Hard Rock Casino on Target for Completion in Rockford

The ground-breaking ceremony for the 180,000-square-foot facility was on Sept. 28, 2022.

Iafrate said there are still thousands of variables involved in the construction project, which is at the former site of the Clocktower Inn near Interstate 90 and East State Street.

Meanwhile, no date has been announced for a groundbreaking for the Ho-Chunk casino project in Beloit. City officials say they continue to be in contact with Ho-Chunk Nation officials.

“The City of Beloit continues to have a positive relationship with the Ho-Chunk Nation; we even toured the Wisconsin Dells casino last year so our city’s leaders could see their operations first hand. We hope to see this project move forward in 2024,” said Sarah Lock, director of strategic communications for the City of Beloit.

Hard Rock Casino in Rockford has operated a temporary casino site, Hard Rock An Opening Act, at 610 N. Bell School Road, since November of 2021. Iafrate said the temporary site attracts an average of 50,000 visitors a month.

“We have guests from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, as well as from 28 countries,” he said.

When the casino has its opening event, it will announce special activities, as well as featured entertainers. Iafrate said since the casino has not announced an official opening date, it also has not announced its opening entertainers.

“We have significant plans for our grand opening entertainment,” Iafrate said. “We are in talks with about 12 acts to perform on dates between August and January, which are in various stages.”

The Hard Rock Casino will have a banquet and entertainment venue which will have seating for 1,600 for music and other performers. It will have non-seated capacity for about 2,000. It will have banquet seating for about 800 dinner guests.

Iafrate said the Hard Rock Casino usually is thought of as a classic rock venue, but he said the casino will feature all genres of musical entertainment including rock, country, R&B and more.

He said the banquet facility has booked its first wedding reception, scheduled for Sept. 21.

The Hard Rock Casino in Rockford is entering its third season as a sponsorship partner with the Beloit Sky Carp minor league baseball team. The Hard Rock Casino participates in sponsorship opportunities, including Hard Rock merchandise days, when T-shirts and other merchandise are provided to fans at games at ABC Supply Stadium in Beloit.

Iafrate said construction crews continue to work on the Rockford casino and he looks forward to welcoming guests to the new facility once it opens.

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