Des Plaines Casino Awarded Gold Certification for Sustainable and Innovative Building

DES PLAINES, IL (March 15, 2012) –Rivers Casino in Des Plaines, the newest casino in the Chicagoland area, has been awarded the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Rivers Casino is the first casino in the world to achieve the LEED Gold certification.

“We are proud to be recognized as a leader in sustainable development and we hope to set an example for the rest of the gaming and entertainment industries,” said Greg Carlin, CEO of Rivers Casino. “It’s important to all of our team members that we are a good corporate citizen.”

“Achieving LEED Gold was challenging and expensive, but in the long run, the effort will improve the environment and reduce our operating costs,” said Neil Bluhm, Chairman, Midwest Gaming and Entertainment, LLC.

Rivers Casino opened in July 2011 and has become the premier entertainment and gaming destination in the Chicagoland area. Rivers Casino was designed with a sustainability plan to achieve LEED certification for energy, lighting, water and material use, as well as incorporating a variety of other sustainable elements. USGBC established LEED to encourage developers to design and construct buildings that protect and save precious resources, while also making good economic sense.

“This honor really belongs to our entire development team including Klai Juba Architects, Cleo Design, DMAC Architecture, Development Management Associates, our general contractor, Pepper Construction and the city of Des Plaines” said Carlin.

“The green building movement offers an unprecedented opportunity to respond to the most important challenges of our time, including global climate change, dependence on non-sustainable and expensive sources of energy and threats to human health,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair, USGBC. “The work of innovative building projects such as Rivers Casino is a fundamental driving force in the green building movement.”

LEED Gold Certification of Rivers Casino is based on a number of green design and construction features that positively impact both the project and the local community. These features include:

• LED light fixtures in the parking garage and other areas throughout the Casino building save on energy usage and maintenance costs.
• 70 percent of the electrical energy consumed by the building over a two-year period is being offset with green power.
• Skylights and Clerestory windows add natural light for guest and employee comfort while saving on lighting costs.
• Low-flow plumbing fixtures and sensor-controlled faucets reduce water usage by 40 percent.
• Paint and adhesive materials with low levels of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) provide a healthier environment for workers and future inhabitants.
• Casino operations include a single-stream recycling plan, reducing the amount of waste delivered to landfills.
• 90 percent of all construction waste, over 70 million pounds, was recycled or utilized on site – avoiding the landfill.
• Interior living green walls provide better air quality and comfort.
• Occupant sensor-controlled lighting provides lighting when needed and saves energy at other times.
• Complimentary electric car charging stations are provided for customer use. Free valet parking is available to low-emissions and fuel-efficient vehicles.
• The project is a Brownfield redevelopment, which rehabilitated a previously developed site and reduces pressure on undeveloped land.
• The project managed site water runoff with a Surface Water Intake Protection Program (SWIPP) program during construction to prevent runoff damage to adjoining areas.
• The project stormwater treatment system removes 98.6 percent of total suspended solids from site runoff.
• Installation of concrete drives, landscaping, a multi-level parking structure and white roof reduce the urban heat island effect.
• Over 43 percent of the material for the project was sourced from within 500 miles of the project site, reducing carbon emissions from transportation of that material and supporting local economies.
• The site is close to public transportation to promote efficient travel. Rivers Casino adjoins two Pace bus lines and is within one mile of both METRA and CTA rail stations.
• Bike racks are provided for workers and customers and preferred parking is provided for alternate fuel vehicles.
• Landscaping is largely made up of native and drought tolerant plant species, eliminating the need for irrigation and saving both potable water and hundreds of thousands of dollars.

ABOUT RIVERS CASINO

Located just steps away from O’Hare airport and minutes from downtown Chicago, Rivers offers its guests a variety of food and beverage options as well as entertainment. The 44,000 square foot gaming floor is exciting at every turn with nearly 1,050 slots and 48 table games, including new dollar slots and video poker games.

Planning to come out to Rivers Casino? Be sure to catch the complimentary shuttle from the Rosemont Blue Line to the casino 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, running approximately every 15 minutes. For more information visit www.playrivers.com.

ABOUT MIDWEST GAMING & ENTERTAINMENT, LLC

Midwest Gaming & Entertainment, LLC (“Midwest Gaming”) is a partnership between affiliates of Neil Bluhm and Clairvest Group Inc. Collectively the partners bring a wide range of development and gaming experience to Rivers Casino, having developed, constructed and managed casinos, luxury hotels, and other hospitality businesses around the world.

