The development of Chicago’s first-ever casino is constantly running into new issues. The latest hurdle is debris falling into the river during demolition work. Bally’s Corporation is building the $1.7bn property on the old Chicago Tribune Freedom Center printing facility, which is currently being torn down.

Part of a wall fell into the adjacent river on Saturday, after which Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Industrial Waste Division officials visited the site. They are monitoring the matter and the construction team is cleaning up the mess as best as possible.

A barge is now in place to stop any more debris dropping into the water, with an oil boom under a nearby bridge attempting to capture any debris still flowing downstream.

concerned about the potential impact the fallen materials could have on animals and plants

Urban Rivers, a local environmental activist group, is concerned about the potential impact the fallen materials could have on animals and plants. Some of its volunteers attempted to gather some of the debris.

Developers hope this is the last major problem until the property is ready to open in the fall of 2026. Previous stumbling blocks included financing problems, questions over the licensing process, and changes to the design due to underlying water pipes.