Workers changed the signage of the former Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati to Jack Casino on May 26.(Photo: Enquirer file/Kareem Elgazzar)
Drivers on Gilbert Avenue and Interstate 71 could soon be greeted by an LED video board affixed to Jack Cincinnati Casino's 80-foot-tall sign.
The Cincinnati Planning Commission approved a plan Friday for the casino's operator, Rock Gaming, to install the 16-foot-high, 28½-foot-wide board outside the venue at 1000 Broadway. However, City Council has to approve the proposal before construction takes place.
The new sign is part of the casino operator's $40 million effort to rebrand the Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati and its other properties to Jack Entertainment. Rock Gaming bought out its former operating partner Caesars Entertainment in 2015 and assumed daily operations of the gambling properties.
"The signage change request is to maintain our position as number one in the gaming market," said Chad Barnhill, casino general manager.
The city's planning staff recommended not approving the plan because it did not conform with zoning guidelines in the downtown development district. However, the Planning Commission voted to deviate from city rules to allow construction of the 80-foot-tall sign.
A new LED board could be added to the Jack Casino Cincinnati sign along Gilbert Avenue. (Photo: Provided/Cincinnati Planning Commission)
Commission member John Schneider, the sole "no" vote on the matter, said authorizing the "highway billboard" sets a dangerous precedent for what other types of signs will be allowed in the central business district. The vote result was 4-1.
Robert Chavez, whose family owns about 130,000 square feet of parking lots near the casino, recommended the board vote against the new proposal although he wasn't against the casino adding its large sign along Gilbert Avenue.
"We plan on developing our property in the future," Chavez said. "We feel the spotlight (created by the sign) would have a negative impact. The integrity of downtown and the neighborhood is at stake here.
Residents in the neighboring Mt. Adams will be able to see the sign from a distance.
The board would have a dynamic display advertising messages about the casino and its offerings, but will change every 20 seconds or more, Barnhill said. The display will not play video or sound.
Since the casino opened in 2013, the casino has had 11 million guests, Barnhill said. He added the casino has been responsible for generating $200 million in gaming tax revenue for the state of Ohio and $3 million of earnings tax revenue for the city of Cincinnati, Barnhill said.
Enquirer reporter Alex Coolidge contributed to this report.
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