ABOUT THE U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL

The U.S. Green Building Council is a nonprofit membership organization whose vision is a sustainable built environment within a generation. Its membership includes corporations, builders, universities, government agencies, and other nonprofit organizations. Since UGSBC’s founding in 1993, the Council has grown to more than 17,000 member companies and organizations, a comprehensive family of LEED® green building rating systems, an expansive educational offering, the industry’s popular Greenbuild International Conference and Expo (www.greenbuildexpo.org), and a network of 78 local chapters, affiliates, and organizing groups. For more information, visit www.usgbc.org.

ABOUT LEED®

The LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating SystemTM is a feature-oriented rating system that awards buildings points for satisfying specified green building criteria. The six major environmental categories of review include: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality and Innovation and Design. Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels of LEED green building certification are awarded based on the total number of points earned within each LEED category. LEED can be applied to all building types including new construction, commercial interiors, core & shell developments, existing buildings, homes, neighborhood developments, schools and retail facilities.

Incentives for LEED are available at the state and local level and LEED has also been adopted nationwide by federal agencies, state and local governments, and interested private companies. For more information, visit www.usgbc.org/LEED.

Owner: Midwest Gaming and Entertainment, LLC
Development Manager: Development Management Associates, LLC
Architect: Klai Juba General
Contractor: Pepper Construction

Features include:

• HVAC system upgrades are intended to provide 16% energy savings, more fresh air supply above a standard design and more comfort for occupants for this building which operates 24 hours a day.
• HVAC units will include 100 percent air-side economizer sections for free cooling when outdoor ambient conditions allow. Demand Control Ventilation (DCV) strategies are employed to operate HVAC systems more efficiently in intermittently used spaces.
• Systems commissioning is provided to realize operational savings planned in the design. Measurement and verification methods are planned to confirm and assure continued efficient operation of building systems.
• LED light fixtures in the parking garage and other areas throughout the Casino building save on energy usage as well as maintenance costs.
• Skylights and Clerestory windows add natural light for occupants comfort and save on lighting costs.
• Low flow plumbing fixtures and sensor controlled faucets reduce water usage by 40%.
• Uses Paint and Adhesive materials with low levels of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) providing a healthier environment for workers and future inhabitants.
• Casino operations include a single stream recycling plan reducing the amount of waste delivered to landfills.
• Interior living green walls provide better air quality and comfort for occupants.
• Occupant sensor controlled lighting provides lighting when needed and saves energy use at other times.
• Electric car charging stations are provided at valet parking for facility and customer use.
• The project is a Brownfield redevelopment rehabilitated a damaged site and reducing pressure on undeveloped land and used existing infrastructure.
• The project managed site water runoff with a Surface Water Intake Protection Program (SWIPP) program during construction to prevent runoff damage to adjoining areas.
• Installation of concrete drives, landscaping, a multi-level parking structure and white roof reduce the urban heat island effect.
• The site is close to public transportation to promote efficient travel – it adjoins two Pace bus lines and is within 1 mile of both METRA and CTA rail stations.
• Bike racks are provided for workers and customers and preferred parking is provided for alternate fuel vehicles
• Landscaping is largely native and drought tolerant plant species thus eliminating the need for irrigation

DES PLAINES, Ill. (August 8, 2011) – Rivers Casino, the highly anticipated new gaming and entertainment destination, opened to the public on Monday, July 18, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. Excited guests lined up during the early morning hours in order to be among the first to experience the 147,000 square foot property, featuring the most popular slots and table games, as well as unparalleled dining options and entertainment venues.

The Rivers Casino grand opening was marked with an official ribbon cutting ceremony featuring Neil Bluhm, chairman of Midwest Gaming and Entertainment, LLC, Greg Carlin, Rivers Casino CEO, Bill Keena, Rivers Casino General Manager, Jeff Parr, CEO of Clairvest, Martin Moylan, Mayor of Des Plaines and special guest and Chicago native Jim Belushi.

“Rivers Casino in Des Plaines has a great location and opened at an ideal time,” said Neil Bluhm, chairman of Midwest Gaming and Entertainment, LLC. “We have seen that the demand for casinos in regional markets is growing, and our properties are creating employment and tax revenue, and people are having fun and enjoying it.”

“We have built a top-notch facility, but ultimately customer service is the most important key to success, and we are confident that the Rivers Casino staff will deliver,” said Greg Carlin, Rivers Casino CEO. “Guests of this property will have a great time while they are here.”

