A Chicago-based marijuana company has provided more details about its proposal to add a dispensary to the south suburbs after Evergreen Park residents demanded answers to lingering questions and amendments to the group’s proposal. providing.
At an April 15 public meeting, the 1937 Group expressed interest in an ordinance amendment and a special use permit that would allow the opening of a dispensary at the shuttered Scott Credit Union at 91st Street and Kedzie Avenue.
The group, which has one brick-and-mortar store open in Illinois and is named after the 1937 Marijuana Act, sees the south suburbs and Evergreen Park as potential markets.
“There are no marijuana dispensaries within three and a half miles of Evergreen Park,” said Sonia Antlek, the group’s chief legal officer. “That revenue disappears and the jobs go to other communities. We intend to hire locally if the ordinance is passed, and we intend to do so.”
Group leaders said the company plans to open within four to five months and have a coffee shop-like atmosphere with about 10 employees per shift and hours of operation from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. It is said that
Because the store operates about half on cash and half on debit cards, the store will have security guards and many cameras, they said.
Residents and village board members blasted the company’s CEO and other officials, expressing frustration with the pitch’s erroneous numbers, opaque financial projections and problems unique to marijuana sales.
“We’re not ready. You guys are totally unprepared,” resident Carol Simpson said.
Trustees expressed concern that the company could not predict how much revenue the store would bring to the village in its first year. Village officials also corrected a statement in the company’s presentation that said nearby alleys are currently 20 feet wide;
Antlek said the slide deck was misunderstood and the group was using a sample layout found elsewhere.
“We expect net revenues to be between $7 million and $8 million,” Antlek said, reiterating the numbers mentioned at the meeting.
With the village receiving 3 percent of sales through taxes, Evergreen Park is expected to see a six-figure revenue increase, the group said.
“It’s not clear yet because it’s actually not clear to us,” Antrek continued. “It’s just a matter of when the village will receive it.”
Residents also raised issues with pharmacies in general.
The group’s management said marijuana is not federally legalized and residents are forced to purchase the plant with cash or debit cards, rather than making the store a target for robberies. There are growing concerns that this is the case.
The potential for an increase in crime was the most common concern among residents.
“We’re hearing about their well-being. We’re not hearing anything about us,” resident Kevin Gallagher said.
Antlek said that as her company continues its dialogue with residents, authorities will listen to community members’ opinions on whether guards should be armed or unarmed. 1937 She said her group is also building a relationship with the Evergreen Park Police Department to ensure community safety.
Residents also expressed skepticism about traffic concerns, why stores would need to stay open until 9 p.m., and the possibility that people would use fake IDs. One resident said he had read a study that said marijuana dispensaries were bad for the town’s economy and was asked to present a study that contradicted what the group cited.
Antlek said residents are generally skeptical of the plan. But that’s just one part of the community, she says, and many support the plan.
“It’s also a diverse community of hard-working, sometimes blue-collar people, which is consistent with who we are as a true social justice company,” Antlek said.
Evergreen Park Mayor Kelly Burke and the board of management did not respond to requests for comment. The Trustees plan to continue discussing compounding pharmacies at a future meeting. Neither Antlek nor village officials provided the group’s proposal to the Daily Southtown.
Antlek said the schedule of events is in the hands of village leaders, emphasizing his excitement about the project and the group’s immersion into the community.
“We really become neighbors in the community.”
hsanders@chicagotribune.com
