Our community is losing a major asset

[Chibearsv]

Churchill Downs To Sell Arlington Park, Pursue Relocation Of Racing License

Churchill Downs Incorporated announced Tuesday that it has launched a process to sell the 326 acres in Arlington Heights, Ill. that are currently the home of Arlington International Racecourse. CBRE will bring the redevelopment opportunity to market on behalf of CDI.

Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Ill.

[Chibearsv]

This is a huge loss in our area.  It truly is one of the most beautiful racing facilities in North America.  Arlington Park has been an anchor in the community and has been like a second home to me and plenty of others in the area.  I've met some of my very best friends here and I even spotted my now wife here before we ever really met.  We had our day after the wedding party here and had a horse race named "Scott and Rebecca said "I do""  I've owned a box above the winners circle every summer here for the past 25 years.  I saw Alydar run here in 1978 and watched him clobber the field.  I saw Willie Shoemaker run Spectacular Bid and set a track record that still stands.  I saw John Henry win the first Million Dollar horse race ever run in 1981.  So many memories and such a sad loss.

I just need to post to vent since it's pretty sad news for me.

 

[Fosgate]

Looking at the comments section there are pleanty of upset people. https://www.paulickreport.com/news/the-biz/churchill-downs-to-sell-arlington-park-pursue-relocation-of-racing-license/

[Hammer Smokin']

taking a wild guess, but I'm assuming owners are selling it to developers to tear down and construct something else? Likely homes or condos?

[mprach024]

I’ve been to that track.  That’s sad to hear.  I had a great time.  

[Chibearsv]

3 minutes ago, Hammer Smokin' said:

taking a wild guess, but I'm assuming owners are selling it to developers to tear down and construct something else? Likely homes or condos?

I'll make the story as short as I can.  Arlington is owned by Churchill Downs Inc, same one that runs the Kentucky Derby.  Churchill Downs has invested a lot into casinos and in fact own Rivers Casino which is a stones throw from O'Hare field.  Arlington has been fighting with the state for over 10 years to allow slot machines at the racetrack to increase profit and enhance purses thereby ensuring quality and quantity of horses to enter races.  The state finally agreed to allow slots at the race track and Churchill Downs said "no thanks, we don't want to compete with our casino".  If any other entity owned Arlington Park, they would be happy to keep running races and collect the profits from the slots.  Churchill will not sell to a competitor so to answer your question, yes, they will sell to a land developer and tear it down to build houses or condos or a combination.

[Chibearsv]

15 minutes ago, Fosgate said:

Looking at the comments section there are pleanty of upset people. https://www.paulickreport.com/news/the-biz/churchill-downs-to-sell-arlington-park-pursue-relocation-of-racing-license/

Yep, it's really a big deal around here and terribly sad to see it all made official

[Hammer Smokin']

what made Churchill Downs change their mind - going from we want slot machines to increase profit and enhance purses to we don't want to compete with our casinos? ($$$ from developers I would guess)?

[Chas.Alpha]

You should have seen my face when Mayor Daily closed Miggs Field in the middle of the night... ?

[Chibearsv]

50 minutes ago, Hammer Smokin' said:

what made Churchill Downs change their mind - going from we want slot machines to increase profit and enhance purses to we don't want to compete with our casinos? ($$$ from developers I would guess)?

They bought the casino and acted like they sincerely wanted to keep the track running just to placate horse owners and trainers and keep them entering races in the interim. Since slot revenue at the track requires reinvestment in racing by law, Churchill did some math and figured out that their profitability was higher keeping slots revenue in the casino they already own and not to mix revenue streams. Their commitment to horse racing is complete BS. They are committed only to the math of money and took advantage of a dumber state racing association that bought into their lies. 

 

45 minutes ago, Chas.Alpha said:

You should have seen my face when Mayor Daily closed Miggs Field in the middle of the night... ?

Yeah, I remember how pissed my pilot friends were at that one. Excavators carving big X’s into the runways. That was incredible!

[Chas.Alpha]

When you joined the left downwind, you had the Hancock building about a half mile off of your wingtip, well below the rooftop. 1st time in is a memory I’ll never forget! ??

[Walter19]

Sad news! I loved spending an afternoon there on a nice weekend day, with the family. Stop at Bob Chenn's on the way home, created a perfect day.

[Chibearsv]

1 hour ago, Walter19 said:

Sad news! I loved spending an afternoon there on a nice weekend day, with the family. Stop at Bob Chenn's on the way home, created a perfect day.

I love that you mentioned Bob Chinn's.  Bob's box at the racetrack was directly across the aisle from my box.  He hasn't had that box in a few years but he was great to BS with and a really good guy.  Worth a gazillion dollars and had his glasses held together with a paperclip.  Love the guy.  

After one Arlington Million day at the races, we counted how many seats we would need at Bob Chinn's for dinner and ended up reserving a table for 42 at the back of the restaurant.  We had a great night of garlic rolls, crab vermicelli, seafood entrees, pitchers of Mai Tais, and nonstop laughs.  One of my friends at that table purchased a horse at auction the next spring and named it "Tableforfortytwo" and only we knew the reason why. ?

[Boxer31]

Sorry to hear that closing your home track. I know times are changing never liked idea of casino and racetrack together. Miss having track so close.  Simulcasting not the same as live races (for that matter you can stay at home). 

[d2d4]

Love a day at the races. It’s a great way to kill a few hours, enjoy a couple cigars, & drink too much with a group. CD owns The Fairgrounds Race Course here near me. Without slot revenue they would have closed by now. 

[foursite12]

Would love to see the Bears utilize that space. Metra access right out the door. Rt 53 and NW Tollway near. Plenty of space for multi use facility and plenty of parking. A state of the art retractable dome would allow Super Bowl to rotate through.  Closer to Halas Hall than Soldier Field and I think most Bears fans are out in the suburbs now.

[Chibearsv]

16 hours ago, foursite12 said:

Would love to see the Bears utilize that space. Metra access right out the door. Rt 53 and NW Tollway near. Plenty of space for multi use facility and plenty of parking. A state of the art retractable dome would allow Super Bowl to rotate through.  Closer to Halas Hall than Soldier Field and I think most Bears fans are out in the suburbs now.

Aha, you know the area well.  We've been hearing the theory of a Bears stadium on that property for a long time now.  My beloved Bears ownership will never give up their sweetheart deal with the city of Chicago and why would they, other than to perhaps qualify to host a Super Bowl (since Soldier Field does not qualify as a Super Bowl stadium).  It would be a great location for a Bears stadium but that's not going to happen.  I'd rather see someone make an effort to outsmart Churchill Downs and find a way to keep that property as a racetrack.