The Rivers Casino grand opening festivities also included two exclusive parties where invited guests received sneak peeks of the property offerings. On Friday, July 15, hundreds of Des Plaines residents got the chance to be the first to play, dine and experience the property alongside the Mayor of Des Plaines and other local community leaders. Sunday, July 17, was the Rivers Casino VIP night, where celebrities walked a red carpet, guests were delighted by entertainment at every turn and Jim Belushi gave a special performance with his band in the Cube. Guests enjoyed a sampling of menu items from each restaurant, including lamb lollipops from Hugo’s Frog Bar & Chop House, turkey sliders from FLIPT, handmade pork dumplings from MianBar and gelatos from Canopy Buffet.

Rivers Casino is expected to generate millions in annual gambling tax revenue that will benefit the state of Illinois, the city of Des Plaines and the Chicagoland area. The property also created more than 1,000 permanent jobs.

“The opening of Rivers Casino is a win-win for everyone involved – for us as the casino operators, for the employees, the communities and states we operate in, and of course for our guests,” said Bill Keena, Rivers Casino General Manager.

Rivers Casino features exciting gaming options including:

• A 44,000 square foot state-of-the-art gaming floor
• More than 1,050 of the newest slots with the most popular game themes
• 48 table games including blackjack, craps, roulette, pai gow poker, baccarat and many more with the highest table limits in Illinois
• A plush VIP area including an intimate gaming salon and an exclusive lounge

Rivers Casino is proud to offer a variety of top-notch dining options:

• Hugo’s Frog Bar & Chop House – Part of the iconic Chicago-based Gibsons Restaurant Group, Hugo’s features Gibsons’ steaks and the freshest seafood in an upscale yet approachable environment.
• Canopy Buffet – Serving freshly prepared cuisine at nine different stations including options like: Veal Saltimbocca, prime rib, salt and pepper shrimp, sushi, fresh pasta and pizzas, handmade gelato.
• FLIPT – A casual grill serving specialty burgers, sandwiches, hand cut fries and handmade shake.s
• MianBar – Serving dim sum and a variety of authentic quick-serve Asian noodle and rice dishes.
• Coffee Spot – Serving Chicago-based Metropolis Coffee, sandwiches, pastries and desserts.

Additionally, Rivers Casino boasts exciting entertainment venues including Lotus, a sophisticated cocktail lounge at the center of the casino floor, and Cube, a space that easily transforms from a state-of-the-art sports bar to a live performance venue and features an outdoor patio.

The property was designed by renowned casino, food and beverage and interior designers Klai Juba Architects, and Cleo Design, working in tandem with Development Management Associates, LLC, to create the exciting yet warm and inviting overall design. Rivers Casino has applied to be the country’s first LEED (Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design) certified casino – and was designed and built with environmentally friendly materials and processes, including the following features:

• HVAC system upgrades intended to provide 16% energy savings, more fresh air supply above a standard design and more comfort for operating 24 hours a day
• Casino operations include a single stream recycling plan reducing the amount of waste delivered to landfills and non-irrigated landscaping with native species
• Interior living green walls found throughout the property to provide better air quality and comfort for occupants
• Electric car charging stations are provided at valet parking for facility and customer use
• One of the largest covered parking garages in the country with LED lights throughout stretching over a half-million total square feet

Rivers Casino rewards customers with a generous loyalty program – the Rush Rewards Players Club. Players Club members will receive invitations to promotions, special events, discounts, priority lines and more. Guests can sign up by visiting the Rush Rewards booth inside the casino.

Rivers Casino is located at 3000 S. River Road in Des Plaines, Ill., just 16 miles from downtown Chicago and minutes from O’Hare International Airport. It is easily accessible from the Kennedy Expressway, Interstate 294 and the CTA Blue Line. Rivers features 2,300 self-parking spaces as well as valet. Rivers also offers shuttle service from O’Hare, Midway, McCormick place and select hotels throughout downtown Chicago and surrounding areas. Rivers Casino also offers luggage check to guests.

For more information on Rivers Casino, guests can visit www.playrivers.com, or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/winatrivers and Twitter at @winatrivers.

Must be at least 21 years old to enter Rivers Casino. Valid government-issued photo ID required upon entry. Management reserves the right to cancel or modify offers at any time with prior notification to IGB. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.

About Midwest Gaming & Entertainment, LLC
Midwest Gaming & Entertainment, LLC, a partnership between affiliates of Neil Bluhm and Clairvest Group Inc., is the owner, developer and operator of Rivers Casino. Collectively the partners bring a wide range of development and gaming experience to the project, having developed, constructed and managed casinos, luxury hotels, and other hospitality businesses around the world.

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