The hustle and bustle surrounding the grand opening of Wind Creek Chicago Southland was expected to hit high stakes with a major job fair in Harvey on Thursday. This pivotal event, slated to take place at the Gloria Taylor Center within the Harvey Park District, was poised to fill an impressive 1,000 open positions for the upcoming casino. But, in a twist worthy of a dramatic poker game, the fair—which had drawn hundreds of eager job seekers bright and early—was suddenly canceled, much to the chagrin of nearly 300 attendees who had their hopes set high on new opportunities.
According to the play-by-play shared by the Chicago Tribune, the cards turned sour when Harvey Mayor Christopher Clark reportedly called Brent Pinkston, chief operating officer for Wind Creek Hospitality, just 20 minutes before the 10 AM start. Clark’s last-minute call was driven by concerns over the potential mass crowd forming. This unexpected fold left both the casino and the hopefuls in a lurch, casting a shadow on what was supposed to be a landmark event in the casino’s hiring spree, projected to ramp up in August.
As the clock struck 10 AM, the dismay was palpable. Kisha McCaskill, executive director of Harvey Park District, painted a vivid picture of the scene: over 100 individuals had already congregated at the venue, eyes filled with anticipation. “These are people who sacrificed their own jobs, time with their children, and are grappling with various struggles,” she noted. Eyes and spirits drooped when, despite prior commitments, the event was abruptly nixed. McCaskill added, “By the time it was canceled, 286 people had signed in,” emphasizing the ripple effect of disappointment.
City Officials and Wind Creek: A Clash of Timing
Interestingly, there seems to be a classic case of passing the buck. Glenn Harston, spokesperson for Harvey, quickly countered any assertion that the Mayor had the final say in shutting down the job fair. In an official email, Harston detailed that Mayor Clark merely raised concerns over the overflowing crowd potentially anticipated, given the buzz surrounding the event.
Specific worries highlighted by Clark included whether the event space could safely accommodate the throngs of people and the inadequate presence of law enforcement and fire department personnel to ensure safety. Upon laying these concerns on the table, the dice finally landed with Wind Creek, leading them to pull the plug on the job fair. “The decision to cancel the job fair was Wind Creek’s call, not the Mayor’s or the City’s,” clarified Harston in his communique.
The Unfolding Future of Wind Creek Chicago Southland
As things stand, there’s a cloud of uncertainty over when—and if—a rescheduled job fair will materialize. However, one thing is for sure: the high-stakes roll-out of Wind Creek Chicago Southland is still on track for later this summer. With stakes this high, prospective employees and the casino alike will be holding their breath for the next critical move in this high-risk game.
