More than three years after opening its temporary Waukegan facility in February 2023, Full House Resorts plans to break ground on the permanent American Place Casino on Wednesday morning. Construction is expected to take roughly two years with an expected opening in 2028.
The permanent facility will be approximately twice as large, more lavish, and offer more amenities, the company said in a press release. Located immediately east of the existing temporary structure on a 42-acre site, it will be near suburban Chicago’s famed North Shore, 30 miles north of Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport and roughly 50 miles south of downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
This expansion marks a significant chapter in the revitalization of Waukegan, Illinois. The groundbreaking ceremony is expected to bring together key visionaries and state and local leaders to celebrate the commencement of construction, the release said.
“As we indicated recently to the financial community, we are well down the road on arranging the long-term financing for American Place,” stated Daniel R. Lee, Chief Executive Officer of Full House Resorts. “We decided to begin construction now, while we complete the legal and banking work on such financing. The early stages of construction take time and can be funded from our existing resources and cash flows. By starting construction now, we hope to open the permanent American Place in approximately two years.”
“Three years ago, we opened our doors in a temporary facility and promised the Waukegan community something bigger. Today, we’re moving ahead to deliver on that promise,” said Jeff Babinski, Vice President and General Manager of American Place Casino. “The permanent American Place will expand what we offer, create hundreds of new jobs, and give our guests, team members and community a destination they can be proud to call their own.”
While the current facility continues to welcome guests, the permanent casino will offer a major leap forward in both scale and sophistication. It is designed in the distinctive style of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright, who was born in Wisconsin and lived most of his life in Chicago. The casino is expected to have approximately 40% more slot machines and 85% more table games than the temporary casino, as well as a wide assortment of restaurants, bars and other amenities.
The permanent American Place is being designed by WATG, which bills itself as the preeminent leader in integrated luxury hospitality design. WATG has designed many leading casinos and hotels. Construction of the permanent facility will be led by Power Construction and, with a coincidentally similar name, Powers & Sons Construction. Power Construction is one of the largest Chicago-based construction firms, having built many of the city’s most iconic structures over the past 100 years. Powers and Sons is a large minority-owned construction company, founded in Gary, Indiana, and with offices in Chicago. Powers and Sons was an integral part of the team that built the temporary American Place casino.
