The Illinois Gaming Board has issued a stop work order at the $1.7-billion Bally’s Casino under construction in Chicago’s River West neighborhood, following an assertion that the project was using an unauthorized waste hauler previously alleged to have had connections to organized crime. 

“The Illinois Gaming Board has issued an order to cease construction work on the Bally’s Chicago permanent casino in connection with a pending IGB investigation into the use of undisclosed and unapproved vendors at the construction site,” the IGB confirmed in a May 1 statement.  

The Chicago Sun-Times reported that the project was using D & P Construction of Melrose Park, Ill., as its waste hauler. D & P was previously alleged by the FBI to have been controlled by chiefs of a Chicago organized crime syndicate. Concerns over the contractor’s connections to organized crime 20 years ago helped scuttle a different project to build a casino in Rosemont, Ill. 

The project’s general contractor is the Chicago Community Builders Collective, a management team of minority-led firms that includes Brown & Momen Inc., d’Escoto Inc., LiveWire Construction Inc., Milhouse Engineering and Construction, Powers & Sons Construction, UJAMAA Construction Inc., Riteway-Huggins Construction Services Inc. and SQN Associates LLC, along with Gilbane Building Co. 

“The IGB is investigating the facts and circumstances surrounding the use of vendors at the permanent casino construction site,” the gaming board said. “The IGB takes these matters seriously, and it will take appropriate action to maintain integrity and safety following the completion of the investigation.”

The gaming board did not indicate how long the investigation will take or when construction may restart.

Dumpsters bearing the D & P logo were observed previously by the newspaper at the 30-acre construction site where Bally’s is building the casino and an adjacent 34-story hotel. Demolition of a Chicago Tribune printing plant, which previously occupied the site, started in September. Bally’s is currently operating a temporary casino in Chicago as it waits for the permanent casino construction to be completed.  

D & P declined to comment for this story. The Chicago Community Builders Collective and Bally’s did not immediately respond to requests for comment.