The temporary American Place casino of Full House Resorts in Waukegan is moving forward, with the company staying in line with the plans to open its initial gambling venue in July, while the permanent casino resort is expected to take approximately 2 years to start operation.
Currently, Full House Resorts is working to complete the design of the temporary Waukegan casino and then seek the approval of the Illinois Gaming Board and the city of Waukegan that is required in order for the company to start the construction before it begins hiring workers.
Earlier this week, the senior vice president and chief development officer of Full House Resorts, Alex Stolyar, revealed that the temporary casino is set to be situated on about 65,000 square feet. It will host 50 table games, 1,000 slot machines, a sportsbook, as well as a dining operation.
The temporary facility will be quickly built by Sprung Structures with aluminum frame and membrane covering. Mr. Taylor also explained that the state’s and city’s approval of the project are on parallel paths for consent with the final plans for the temporary American Place casino set to be officially submitted as soon as they are ready. According to Full House Resorts’ vice president, the project will be given the nod by the gaming board administrator Marcus Fruchter.
Full City Council to Have the Final Vote before the Waukegan Temporary Casino Construction Starts
The Illinois Gaming Board provided Full House Resorts with preliminary suitability approval on December 8th, 2021 after the Waukegan City Council sent 3 potential applicants to the state’s gambling regulatory body in 2019. The move provided the company with the opportunity to finally start planning and building the proposed casino.
Waukegan’s director of planning and economic development, Noelle Kischer-Lepper, shared that her office will first review the plans for the temporary casino with representatives of the gambling operator so that more suggestions are made, if necessary, before the project goes through the 3-step approval process.
As explained by Ms. Kischer-Lepper, no conditional or space use permits are necessary because the 28 acres of city-owned land that is adjacent to the Fountain Square shopping center have already been zoned for hosting a possible casino and related activities.
After Full House Resorts unveils the plans for the temporary casino venue, a public hearing before the Planning & Zoning Commission is set to be held, with a recommendation set to be made to the Community Development Committee of the City Council after that. Then, the panel will make a suggestion to the full council for a final vote on the project.
American Place to Be the First Illinois Development of Full House Resorts
As mentioned above, once all the necessary approvals are secured by Full House Resorts, the company plans to start hiring people to operate the casino when it opens in July 2022. Alex Stolyar has revealed that the jobs offered by the company will include slot machine technicians, dealers, surveillance and security personnel, supervisory personnel and marketing experts.
When up and running, American Place casino is set to become a revenue source for the city of Waukegan. According to its vice president, Full House Resorts may eventually purchase the land that is currently owned by the city. However, for the time being, the company is set to pay either $3 million every year or 2.5% of its gaming revenue, whichever of these two is bigger. The city will be the recipient both of tax money and the rent.
The opening of the permanent casino venue is expected to create around 1,800 permanent jobs. The project involves not only a gambling venue but also a boutique hotel offering 20 luxury villas of between 1,500 and 2,500 square feet and a 1,500-seat entertainment facility. When up and running, American Place will be the first development of Full House Resorts in the state of Illinois.
