Construction began in June on American Place’s temporary casino on 40 acres adjacent to the Fountain Square shopping center in Waukegan after months of planning, with the intent to open early next year.
As business growth continues near Fountain Square, Ivy Hall got permission to open a cannabis dispensary in January and Planet 13 was approved to open a second pot shop less than half a mile away in December. Both are walking distance from the casino.
Fears of what both the casino and the cannabis stores might bring faded with the anticipated arrival of new jobs and more tax dollars, making both the development of the casino and the cannabis dispensaries one of the Lake County News-Sun’s top stories of 2022.
Waukegan Mayor Ann Taylor says she does not gamble, drink alcohol and has no plans to ingest cannabis in any form, but she said those commitments are not going to keep her out of the casino when it opens.
“Not everyone is going to go there to gamble,” Taylor said. “I don’t gamble, but I might go there to eat at one of the restaurants. When the permanent casino opens, there will be an entertainment venue. This will bring people like it does in Las Vegas.”
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Alex Stolyar, the senior vice president and chief development officer for American Place owner Full House Resorts, said he anticipates the temporary casino will open in early 2023. Hiring began in the spring. Taylor has been inside the structure recently and likes what she sees.
“It’s not what people are expecting,” Taylor said.” It does not look like a temporary building at all inside. It looks like a classy casino, and it’s only the temporary one.”
There was opposition to a casino when bidders first came before the city — including Taylor who was then one of three aldermen who voted against it — but the focus of those with concerns is now on preparation.
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Once Full House received approval of the Illinois Gaming Board, Taylor began to think of the benefits the city will receive in addition to more revenue, which is significant. Besides taxes and fees, the city will receive rent for the land it owns where the casino will be built.
“It will bring people into the community to spend money on other things,” she said “They’ll eat at restaurants, and stay at the hotels.”
Elizabeth Thielen, a senior director for Grayslake-based Nicasa, a behavioral health organization, is one of more than 70 gaming counselors in Illinois. Should people have compulsive gambling issues, she said last year the community needs to be ready,
“Problem gambling has not been part of the conversation,” she said in a meeting then. “We want it to be part of the conversation. The conversation has been about increased jobs, increased revenue and economic growth.”
Though cannabis cannot be used anywhere in Illinois except inside a person’s residence, both Ivy Hall and Planet 13 look forward to the traffic they hope to get being the closest dispensaries to the Wisconsin state line.
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Ivy Hall received its building permit from the city Nov. 29 and is working toward opening in early 2023. Frank Cowan, the majority partner of Planet 13′s Illinois subsidiary, said earlier this month he hopes to open in the second quarter of next year.
“I know it’s a stretch, but we’d like to open April 20 because it’s National Weed Day,” Cowan said earlier this month. “I’m excited to be coming to Waukegan. It’s starting to feel like my second home.”
Along with two dispensaries, Goddess Growers obtained a conditional use permit to open a craft cannabis growing facility on West Greenwood Avenue. Phoebe DePree, the company’s founder and CEO said earlier this month she is seeking a license or a tenant with one.
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