction companies who made a way for me. I am successful because of them. We’re all excited about this collective and are proud of the more than 200 years of combined experience we collectively bring to this unique opportunity with Bally’s Chicago.”

As part of getting to know the community, Bally’s met with influential
local civic and business organizations like the Chicago Urban League and the Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council (CMSDC) to share its innovative vision for entry into the Chicago casino market with programs such as “Bally’s Rewards/ Community Rewards.” The program is a unique collaboration between Bally’s
and local small businesses in which casino visitors are incentivized to visit local small businesses by using rewards points earned at the casino. Local business organizations agree that Bally’s approach is a great revenue generator for small businesses. Through Bally’s
network, they will advertise the small business and create an online store for shopping, all to elevate small businesses across Chicago.

To learn more about Bally’s and its plans to bring a world-class casino to Chicago, visit www.BallysChicago.com.

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