Universal plans ‘horror experience' near Chicago casino
The 'year-round immersive horror experience' will be titled Universal Horror Unleashed and sit in the vacant 114,000-square-foot building at 700 W. Chicago Ave., according to city officials. It is slated to open in 2027 and will receive tax credits from a state program.
Johnson cast the development as one that 'will also uplift and revitalize a dynamic neighborhood.'
'This venue will not only bring growth with new visitors to this community, but it will also create 400 — 400 — permanent jobs for Chicagoans, which ultimately grows our local economy,' Johnson told reporters. 'I'm very excited about this announcement, and I have no doubt that fans of this genre will flock to our city for these memorable experiences.'
Johnson's office said the project will offer haunted mazes, themed bars and restaurants as well as a shopping space with special branded merchandise, with construction scheduled to start early next year.
The agreement includes incentives from the state's Economic Development for a Growing Economy, which grants annual corporate tax credits to businesses who decide to locate in Illinois. Qualifications depend on job creation and dollars invested, with the credit equal to half of the income tax withholdings of the new employees, or 75% if the project is located in an 'underserved area' in the census tract. More credits are available for covering training costs.
City officials said the horror venue is expected to create more than 400 permanent jobs, but deferred questions on its tax incentives to the state. A spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity did not immediately respond to request for comment.
'Universal's decision to make such a significant investment in Illinois is a testament to the state's unmatched entertainment sector, renowned workforce and strong infrastructure,' Gov. JB Pritzker said in a statement. 'Universal choosing Illinois didn't happen by accident — we were proud to support this project through our EDGE incentive program, which has helped fortify a positive business climate that draws world-class companies to the state.'
The project's announcement follows the first Universal Horror Unleashed opening in Las Vegas this August.
Page Thompson, president of New Ventures at Universal Destinations & Experiences, said the project will be one that is 'deeply connected to this city and to our riverfront location' — and also provide 'bone-chilling scares.'
'It's all fear all year, because horror isn't just for Halloween,' Thompson said. 'Chicago is a great location. It's one of the biggest cities in the United States, obviously the third-largest tourism market in the country, and we've done some research and found that Chicago has pretty high affinity for horror concepts.'
In 2022, Rhode Island-based Bally's won a heated competition to build Chicago's first casino on the 30-acre Tribune Publishing printing plant site in River West. The $1.7 billion proposal includes an exhibition hall, a 500-room hotel, a 3,000-seat theater, 10 restaurants and 4,000 gaming positions, making it the largest casino in the state.
Earlier this year, Bally's demolished the 43-year-old Freedom Center to begin making way for the casino complex, which is slated to open in September 2026. Bally's Chicago launched a temporary casino at Medinah Temple in September.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
4 hours ago
- Fox News
Chiefs legend Derrick Johnson reflects on Travis Kelce's 2016 dating show, Taylor Swift relationship
Former Kansas City Chiefs star Derrick Johnson tells Fox News Digital that the team used to "tease" Travis Kelce for his dating show "Catching Kelce" in 2016, which only lasted one season.
Fox News
4 hours ago
- Fox News
Chiefs players 'teased' Travis Kelce in locker room for 2016 dating show, Derrick Johnson says
There was a time when Travis Kelce's dating life was the subject of entertainment media, even without Taylor Swift. In 2016, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end had his own dating show, "Catching Kelce," on which he tried out dating 50 women, one from each state, in an attempt to find a girlfriend. The show lasted one season. Kelce's former teammate, Chiefs all-time tackle leader Derrick Johnson, told Fox News Digital how the locker room reacted to Kelce's dating show. "He tried not to [talk about the show in the locker room] but we kind of teased him at times, because when you're playing for Andy Reid, there's no distractions. You got to do your job and do it at a high level. So we were aware of the show in the locker room. We'd throw different stuff out there. But when it came to football, it was all business," Johnson said. Kelce turned 27 in October 2016 when the show aired, overlapping with that year's NFL season. The tight end was in the midst of his first 1,000-yard receiving season and second-of-10-straight Pro Bowl seasons. And while the teasing for the show came in the locker room, Johnson says the team's veterans also respected the younger Kelce's abilities when it came to dating. "He had that taken care of. Good or bad, that's the area that he needs no help in," Johnson said. The show's first and only season ended with Kelce choosing a contestant from Kentucky, Maya Benberry, as his girlfriend. However, by 2017, Kelce was reported to have begun dating his next girlfriend, model Kayla Nicole. Kelce and Nicole reportedly dated for five years up until May 2022. Once Kelce began his relationship with Swift in 2023, Johnson took notice. "He outkicked his coverage. Taylor's big time," Johnson said. "Kelce's big time as well, football-wise, but she is globally. So they're definitely a power couple." Johnson left the Chiefs for the rival Raiders for his final season in 2018, but his lasting influence preceded the team's historic dynasty and three Super Bowl wins, with five total trips to the big game, from 2019 to February 2024. Johnson was famously a team leader on defense in the early years of Kelce's career. "None of us knew who he could really be. He probably didn't know it at all either. And once he got going after his second year, third year, I was like, 'This guy is the man!'" Johnson said.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Trump's DOJ peddles grim fantasies in court filing to save tariffs
An absurd new court filing from the Trump administration tries to scare a U.S. appeals court with grim predictions of economic catastrophe should it uphold and immediately enforce a ruling that blocked many of the president's haphazard and widely unpopular tariffs. On Monday, the Justice Department basically copied and pasted a hysterical plea from Donald Trump's Truth Social account, in which the president claimed the country would experience another Great Depression if the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit confirms and enforces a May decision from a Court of International Trade panel that found many of Trump's tariffs on foreign countries were illegal. Judges at the appeals court have already expressed skepticism about the Trump administration's arguments. In a letter to the court, Solicitor General John Sauer and Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate argued that even if the judges agree that some of Trump's tariffs are illegal, they should hold off on enforcing its decision while the administration appeals to the Supreme Court. And the letter was replete with Trumpian self-praise and propaganda: There is no substitute for the tariffs and deals that President Trump has made. One year ago, the United States was a dead country, and now, because of the trillions of dollars being paid by countries that have so badly abused us, America is a strong, financially viable, and respected country again. If the United States were forced to pay back the trillions of dollars committed to us, America could go from strength to failure the moment such an incorrect decision took effect. These deals for trillions of dollars have been reached, and other countries have committed to pay massive sums of money. If the United States were forced to unwind these historic agreements, the President believes that a forced dissolution of the agreements could lead to a 1929-style result. In such a scenario, people would be forced from their homes, millions of jobs would be eliminated, hard-working Americans would lose their savings, and even Social Security and Medicare could be threatened. The country, of course, wasn't 'dead' a year ago — though it has teetered on the brink of recession under Trump and continues to suffer the impact of his protectionist agenda. For instance, U.S. companies paying these tariffs have started passing the costs on to consumers. There's also no guarantee that Trump's trade agreements will ever bring in trillions of dollars, in part because, as my colleague Steve Benen recently noted, it's still an open question whether some of the agreements are even legally binding or enforceable. And it's certainly rich for Trump's DOJ to warn about purported threats to jobs, Medicare and Social Security when his administration has gutted the federal workforce and he recently signed a budget that includes massive cuts to Medicare and Social Security benefits. In reality, there's no evidence that outlawing Trump's tariffs would destroy the economy. To the contrary, many American consumers and companies would probably breathe a sigh of relief if they were freed from the dictatorial whim of their wannabe king and the tariff-induced taxes effectively placed on various goods. It's a sign of desperation that the administration is relying on scare tactics to claim otherwise. This article was originally published on
