Chicago Construction News staff writer
Full House Resorts and American Place Casino broke ground June 3 on a permanent casino in Waukegan, marking a major expansion of the temporary gaming facility that has operated since 2023.
Construction will be led by Power Construction and Powers & Sons Construction, both Chicago-area firms. Powers & Sons also worked on the temporary facility.
The permanent facility, on a 42-acre site at 4011 Fountain Square Place, will be about twice the size of the current casino and will include expanded gaming space, additional restaurants and bars, and other amenities designed to create a more upscale destination. It is expected to open in about two years.
“As we indicated recently to the financial community, we are well down the road on arranging the long-term financing for American Place,” Full House Resorts Chief Executive Officer Daniel R. Lee said in a statement. “We decided to begin construction now, while we complete the legal and banking work on such financing.”
Early construction would be funded through existing resources and cash flow and the casino is expected to open in two years.
“Three years ago, we opened our doors in a temporary facility and promised the Waukegan community something bigger,” said Jeff Babinski, vice president and general manager of American Place Casino. “Today, we’re moving ahead to deliver on that promise.”
Babinski said the permanent facility will expand gaming options, create hundreds of jobs and establish a long-term entertainment destination for the region.
The company said the project is expected to play a key role in Waukegan’s continued development, citing its location near Chicago’s North Shore, about 30 minutes from O’Hare International Airport and 60 minutes from Milwaukee.
The permanent casino will be designed in a style inspired by architect Frank Lloyd Wright and developed by WATG, a hospitality design firm that has worked on major casino and resort projects.
