Chicago Skyline Photo Dylan LaPierre
On March 15, 2022, an Editorial from leaders of Chicago Audubon Society, Openlands, Chicago Bird Collision Monitors and The Field Museum was published in the Chicago Tribune opposing the proposed Casino at McCormick Place
The lakefront and skyline are what Chicago is known for. They make flying into Chicago a romantic experience—watching Lake Michigan's blue waters and beaches give way to park, into imposing glass and steel skyscrapers, and finally the neighborhoods that made us the City of Big Shoulders. But planes aren’t alone in the city’s airspace—Chicago is a vital flyway for migrating birds making the journey between South America and Canada. Over five million migratory birds pass through Chicago each year.
Now, with the impending decision on where a proposed casino would be housed in the city, imagine what flying into Chicago would look like with a casino on the lakefront: bright lights emanating from the shores.
For wildlife like birds, this decision is a matter of life and death. According to the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Chicago is the most dangerous city in North America for migrating birds, and McCormick Place’s Lakeside Center is documented as one of the worst buildings in the city for bird mortality. Birds are attracted to city lights; they then collide with glass on buildings because it is either transparent or reflective, mirroring a clear sky.
Birds die much more often at illuminated buildings and windows than at dark ones. Every morning during the spring and fall migration seasons, scientists and volunteers collect dead birds that have flown into McCormick Place’s windows overnight, sometimes gathering dozens in a single day. Since 1978, over 40,000 dead birds have been recovered from McCormick Place. The data these scientists collected show a clear pattern of bright lights combined with glass causing bird mortality.
We know that casinos are light-intensive attractions, often open 24/7. Bringing one to the lakefront would be doing the opposite of what these scientists’ studies call for. Now, in the age of climate change, with so many species at risk of habitat loss and extinction, we have a duty to protect the open spaces they rely on most, like our lakefront. We can no longer afford to gamble with nature.
For people, too, access to nature is a right. The rebuilding of McCormick Place’s Lakeside Center in 1971 was a line in the sand for Chicago. This was the building that made people realize they wanted an accessible lakeshore, free of buildings and open to all. Residents and organizations came together and spurred the passage of the Lakefront Protection Ordinance in 1973.
McCormick Place’s Lakeside Center was a bad decision for Chicago then. Converting it into a busy casino now would be doubling down on that choice. With the increase in traffic to a busy commercial space, we would be further activating a building that Chicago already decided was a mistake. The lakefront is a public good, meant to enhance quality of life for all of Chicago’s residents and visitors by providing healthy, thriving, and accessible green space - a casino does not fit the bill.
The City and Mayor have a historic decision to make: the location of the new casino and the economic boost we hope it provides will affect communities and the environment for generations to come. With four other potential sites on the table, the lakefront is not the choice that will best serve Chicago. Our lakefront welcomes visitors—both humans and animals—to our city. This is our chance to keep it inclusive and vibrant.
Gerald Adelmann, President & CEO, Openlands
Judy Pollock, President, Chicago Audubon Society
Annette Prince, Director, Chicago Bird Collision Monitors
Douglas Stotz, Senior Conservation Ecologist, The Field Museum