Gambling in a temporary Waukegan casino with 50 table games and 1,000 slot machines is six months away, but Full House Resorts plans to start hiring people to work there much sooner than that for its American Place development.
Full House’s application for the long-awaited Waukegan casino unanimously received a finding of preliminary suitability from the Illinois Gaming Board Wednesday to proceed toward a license for the temporary — and eventually permanent — casino in Waukegan.
Alex Stolyar, Full House’s senior vice president and chief development officer, was already busy making plans Wednesday, a few hours after the board made its decision. He said he had no idea beforehand his company would get the nod over the other bidder, North Point Casino.
“I had no inkling,” Stolyar said after the meeting. “We’re going to sit down with the city, and begin working with them. We’re going to get our temporary casino designed. There are probably a thousand things we have to do. We’re going to start hiring people.”
While working toward opening the temporary casino within six months, and finalizing plans for a permanent and extensive resort, Stolyar said he will be talking to city officials about ways to be a good corporate citizen.
Waukegan Mayor Ann Taylor sees an economic development driver.
“They plan to bring tourism, and I think it will be the right kind of development for the Fountain Square area,” she said, referring to the 28 acres of city-owned land where the casino will be located. “They want to bring people from out of town. They’ll be from all over.”
Along with providing Waukegan residents a new entertainment venue, Taylor said with an airport which can already accommodate private global travel, the reach can be far. It will bring tourists to town to spend money at other businesses, she said.
“They’re not taking money out of our community,” Taylor said. “They’re attracting people to enjoy our other assets, like the Genesee Theatre and the lakefront. This will be an economic development engine. Not everyone wants to take a chance. Once someone does, everyone wants to get on the train.”
Stolyar said the 65,000-square-foot temporary casino will have 50 gaming tables, 1,000 slot machines and a sportsbook. There will also be food and beverage service. Details are being developed. People will begin to see signs of it being built in about two months, he said.
Along with the initial planning, Stolyar said Full House will start the process of hiring hundreds of employees at competitive pay with full benefits. The positions will include dealers, slot machine technicians and people to handle sales and marketing.
“This will start relatively soon,” he said of the hiring. “We want to do it as soon as possible. There will be job fairs and recruiting. We want to make an effort to hire (from) communities which are underserved.”
When the permanent casino is complete in approximately two years, Stolyar said there will be 1,800 permanent jobs. A 1,500-seat entertainment venue is planned then, along with a boutique hotel with 20 luxury villas between 1,500 and 2,500 square feet.
Taylor said she wants Full House to become a fully fledged member of the Waukegan community, helping the schools and other organizations. Stolyar said the company will be a good corporate citizen working in, “ways that will help all people of Waukegan.”
“We’ll do things like sponsorships and charitable contributions,” he said. “I anticipate being involved with the Chamber of Commerce, and other not-for-profit organizations.”
Though Stolyar said Full House may eventually buy the land from the city, for now Waukegan will receive the greater of $3 million a year or 21/2% of gaming revenue. This is in addition to taxes generated.
American Place will be Full House’s first development in Illinois. Stolyar said the closest is in Rising Sun, Indiana, near Cincinnati.
