As Homewood officials tout the village’s growth, some small business owners are hopeful the recent opening of the Wind Creek Chicago Southland hotel will attract more customers to neighboring establishments.

Since the casino opened Nov. 11, more than 855,000 people have visited, general manager Roger Kuehn told Homewood business owners at an economic development breakfast Thursday.

Wind Creek has quickly established itself as a major player among the state’s 16 casinos, ranking second in both gaming revenue and admissions, Kuehn said. Since opening, the casino has contributed millions in gaming tax dollars to the state and local communities.

The casino has paid $12.3 million in gaming taxes, with about $9.05 million going to the state and $3.25 million to the villages, Kuehn said.

“Every month we see our market share growing, and with the addition of our latest amenities — our hotel, spa and steakhouse — we see that trajectory also increasing,” Kuehn said.

Lisa Komorowski, president of the Homewood Business Association, said she hasn’t seen a noticeable increase in customer traffic at her downtown boutique, Loulou Belle. However, she remains hopeful that could change with Wind Creek’s hotel opening last weekend.

“From my perspective, I feel like they’re not coming here,” Komorowski said. “But I’m wondering if that’ll change once the hotel opens. I don’t really gamble like that, but do you really stay in the casino 24/7 if you’re going to spend the night there like two days in a row, or will you come downtown and take a break from it all?”

Homewood Mayor Rich Hofeld said the casino was never intended to drive traffic directly to the village. While it has transformed the landscape along Halsted Street and could help attract more development to the area, he said most gamblers are likely to get on and off the highway just to visit the casino.

“The majority of people will come there, they’ll get off of Interstate 80. They’ll lose their money and then get back on I-80,” he said.

Under the 2019 law that created a license for a land-based casino in the south suburbs, 5% of the casino’s revenue is shared with local communities. The two host towns — East Hazel Crest and Homewood — will receive 2% of the casino’s monthly adjusted gross receipts, while the remaining 3% is distributed among 41 other south suburban communities.

Wind Creek previously estimated the casino would be ready for customers by late summer or early fall of 2023, but delays and higher costs for materials pushed back that opening. The project was initially budgeted at $529 million, covering land acquisition, construction and license fees.

At the breakfast, Kuehn said construction costs exceeded $526 million — an investment he said helped stimulate the local economy.

The project created nearly 700 construction jobs, and the casino now employs 1,133 full-time workers, Kuehn said. Of those employees, he said 78% live in Illinois, and 40% reside in communities within a 10-mile radius of the property. About 75% of Wind Creek’s workforce are classified as minorities, Kuehn said.

In 2024, $12.6 million or 36% of Wind Creek’s non-exempt spending was used at minority business enterprises, women business enterprises and with veteran-owned suppliers, Kuehn said. Of that, $2.2 million went to businesses based in the Southland, including Homewood Disposal, Homewood Chevrolet and Ravisloe Country Club.

During a preopening tour of the casino, Cathye Amos, Wind Creek Hospitality’s executive director of marketing, said the design was inspired by “old Vegas,” with the goal of creating an atmosphere of elegance and sophistication. She said Wind Creek aimed to deliver more than just a casino, they wanted to offer an experience.

Kuehn echoed that vision, saying the goal was to bring the kind of luxury typically found in downtown Chicago to the south suburbs.

Wind Creek officials envisioned a full resort-style destination, complete with a hotel, fine dining and wellness amenities. The top-floor steakhouse, Alto, is expected to open in mid-May and will feature outdoor dining about 200 feet above the interchange of Interstate 80 and Halsted Street. The spa offers massages and facials, and will soon feature a mud room where guests can apply therapeutic muds from around the world while relaxing on heated seating set to 98 degrees.

“I’ve been told by several people that the rooms rival any of the finest hotel rooms in downtown Chicago, and they are really nice,” Kuehn said. “Our spa also opened this past weekend, and I’ve got to say, I think it’s the most beautiful space that we have in the casino. Is the ultimate in Zen.”

For dining, Wind Creek has an all-inclusive food bazaar with ticket prices set at $25 for lunch and $40 for dinner. The bazaar offers a range of cuisine developed in collaboration with celebrity chef Fabio Viviani, with six different food concepts.

Kuehn said the casino’s oyster bar, Shuck It, is scheduled to open on April 25. Wind Creek has also applied for a sportsbook license with the Illinois Gaming Board, he said.

“We’re at the mercy of the state right now, but we expect to be licensed within the next couple of months, hopefully opening the sportsbook by June or July,” Kuehn said.

Hofeld touted the village’s finances at the breakfast, and said the village’s recently approved general fund budget sits at $28 million, with the largest revenue driver bpeing sales tax. In 2024 and 2025, several new businesses opened in Homewood, Hofeld said, including Stoney Point Grill, Homewood Brewing Company, Bergstein’s New York Deli, 69 Prime Steakhouse, Dave’s Hot Chicken and Primo’s Cafe & Deli.

While he doesn’t see the casino as a direct driver of local business, Hofeld said ongoing development and a growing community will help boost the local economy.

The village has more than 60 restaurants and food stops, Hofeld said, with more expected to open in 2025. One of the village’s challenges is redeveloping the former Walmart Supercenter on Halsted Street, which closed in 2023. The site is owned by a Michigan-based investment trust, and Walmart is still paying on a 10-year lease for the building, Hofeld said.

“We’ve met with developers who are trying to get a buyout from Walmart to pay off some of their lease and working with the investment trust out of Michigan to make it happen,” Hofeld said. “It has not happened yet, but we’re still working with it.”

The village recently approved a tax increment financing district that takes in property along the Halsted Street commercial corridor and includes the vacant Walmart property.

“This is our goal, bringing more people into the downtown, shoppers and diners,” Hofeld said. “Not many villages can claim some of the business successes as we have.”

Komorowski said she’s stayed in casino hotels in small Michigan towns where lodging options were limited, and ended up spending her time exploring the surrounding shops and neighborhoods.