City leaders expect to pick a winning casino proposal early next year.

The word “neighborhood” is mentioned 12 times in the Request for Proposals issued to would-be Chicago casino operators, but the document issued by Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office on Thursday provided the strongest evidence yet that city leaders are eyeing a site in or around downtown.

The 86-page open-call invites developers to pitch their ideas for a “world-class entertainment destination” with an “iconic outdoor public space,” a five-star hotel and a meeting space of up to 60,000 square feet. The new “live-work-play district” should embed gambling within a larger constellation of shops, restaurants and performance venues, and it should integrate with a “multi-modal” transportation fabric that emphasizes walkability, according to the plan.