Empress Casino Joliet Corp

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2. Empress Casino Joliet
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5. Empress Casino Joliet Corporation

Argosy's Empress Casino (also known as Empress Casino Joliet) was a Riverboat casino and hotel located in Joliet, Illinois. Built in the 1990s by a group of investors headed by T.J. Lambrecht, Empress Casino become one of the first riverboat casinos in Illinois. It was destroyed by a fire on March 20, 2009.

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History[edit]

In 1994, he became Vice-President and Chief Legal Counsel for Empress Entertainment, Inc., Empress Casino Joliet Corporation, and Empress Casino Hammond Corporation. He returned to private practice in 2001, opening Michael W. Hansen P.C., through which he served the Joliet community until joining KG&G. Four casinos have AGRS over $200 million–Empress Casino Joliet, Harrah's Casino Cruises Joliet, Hollywood Casino-Aurora, and Elgin Riverboat Resort-Riverboat Casino. There are five horse racing tracks with live racing in Illinois, located in Arlington Heights, Crete, Collinsville, Stickney/Cicero, and Melrose Park.In May 2006, the.

In the early 1990s construction company owner T.J. Lambrecht believed that a riverboat casino in Joliet could thrive, a risky idea at the time. Using a portion of his own money, he and a group of investors created Empress Casino.^[1] The Empress Casino opened on June 16, 1992, as a riverboat type casino in Joliet, Illinois. The casino made extensive use of the Egyptian theme including several pyramids on top of the entertainment complex, a large recreation of the Sphinx and faux hieroglyphics along the sides of the building. The unique Egyptian theme became the casino's hallmark. In 1996 its sister casino was opened in Hammond, Indiana, as Empress Casino Hammond. Empress sold both casino properties to Horseshoe Gaming Holding Corporation in 1999. Horseshoe sold the Empress Casino Joliet to the Argosy Gaming Company in 2001 for $465 million. The company re-branded it as Argosy's Empress Casino.^[2]Penn National Gaming acquired the Argosy Gaming Company in 2005 and took over all of its operations including the Empress Casino.^[3] While undergoing a renovation in 2009 the casino was destroyed by a fire. Penn National Gaming rebuilt the casino under its Hollywood Casino brand as Hollywood Casino Joliet, the Egyptian theme was mostly removed and replaced with 1920's-1930's art deco.^[4]

Attractions[edit]

• Empress Casino Joliet Corp. Blagojevich, 638 F.3d 519 (7th Cir. 2011) (Empress III). Sitting en banc, we rejected the position that the panel had taken with regard to the Tax Injunction Act. Empress Casino Joliet Corp. Balmoral Racing Club, 651 F.3d at 726 (Empress IV). On remand, the dis‐.
• Empress Casino Joliet Corporation v. Giannoulias, 231 Ill.2d 62, 896 N.E.2d 277 (2008), is a case from Supreme Court of Illinois in which four casinos challenged a tax imposed by Public Act 94-804. The Act was challenged on the grounds that it was an unconstitutional taking.

• Club Chameleon- A bar and nightclub
• Club Chameleon Gift Shop- A small shop selling casino merchandise
• Marrakech Market Buffet- A large buffet
• Zanzibar- A bar and area available for private parties and banquets
• Cafe Casablanca- An Arab style coffeehouse

The interiors were designed by the Varond Design Group, Inc.^[5]

Hotel and RV park[edit]

The Empress had a detached 102 room hotel. The hotel included a pool and whirlpool area along with a business/conference center. Empress was the only casino in northern Illinois to have an onsite RV park. The park was opened seasonally and provided many amenities including showers, and water/electrical hook ups. A complimentary shuttle bus ran between the hotel and the casino.^[6]

Fire and Rebuilding[edit]

While undergoing a $50 Million renovation, a fire broke out at around 10 a.m. on March 20, 2009. The fire was caused by a spark from a welder's torch which ignited grease in one of the kitchens. The subsequent fire spread rapidly. The casino was evacuated and fire crews attempted to contain the fire for several hours. The fire burned above the sprinkler systems reach in what are known as void spaces, inside walls and above hung ceilings. Inside the void spaces the fire was able to spread quickly and decimate the entire entertainment complex. It took a significant portion of the cities fire department several hours to bring the blaze under control. The fire resulted in no fatalities however two guest were transported to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. While the gaming complex itself was untouched by the fire the entire entertainment area was a total loss. The roof collapsed on the kitchen and ballroom area taking with it one of the large pyramid structures that sat atop the roof.^[7]

The fire and the casinos subsequent closing was potentially catastrophic for the local economy. The Empress employed over 800 people and was Joliet's second largest tax payer. The month before the fire the casino paid a reported $837,000 in taxes to the city along with $1.8 million to the state of Illinois.^[8] In a press conference after the fire the Empress Casino said it was losing $500,000 in revenue every day it remained closed. Nearby business also reported a dip in revenue. During the same press conference the general manager said 'We will be paying our employees for up to 90 days with full pay and full benefits and for the tip folks, we're going to be paying them 50 percent of any of their reported tip income.'^[9]

After being closed for 97 days the casino was able to reopen the gaming area which was renovated after the fire. The Empress Casino reopened on June 25, 2009, as the Hollywood Casino Joliet. The new casino, still owned by Penn National Gaming, abandoned the Egyptian theme for an art-deco Hollywood styling.^[10] In honor of the new casino 'Empress Drive' was renamed 'Hollywood Blvd.' and the address changed to: 777 Hollywood Blvd.Joliet, IL 60436. The hotel and RV park still remain open but with diminished amenities. The hotel closed its pool and business/conference center. Unlike the casino the hotel did not undergo any significant renovations and still retains the Egyptian exterior styling. The roof of the shower area at the entrance to the RV park still retains its pyramid top.

