"I FEEL IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN
EVENTUALLY." BUT IT'S HIT
ANOTHER ROAD BLOCK. THE NEW,
PROPOSED SPOT FOR DANVILLE'S
CASINO IS STRUGGLING TO MOVE
FORWARD. LAST NIGHT -- IT WAS
VOTED DOWN BY THE PLANNING AND
ZONING COMMISSION. GOOD
EVENING ... I'M PAUL CICCHINI
THE SITE IS ON EASTGATE DRIVE
... OFF LYNCH ROAD. RIGHT NOW
-- IT'S ZONED FOR INDUSTRIAL
USE. IT NEEDS A DIFFERENT TYPE
OF ZONING FOR A CASINO TO BE
BUILT THERE. W-C-I-A 3'S
COURTNEY BUNTING IS LIVE IN
STUDIO. COURTNEY -- THIS IS
THE SECOND SITE SO FAR?
((COURTNEY)) YES, THE ORIGINAL
ONE WAS ON LYNCH ROAD -- NOT
FAR FROM THE SITE THEY'RE
TALKING ABOUT NOW. BUT THE
DEVELOPERS DECIDED THAT ONE
WOULD BE TOO EXPENSIVE.. MAYOR
RICKEY WILLIAMS SAYS THIS NEW
SPOT HAS A LOT OF BENEFITS...
FOR THE DEVELOPERS...AS WELL
AS THE CITY.
"WE PASSED UNANIMOUSLY AT THE
LAST CITY COUONCIL MEETING -
AUGUST 18, TO APPROVE DANVILLE
DEVELOPMENT, AND ALL WE NEEDED
WAS ZONING FOR THEM TO BE ABLE
TO SUBMIT THEIR APPLICATION TO
THE GAMING BOARD." BUT THAT...
MAY BE HARDER THAN IT SOUNDS.
ALDERMAN MIKE PUHR IS STILL
HOPEFUL THAT DANVILLE WILL GET
A CASINO. BUT WHERE IT WILL
GO.... IS ANOTHER ISSUE. "IT'S
JUST ANOTHER STEPPING STONE WE
HAVE TO CROSS." THE ZONING AND
PLANNING COMMISSION VOTED DOWN
A ZONING REQUEST FOR THE
CASINO TO GO HERE... ON
EASTGATE DRIVE... THE
DEVELOPERS... DANVILLE
DEVELOPMENT LLC PLAN TO USE
PART OF A WAREHOUSE THAT'S
ALREADY AT THAT LOCATION.
MAYOR RICKEY WILLIAMS SAYS
THERE ARE A LOT OF BENEFITS TO
BUILDING IT THERE. "NUMBER
ONE: THE CASINO WILL OPEN MUCH
SOONER, NUMBER 2 WE WILL BE
ABLE TO HAVE MORE SLOTS AND
ACTUAL TABLE GAMES AND A STEAK
HOUSE." WILLIAMS SAYS THAT
ALSO MEANS... MORE MONEY. "WE
WOULD MAKE ABOUT 6.2 MILLION A
YEAR IN REVENUE... IF THEY
BUBILD AT THE OTHER LOCATION,
IT WOULD ONLY BRING IN ABOUT
2.5 MILLION IN REVENUE." THE
COMMISSION'S FIVE TO ONE
VOTE... DOESN'T MEAN THE
RE-ZONING CAN'T HAPPEN. IT
JUST MEANS THE CITY COUNCIL
WILL NEED 10 YES VOTES...
INSTEAD OF 8 VOTES AT THEIR
NEXT MEETING... TO MOVE IT
FORWARD. "I JUST BELIEVE IN MY
HEART THAT WE WILL VOTE
UNANIMOUSLY TO OVERTURN
ZONING."
((COURTNEY)) PUHR SAYS THE
STEERING COMMITTEE HAS LOOKED
AT OTHER SITES... IN CASE THE
COUNCIL DOESN'T APPROVE THE
ZONING REQUEST AT THEIR NEXT
MEETING. HE IS STILL
OPTIMISTIC THEY'LL FIND A SPOT
THAT WORKS. THANKS COURTNEY
((PAUL)) WE REACHED OUT TO THE
DEVELOPERS -- BUT THEY SAID
IT'S TOO EARLY TO COMMENT. WE
ALSO REACHED OUT TO THE
MEMBERS OF THE ZONING
COMMISSION ABOUT WHY THEY
VOTED AGAINST IT -- BUT WE
HAVE NOT HEARD BACK.
((PAUL)) THE CITY OF CHAMPAIGN
IS DISSCUSING BIG CHANGES TO
ITS FINANCES. IT'S TRYING TO
CLOSE A $5-POINT-3 MILLION
DOLLAR BUDGET GAP. THE CITY
