Wind Creek Hospitality celebrates groundbreaking of $440M Chicago Southland casino

Wind Creek Hospitality -a business arm of Alabama-based Poarch Band of Creek Indians- has celebrated the start of construction on an upcoming $440 million Chicago Southland casino property. The venue, slated to open in 2023, will be built off I-80 near Halsted Street and 175th Street in the south suburban communities of East Hazel Crest and Homewood.

The groundbreaking took place last week. Representatives from the Poarch Band of Creek Indians and Wind Creek Hospitality were joined by local leaders in celebrating the milestone. The tribe anticipates that those passing by the site “should begin seeing a flurry of construction activity in the coming days and weeks.”

Wind Creek Chicago Southland is set to feature a 70,000-square-foot casino with 1,350 slot machines, 56 table games, entertainment, dining, and a 252-room luxury hotel. Wind Creek Hospitality was chosen by the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) to develop a Four Diamond casino and entertainment destination in the south suburban area on December 8, 2021, beating other submissions from suburban municipalities such as Calumet City and Matteson.

“Wind Creek doesn’t just build casinos, we truly build communities,” commented Stephanie Bryan, Tribal Chair & CEO, Poarch Creek Indians. “We’re so very thankful for the support of community leaders, local organizations and residents of the south suburbs who helped get us to this point – and look forward to working with you to ensure that the benefits associated with this project are experienced by the entire region.”

According to a press statement, the project is set to bring approximately 800 good-paying jobs to the south suburban region. In addition, it will create approximately 600 construction jobs. Revenues will be shared with the State of Illinois and surrounding south suburban townships.

“Our commitment to this community has already begun and will only be strengthened as we move our focus to job creation and finalizing the details of the Southland Public Benefit Fund,” said Jay Dorris, president and CEO, of Wind Creek Hospitality. “People across the Southland have been waiting for this casino and the community investment that comes along with it, and we’re happy to be taking concrete steps to see this dream realized.”

Celebration ceremony for the property's groundbreaking

Wind Creek, East Hazel Crest and Homewood will contribute to the Southland Public Benefit Fund, a statement explains. The Fund will distribute $150,000 per year to the combined recipients for the first five years of operation; and once the Fund corpus reaches $20 million, it will distribute $1,000,000 annually.

The Fund contributions are earmarked for the provision of scholarships for disadvantaged students and health services for the south suburban region through partnerships with South Suburban College, Prairie State College, and Moraine Valley Community College, the Ingalls Development Foundation and Advocate South Suburban Hospital.

“Based on initial projections, we estimate a year-one net revenue of $155.6 million and year-seven net revenue of $201 million,” Dorris told Biz Journals. “The easy access to I-80 creates a solid foundation for the casino and entertainment complex and one that will maximize revenue and bring sustained benefits to the entire south suburban region.”

Rendering for the upcoming Wind Creek Chicago Southland casino

Federally-recognized Alabama tribe Poarch Band of Creek Indians already runs a number of gaming operations under its Wind Creek Hospitality arm. The new property will join a number of venues, including Wind Creek Aruba, Wind Creek Atmore, Wind Creek Bethlehem, and Wind Creek Curacao, among other casinos. It also runs WindCreekCasino.com and racetracks in Alabama and Florida.

The Wind Creek casino -the south region’s only casino license handed out in the 2021 IGB decision- will join other existing properties in the south suburban area, including Harrah’s and Hollywood venues in Joliet, which have been operating for nearly 30 years now.

Hello, Chicago Southland! 👋 Last week, representatives from @PoarchCreek and @WCHospitality marked the start of our construction and celebrated local leaders who have been integral to us joining this community. Thank you for your support.

Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. pic.twitter.com/kOFmKUtIcx

— Wind Creek Chicago Southland (@WCSouthland) June 7, 2022

While the upcoming Wind Creek casino has been celebrated by East Hazel Crest and Homewood, it has sounded the alarm in nearby communities home to gaming facilities. Terry Morris, Joliet City Councilman, (Dist. 5) told The Times Weekly that “the new casinos coming to the south suburbs and in Chicago will cut into Joliet’s gaming revenue.”

The development also comes as Chicago prepares for its first casino, set to open in 2026. The full Chicago City Council voted 41 to 7 last month to approve the Bally's Corporation project, valued at $1.74 billion, which would become the first and sole casino in the city.