Waukegan Plan Commission green lights American Place casino plan, sends it to City Council
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The Temporary at American Place in Waukegan is already the third-most-visited casino in Illinois nearly six months after opening, according to Illinois Gaming Board reports, and officials of Full House Resorts this week gave the Waukegan Planning and Zoning Commission a picture of what the permanent American Place will offer.
From a five-star, 20-suite boutique hotel looking like a prairie style mansion to a casino more than four times as large as the temporary, commissioners like Theodora Anderson approved ofwhat they saw.
“I like the Frank Lloyd Wright style,” Anderson said. “It’s very refreshing and nice to see.”
The Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended Thursday at City Hall in Waukegan that the City Council approve the site plan and variance request for the permanent casino allowing Full House Resorts to move ahead with its plans.
With the commission’s recommendation, Full House Resorts will present its site plan and variance request for its permanent American Place casino and resort to the Waukegan City Council’s Community Development Commission at 5 p.m. Sept. 5 at City Hall.
Earlier this week, Full House Resorts released its quarterly earnings report Tuesday in an earnings call in which President and Chief Operating Officer Daniel R. Lee talked about progress in Waukegan and the company’s financial condition.
Isabel Guadarrama, a planner with the city, said the main entrance will remain where it is on Fountain Square Place across from Walmart, where visitors will see raised crosswalks and numerous parking spaces as they approach the main entrance.
Guadarrama said the property will be surrounded by a six-foot, black steel fence and a 13-foot entrance in front of the hotel, which she and people from Full House referred to as the mansion. A variance is needed from the city for the fence height.
“They need approval for (the height) because the city’s height limit is four feet,” Guadarrama said. “It’s what is there now. It is needed for security.”
There will be a second entrance off Lakehurst Road to the south and another controlled entryway for the mansion off Northpoint Boulevard. Just past the mansion entrance will be a helipad perpendicular to the hotel’s driveway.
Alex Stolyar, Full House’s senior vice president and chief development officer, said the tall, controlled entrance for the mansion is intentional. The 20 suites of approximately 1,500 square feet are for people seeking a luxury feel.
“This is meant to be a very special experience so when people arrive they will see they’re at a five-star resort property,” Stolyar said.
Stolyer said the Frank Lloyd Wright Prairie Style design was chosen because it meshes well with “this part of the country.”
When questioned about the raised portions in the parking lot and other features as visitors navigate their way toward the casino either by car or foot, Brian Wesolowski, the director of site design services for Gewalt Hamilton Associates, said it was about safety.
“It’s important for the user experience,” Wesolowski said. “This is not a highway and we want everyone to slow down. We want high visibility for safety. We want everyone to know where they are going.”
Along with the mansion, the permanent casino will offer 100 table games and 1,640 slot machines. There will also be four full-service restaurants and a 1,500-seat entertainment venue.
During his earnings report call this week, Lee said in a press release issued Tuesday the Temporary completed its first full quarter June 30 with revenue of $20.3 million. The quantity of visitors compares favorably with other successful casinos at opening, it indicated.
“The number of visitors surged at opening in mid-February and then, after a short lull, has grown steadily since April,” Lee said in the release. “Meanwhile, its win per admission, while still less than more-established casinos in Illinois, has grown steadily since opening, as regular players replace people who were more tourists than gamblers.”
