ROCKFORD — Rick Nielsen, Cheap Trick guitarist, and Jim Allen, chairman and CEO of Hard Rock International, will host an invitation-only announcement at noon Tuesday to present their proposal for a Hard Rock Casino Rockford.

The announcement will be held at the site of the former Clock Tower Resort, 7801 E. State St. The location is considered a front-runner to win the single available Rockford casino license, but other strong proposals also are expected.

An unresolved legal dispute involving the former owners of the property is not expected to get in the way of the proposal, said Ian Linnabary, a lawyer for a consortium of investors working to bring the Hard Rock Casino to the Rockford property. Linnabary said the group is avoiding much public comment until the announcement.

"All I can say is, get ready to rock," Linnabary said.

Rockford on July 3 issued a request for casino proposals. Responses are due Aug. 16.

Attorney Bobbie Holzwarth is guiding the city through the process of negotiating the casino deal and choosing an operator and location. The City Council also has authorized Mayor Tom McNamara to hire additional consultants to evaluate the proposals.

McNamara's administration released a statement late Friday to remind the public that the city is not endorsing the proposed Hard Rock Casino.

"We are happy to see community excitement around a casino in Rockford," said city spokeswoman Laura Maher. "However, we want to be clear that a recently announced press conference is not to be interpreted in any way as the city endorsing any location or any proposal.

"At this time, there is no site selected. In fact, the city has not yet received any proposals. We expect to receive multiple proposals for multiple sites by the Aug. 16 deadline and will consider each of them."

An evaluation team is expected to recommend the best proposals to the City Council on Sept. 16, with a public hearing scheduled Sept. 23. The council is expected by Oct. 25 to recommend one or more proposals to the Illinois Gaming Board — the regulatory body that has the final say over who gets the license.

McNamara said he hopes that the Gaming Board also approves a temporary casino that would operate while the permanent casino is under construction.

McNamara kept a poker face when asked about the potential for an internationally known casino brand to open in Rockford.

"We are receiving a lot of interest in the Rockford casino project," McNamara said. "It's really exciting. We anticipate getting multiple proposals from national operators, and we are anxious to begin reviewing them."

A Rockford casino is expected to provide 600 construction jobs, create about 900 permanent jobs and generate $4 million to $8 million a year in tax revenue for the city.

Nielsen, a Rockford resident and frontman for Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Cheap Trick, announced in 2007 that he was planning to put Rick's Place, a museum featuring his guitar collection, in a proposed hotel on a site at the junction of Interstate 90 and Riverside Boulevard being developed by Brent Johnson, CEO of Ringland Johnson Construction Co. That development never materialized.

Johnson and Nielsen subsequently were among a group of investors that in May 2017 purchased the former Clock Tower property for $3.6 million with the goal of developing a casino there.

"If approved, Hard Rock will be the best case scenario for Rockford to bring in the most revenue," Johnson said in an email. "The former Clock Tower site provides the greatest draw to visitors. And especially important, Hard Rock will help us beat Beloit!”

Nielsen visited Springfield as part of casino advocates' effort to persuade legislators to approve a gaming expansion.

"We figured he could help get into some doors and talk to some legislators," said state Sen. Dave Syverson, a longtime advocate of a Rockford casino. "Adding a celebrity voice ... never hurts."

With venues in 74 countries, including 186 Hard Rock Cafes, 241 Rock Shops, 29 hotels and 12 casinos, Hard Rock International is a globally recognized company.

Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns what it says is the world's most valuable collection of music memorabilia, on display at its locations around the globe. The company owns, operates and franchises cafes in such cities as Chicago, London, New York, San Francisco, Sydney and Dubai. It also owns, licenses and manages hotel and casino properties worldwide.

The Illinois General Assembly this year approved a gaming-expansion package that is helping to fund a $45 billion Rebuild Illinois multiyear capital improvement plan. The expansion will allow the state’s existing 10 casinos to expand and allow for six more casinos to open, including one in Rockford.

Georgette Braun contributed to this story.

Jeff Kolkey: 815-987-1374; jkolkey@rrstar.com; @jeffkolkey