Investors Betting On Richton Park Racino Hope To Get To Starting Gate

RICHTON PARK, IL — A group of wealthy investors to bring horse racing to south suburban Richton Park, where local officials are open to allowing a plot of land near Interstate 57 to be used for a combination track and casino.

The Greenway Entertainment Group, which is headed up by Lake Bluff developer Drew Daniels, has met with Richton Park officials several times about building a racino on an 80-acre plot of land adjacent to I-57.

In order for the project to move forward, however, Illinois lawmakers would need to approve a bill that would eliminate Hawthorne Race Course’s authority to veto any proposal for a competing track within 35 miles of Hawthorne’s property in Stickney.

According to a letter submitted to state officials regarding the proposed racino, Daniels wrote that he has a group of wealthy investors who could make the Richton Park racino a reality. The group, according to the letter, has submitted initial design and engineering plans for the racino, which they estimate to be a $300 million investment.

Hawthorne Race Course had previously indicated that it planned its operation but has stalled that project, the letter stated. That opened the door for the group of local investors to move forward with a plan for Richton Park, where local officials are on board with bringing the racino to the village.

In a statement issued to Patch recently, Richton Park Village Manager Regan Stockstell said that the village is supportive of a mixed-use racino development and “welcomes” the opportunity in the area west of I-57 along the Sauk Trail corridor.

In lending support for the legislative bill that would eliminate Hawthorne’s veto power, Stockstell said that the Richton Park racino “presents a meaningful economic development opportunity to the south suburbs and should be allowed to proceed.”

He continued: “The Village of Richton Park is well-positioned for a development of this scale”.

Joining in support of the bill is former Arlington Park President Roy Arnold, who also served as the president of the Thoroughbred Racing Association.

In a letter to lawmakers supporting the bill, Arnold said he was among a group of investors who bid to buy the Arlington Park property after Churchill Downs announced their intention to sell the 360-acre property. However, the owners ultimately struck a deal with the Chicago Bears, who last month to possibly develop the land for a new stadium and entertainment district.

Arnold wrote that he believes that in order for thoroughbred racing to be able to continue to survive in Illinois, the state needs two tracks to operate a full calendar of racing. Not only would the racing provide entertainment value, Arnold said, but would allow the state's horsemen and racing-related busineses to be able to make a viable living moving forward.

Arnold, now the CEO of Endeavor Hotel Group, wrote that he previously testified before the state gaming board and indicated that a south suburban track is “economically feasible” and that funding for such a venture can be secured.

But to do so, the concept of a track and casino must become a reality, Arnold wrote in the letter, which was provided to Patch. Arnold said that he has reviewed the Richton Park property that investors are seeking to develop and believes that it is suitable for the construction of a track and casino that Richton Park and the state can be proud of, the letter states.

But, in order for things to move forward, the legislature must act removing Hawthorne’s ability to veto projects within the 35-mile radius of its property in Stickney. Hawthorne had previously announced plans to bring a racino to Tinley Park, but the project stalled in 2019when the state alerted developers of the proposed track and casino that it would not be selling the property to the investors.

As of Thursday, no timeline has been provided for the project and Daniels did not immediately return a phone message from Patch seeking comment. But investors, including Arnold, believe that if the project is allowed to move forward in Richton Park, it could prove to be a winning proposition for everyone involved.

“With legislative clarity and local support, the capital required to build the enterprise can be secured and the project completed with the state reaping the benefits of that long-term investment,” Arnold wrote.