Construction is finally underway for Wind Creek Chicago Southland Casino. The Poarch Band of Creek Indians just broke ground on the South Suburbs project.
Wind Creek is one of a handful of new Illinois casinos that are on the way for gamblers in the state. The building plans to open sometime in 2023.
Wind Creek Chicago Casino
Bally’s won the rights to build a casino directly in Chicago, but Wind Creek’s location is almost as desirable.
The Poarch Band is building the property on the border of Homewood and East Hazel Crest. That’s about a 30-minute drive south of Chicago and just a handful of miles away from the Indiana state line.
Wind Creek’s location should help it attract gamblers from both states, although there’s plenty of outside competition nearby.
For example, Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana is only a short 15 minutes west of Wind Creek’s location. Plus, there are a handful of other casinos scattered around the edges of Chicago.
Despite that, Wind Creek will be hoping to pull gamblers from the surrounding areas, especially for an overnight stay. After all, not everyone wants the extra hassle that comes along with traveling into a huge city.
The casino’s proximity to Interstate 80 should help with that. Christopher J. Clark, the mayor of nearby town Harvey, noted that 80 million vehicles pass by the Wind Creek location every year.
“It will bolster the ongoing development of the Halsted corridor and improve prospects for more development northward into Harvey.”
When it’s all said and done, the casino will cost around $440 million to build.
South Suburbs casino features
Wind Creek Casino is planning all sorts of features to help it stand up to its nearby competition.
The Poarch Band will be constructing a 70,000 square-foot casino floor that should be able to handle 1,300 slot machines and over 50 table games. That’s more than enough to give Illinois gamblers plenty of options.
Plus, in typical casino fashion, Wind Creek will also feature its own entertainment venue. That 15,800 square-foot area will provide plenty of space for concerts and other events.
All of that is on top of the building’s conference rooms and meeting spaces.
Wind Creek will have its own 252-room hotel to help tie everything together. Being able to stay overnight should help the casino with its plans to attract visiting gamblers.
The project will create 800 jobs in the South Suburbs, which is ultimately a win for the area as a whole.
Since construction is finally underway, gamblers will be able to visit the casino themselves in a little over a year.