Lawsuits[edit]

Empress Casino Joliet Corpus Christi

In 2008 the Empress Casino was one of four plaintiffs in the Supreme Court of Illinois case Empress Casino v. Giannoulias. The suit challenged an imposed tax on the grounds that it was unconstitutional.

On October 23, 2012, lawyers representing the former Empress Casino filed a lawsuit against the six companies involved in the renovations at the time of the fire. The lawsuit claimed $83.5 million in damages resulting from 11 counts of negligence and willful and wanton conduct. The suit claims that the company did not provide a fire extinguisher near the welder as he worked and that the cleaning company employed failed to remove all the grease residue properly. The suit cites the architect, engineer, and supplier for failure to include sprinkler systems in the attic and truss spaces.^[11]

References[edit]

1. ^Mellen, Karen. '[1]', 'Chicago Tribune', September 9, 2003. Retrieved February 8, 2013
2. ^'Argosy buys Empress Casino'. Crain's Chicago Business. April 16, 2001.
3. ^'Penn completes Hollywood Casino buy'. Dallas Business Journal. March 4, 2003. Retrieved 2012-07-19.
4. ^http://www.500nations.com/news/Illinois/20101203.asp
5. ^http://www.varonddesigngroup.com/VDGPORTFOLIO_02d.htm
6. ^http://www.hollywoodcasinojoliet.com/Accommodations
7. ^'Joliet's Empress Casino: Fire damages entrance'. Chicago Tribune. March 22, 2009.
8. ^'Joliet Empress Casino Fire: Extra- Alarm Blaze Empties Casino'. Huffington Post Chicago. March 20, 2009.
9. ^Schulte, Sara (March 23, 2009). 'Casino to pay employees for 90 days'. abc7news. Chicago. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
10. ^'Empress Casino to Reopen After 97- Day Closure'. abc7chicago. June 25, 2009. Archived from the original on March 29, 2013. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
11. ^Gregerson, John (September 24, 2012). 'Lawsuit Filed Over Suburban Chicago Casino Fire'. ERN Midwest. Chicago.

Coordinates: 41°28′42.0″N88°8′38.5″W / 41.478333°N 88.144028°W

Mr. Hansen's broad practice encompasses business law of all sorts, including purchase and sales of businesses, as well as business formation; residential and commercial real estate and development; estate planning; zoning and land use; and gaming law. Mr. Hansen began in private practice at Herschbach, Tracy, Johnson, Bertani and Wilson in 1976. He was instrumental in the founding of Empress Casino. In 1994, he became Vice-President and Chief Legal Counsel for Empress Entertainment, Inc., Empress Casino Joliet Corporation, and Empress Casino Hammond Corporation. He returned to private practice in 2001, opening Michael W. Hansen P.C., through which he served the Joliet community until joining KG&G.

Empress Casino Joliet

Over his career, Mr. Hansen has held positions with several committees in the Illinois State Bar Association, and has been involved with numerous local charitable and civic organizations, including the Will County Center for Economic Development, Troy Township Precinct, and boards for Lewis University, the University of St. Francis, and Joliet Catholic Academy, among many others.

Empress Casino Joliet Corporate Office

Mr. Hansen has earned the respect of his peers in the legal community for his many accomplishments, receiving the highest legal rating of AV Preeminent® from Martindale-Hubbell, as well as being named as a Leading Lawyer by the Leading Lawyer network.

Mr. Hansen served as the Ombudsman for the Illiana Expressway in 2014. He and his wife Elizabeth were recipients of the 2008 De La Salle Award from Lewis University. He also received the 2010 Christus Award from the Upper Room Crisis Hotline and the Distinguished Citizen Award and the NESA Outstanding Eagle Scout Award from the Boy Scout Rainbow Council in 2018. Mr. Hansen was also a member of the Illinois Gaming Board in 2018.

Mr. Hansen and his wife live in Joliet and are the proud parents of four children, the oldest of which sadly passed away in 2015. They are the doting grandparents of three grandsons.

Empress Casino Joliet Il

Bar Admission

Empress Casino Joliet Corporation

• Illinois, 1976
• Iowa, 1976
• U.S. Supreme Court, 2018

Bar Admission

Empress Casino Joliet Corporation

• Illinois, 1976
• Iowa, 1976
• U.S. Supreme Court, 2018

Education

• Drake University Law School
  • J.D. – 1975
• University of Notre Dame
  • B.B.A. – 1973 (with honors)

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Illinois State Bar Association
• Will County Bar Association