Waukegan ' The Committee Development Committee approved an amended site plan for the permanent American Place casino at Fountain Square (600 Lakehurst Road) during its Sept. 2 meeting, with developers saying phase 1 will include the main casino building, a boutique "mansion" hotel, expanded parking and a high-entry monument sign.

The committee vote to approve the amended site plan was unanimous (Alderman Martinez, Alderman Donworth, Chairman Felix), though the record does not list a motion maker or seconder in the transcript.

Full House Resorts representatives and their consultants presented the amended plans. Alex Stollier, chief development officer for Full House Resorts, said the project was delayed by "external factors that luckily have been resolved" and that the company is "eager and anxious" to move forward. Brian Wasilowski, lead engineer with GHA, walked committee members through elevations, site layout, circulation and landscaping.

What the approved phase 1 includes
- Casino building: Two principal drop-off/porte-coche8re areas at the north façade, a secondary porte-coche8re, employee entrance and screened loading areas. The developer said a previously proposed below-grade loading dock was changed to at-grade loading after design challenges.
- Temporary casino retained: The temporary casino structure will remain in place and be used for ancillary event space the permanent casino does not accommodate, with pedestrian routes planned between the two buildings.
- Mansion hotel (phase 1): A two-story boutique hotel of 20 "high-end villas" adjacent to the casino; a larger hotel tower and other phase-2 amenities remain part of the master plan but were not part of this approval.
- Parking and circulation: Staff and patron parking is planned to the north and east; developers described the existing temporary-casino parking area being reoriented to serve the permanent facility and said current operations have not experienced parking shortages. The developer said the site presently shows about 1,600 parking spaces in the phase-1 design.
- Monument signage: Developers proposed a 90-foot corner monument sign near the Spring Hill Suites entrance to increase visibility from the highway; they said they have a letter of support from Spring Hill Suites and moved one south-facing sign back to meet a 45-foot residential setback to avoid needing a variance.
- Future phases: The long-term master plan includes a larger hotel tower, parking garage and concert venue; the committee approved only the phase-1 site plan.

Questions and staff responses
Alderman Florian asked about the employee entrance and a two-story area the developer described as a VIP gaming area; Brian Wasilowski confirmed the two-story element includes a VIP area. Florian asked whether the site would provide enough parking during large events; the developer said the project team has not run out of parking during operations and noted the temporary casino would supplement event space.

Florian also asked about outdoor smoking locations and whether the design would prevent people from congregating at the main entrance; developers said they are working to identify an appropriate location and are cognizant of state gaming rules that affect how smoking areas are sited.

Alderman Guzman asked about highway signage and outreach to the tollway; the developers said the site will pursue allowed highway signage and already have the brown casino directional signage and other off-site advertising; more detailed tollway discussions have not yet occurred.

Developer comments and community coordination
Stollier and team emphasized the project will include substantial landscaping and screening between parking and neighboring residential properties, and that monument sign locations were reviewed to limit impacts. The team said they received a letter of support from the Spring Hill Suites at the intersection near the 90-foot sign.

Outcome and next steps
The committee approved the amended site plan for phase 1 by roll call (Alderman Martinez, Alderman Donworth, Chairman Felix). Developers said they will continue design work with city staff to refine building signage, landscaping, pedestrian routes and phased parking design before building-permit submissions.

Sources: Presentation by Alex Stollier and Brian Wasilowski on behalf of Full House Resorts/American Place; committee discussion and roll-call vote on Sept. 2.