Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump will come March 11 to Chicago for a rally at the University of Illinois-Chicago Pavilion, just days before the March 15 Illinois primary election.

University officials confirmed the Trump campaign had rented the arena for an event that will begin at 6 p.m.

It will be the businessman and reality TV star’s first visit to the state since a rally in November at the Prairie Capital Convention Center in Springfield. It also will be Trump’s first visit to Chicago since June and the first time since he warned the matriarch of the family that owns the Chicago Cubs to stop going after him with TV attack ads.

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Last month, Trump tweeted: “I hear the Rickets [sic] family, who own the Chicago Cubs, are secretly spending $’s against me. They better be careful, they have a lot to hide!”

But the Our Principles PAC, which was seeded with $3 million from Marlene Ricketts in January, has only stepped up its criticism of Trump, airing TV ads questioning his conservative credentials and business background. Marlene is married to Omaha, Neb., billionaire Joe Ricketts, and in October 2009 the pair established a trust on behalf of their family to acquire 95 percent interest in the Cubs.

Trump’s Chicago rally will take place while the Illinois Republican Party holds a fundraising dinner honoring Gov. Bruce Rauner featuring a rival for the GOP presidential nomination, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. Although all presidential contenders were invited to the state GOP event at the Palmer House Hilton, only Cruz has confirmed he’ll be there for the fundraiser, which begins with a 5:30 p.m. reception and follows with dinner at 6:30 p.m. 

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(c) 2016 the Chicago Tribune

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