Racing board declines bankrupt applicant with track sold to data center builder
The Illinois Racing Board denied Hawthorne Race Course's request to hold races next year after its Stickney site was sold to data center developer Digital Realty following bankruptcy. The sale has faced opposition from Stickney and Cicero officials, with Stickney enacting a six-month moratorium on data centers and residents raising environmental concerns about electricity, noise, and water usage.
The Illinois Racing Board has rejected requests from Hawthorne Race Course and Suburban Downs, both under the same ownership, to conduct horse races in 2027 due to deficient applications. This decision follows Hawthorne Race Course's bankruptcy in February and the subsequent sale of its Stickney property for $90 million to data center developer Digital Realty, a sale approved by a bankruptcy court judge.
The future of the site as a data center has become contentious, with local officials and residents expressing strong opposition. Stickney Mayor Mitch Milenkovic voiced opposition in late August, and the Village of Stickney enacted a six-month moratorium on data center development. Similarly, the town of Cicero passed a resolution opposing the data center, with Town Collector Frances Reitz highlighting resident concerns about electricity demands, noise, light pollution, and water usage, particularly given the site's proximity to residential areas and public parks.
The denial of Hawthorne's racing applications means that Fairmount Park in Collinsville will be Illinois' sole Thoroughbred racetrack, with an expanded schedule of 73 race days in 2027. This shift comes as the state racing board faces a loss of roughly $10.16 million in tax revenue previously generated by horse racing at Hawthorne.