Windy City Cannabis is in the process of renovating a building on West Jackson Street into an adult-use cannabis dispensary. The Homewood (IL) based company could open the store by the middle of March.
"It’s economic development," Mayor Mike Inman said, adding state law includes a "give-back" requirement for dispensaries. "So they will be reaching out to the community and looking for opportunities to engage the community in promotions of civic activities and events."
The business will be located in the building that most recently housed Shooters and Diamond Dave's. Inman said the building was originally a sporting goods store when it was built a few decades ago.
The mayor said Windy City Cannabis anticipates hiring 25 full- and part-time employees.
Inman said the city estimated the business could generate sales of up to $3 million per year. Some of the cash would go to the city and other local governments. Macomb already has in place a 3% sales tax on cannabis, and Inman said products sold at the business will also be subject to the local sales tax. In addition, the city, the county, and schools in the county all receive revenue from local option sales taxes.
Inman said the city's share will go into its general fund.
Before becoming mayor, Inman worked for the Illinois State Police. When TSPR asked about that, he replied that we all have to realize that society has changed.
"At one time within my professional career I ran a drug task force. So this has been a paradigm shift for me personally. But in the same vein, this is something the legislature has allowed. It’s a business opportunity," he said.
"I'm encouraged by the fact that there are high level security components with licensing (which is done by the state) and it seems to be regulated well enough that we should be assured of legitimate ownership."
Inman also said the building plans have been reviewed locally. He said the company has removed the front deck from the structure and it will pave a gravel portion of the parking lot.
He said the company did not receive any tax breaks.
Much like a retail liquor store, the business will sell packaged products that cannot be consumed on-site.
The Windy City Cannabis website said the company runs medical and recreational marijuana stores in Homewood, Justice, Posen, and Worth; and a recreational marijuana shop on Weed Street in Chicago. Inman said the company also operates a medical marijuana dispensary in Litchfield in south-central Illinois.
In addition to Macomb, the company is in the process of opening dispensaries in Carpentersville and Highwood.
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