Cannabis Dispensary Across From Wrigley Field Gets Final Approval From City Council – Block Club Chicago
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Block Club Chicago
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WRIGLEYVILLE — A long-planned cannabis dispensary across from Wrigley Field is moving forward after the City Council signed off on the zoning change Friday, clearing the final hurdle for the project after nearly a year of negotiations.
Entourage Holdings, a team of social-equity license holders and longtime Chicago cannabis operators, plans to open the dispensary at 3650 N. Clark St., the current site of Clark Street Sports. The storefront will become the closest pot shop to the ballpark, just north of Sunnyside dispensary, 3524 N. Clark St.
Friday’s vote follows months of revisions, community meetings and back-and-forth between developers and Ald. Bennett Lawson’s (44th) office.
In an October newsletter, Lawson said he would support the zoning change after Entourage agreed to a detailed plan of operation shaped by neighborhood feedback — including security requirements, delivery restrictions during Cubs games and a design intended to prevent sidewalk congestion.
Lawson also said the operators committed to recurring donations of several thousand dollars to veteran-serving organizations, including Chicago Veterans, AVER Chicago and the Association for an Equitable Illinois, to support mental health programs, workforce development and other social equity initiatives.
More than 65 percent of respondents to a recent ward-wide survey supported the dispensary, according to Lawson.
The dispensary will operate 9 a.m.-10 p.m. daily with two armed guards during business hours, according to a plan of operations. Customers will be able to order online ahead of time or shop in person.
Entourage’s leaders previously told Block Club the project gives their small team a rare chance to compete in a cannabis market dominated by multi-state operators, after years of delays and financing obstacles that have stalled dozens of social equity businesses statewide.
The group has also faced pushback from the Cubs, despite another dispensary already operating down the block.
With Friday’s approval, the Clark Street dispensary is cleared to open once buildout is complete.
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