Illinois casino seeks 2nd tourism grant from city

A small Illinois town with a big name is again planning to use part of its tourism budget to bring big-name musical acts to the local casino. Metropolis, Ill., population under 7,000, will spend less money on the effort this year after hosting six concerts in 2009. The city council is expected to vote on a proposal from Harrah’s Metropolis Casino and Hotel  requesting $30,000 from the city's hotel-motel room tax fund to subsidize three outdoor summer concerts, Steve Vantreese of The Paducah Sun reports. Metropolis, across the Ohio River from the Kentucky city of 30,000, approved a $150,000 request from Harrah's in 2009 for six concerts. Lynyrd Skynyrd and Gary Allan have been booked already.

"$150,000 was a lot of money, although it served its purpose by bringing people to Metropolis," Alderman Charles Barfield, city representative on the Massac County Tourism Commission, told Vantreese. Harrah’s said it cut its grant request because funds were less plentiful this year. City tourism director Angie Shelton told Vantreese the fund is in better shape now after being depleted by the 2009 grant. Metropolis promotes itself as "hometown of Superman," with this statue, and the local paper (owned by the Paxton family that owns The Paducah Sun) is The Metropolis Planet. (Read more, subscription required)