Arlington Park to close permanently...or maybe not.

[mostpost]

We have all heard the rumors that Arlington Park will shut down at the end of the current year and that Churchill Downs wants to put a covenant on the buyer of the property forbidding them from operating it has a racetrack.

However, they may be thwarted in their desires. Roy Arnold, who served as track President from 2004-2010 is heading up an investment group which hopes to purchase the track and continue to hold racing there. According to Arnold, the plan is to move the stable area and develop that and the surrounding area for light Industry, hotels, restaurants and condos. The track and 110 acres adjacent to it would remain as is.

When Churchill Downs failed to apply for a Casino license, that license expired. Arnold is hoping the Legislature will revive that license, but says purchase of the property is not contingent on that happening.

I found this information in a story by Ray Paulick. I think the first thing they would need to do to make this a success is tear up the synthetic track. Maybe then they can attract better stables and horses. There’s no reason, with proper management, that AP can’t once again be a destination race track for the Midwest. Of course having a Casino would enhance their chances of success

ETA I forgot to mention probably the most important part. The Village of Arlington Heights, a home rule community, will pass an ordinance enjoining Churchill from restricting what the new owners can do with the property.

[The_Turf_Monster]

I really appreciate the clip of Mr. D they show between races now where he explains that AP is a partner in the community

[stlseeeek]

Churchill

D-baggery at it's finest

[Copyroomjim]

Maybe I'm imagining it but I think I recall reading or hearing the Arlington property was being touted as the site for replacing Soldier Field?

[Parkview_Pirate]

Originally Posted by Copyroomjim

Maybe I'm imagining it but I think I recall reading or hearing the Arlington property was being touted as the site for replacing Soldier Field?

That idea has been kicked around for years, as well as other locations in the Chicago area for Soldier Field. Not sure how loyal the fans are to resist a move, but the facility is the oldest in the NFL, and last major renovations were in 2002.

[The_Turf_Monster]

Chicago’s Mayor came out with her tail between her legs this week about how she’s working on keeping the bears in Chicago. She’s going to have to give up a lot of money to make that happen, right now the bears are paying rent to use it, they’re getting a fraction of the concessions, and the bears don’t own any of the parking lots that their fans park in. With the right tax breaks in Arlington Heights to build a stadium, which it can unilaterally give since it’s a home rule city, it’s a no brainer for the bears to move. The majority of the fanbase is suburban anyways, the city residents can get used to taking a different train to get there

[Parkview_Pirate]

Originally Posted by mostpost

...There’s no reason, with proper management, that AP can’t once again be a destination race track for the Midwest. Of course having a Casino would enhance their chances of success

Unless "proper management" can solve problems like the decline of the economy, the shrinking pool of disposable income for fans to be, and corrupted Illinois politics, it's going to be an uphill climb for any new owner to make a profit for the property as a racetrack.

Back in the 1980s, Illinois had a very healthy racing economy, including at least four facilities now closed (Sportsman's Park, Balmoral, Maywood and Quad Cities Downs), as well as excellent money in the harness racing fair circuit. Fairmount Park had 10 races per night, and almost all races had 8-10 horses, for both harness and thoroughbred. Crowds were pretty good sized at most of the tracks.

As casinos opened across the state, the horsemen missed their chance to get part of that action, though how much of that was politics is anyone's guess. There's many sticky fingers in this state. Since the late 1980s their approach to promote the game has been to keep takeout high, apply ridiculous and non-competitive surcharges on OTB wagers and ADW accounts, and otherwise treat fans as second class citizens and unappreciated revenue streams. TPTB couldn't keep the flagship product (Arlington) in the limelight, especially after the unforgettable scandal from the Breeder's Cup pick 6 in 2002. (which of course had nothing to do with AP, but everything to do with image of the sport). Sad, considering AP is a fine facility.

It's going to take more than swapping out the all-weather surface to keep the site from becoming another development of condos or an abandoned skeleton of rusting girders.