At the Homewood Village Board meeting on Feb. 25, the board approved Wind Creek Casino’s property tax appeal for 2024.
The appeal also requires approval by the East Hazel Crest Village Board, Village Manager Napoleon Haney said.
Wind Creek’s property was given an assessed value of $24,159,965 by the Cook County Assessor for the 2024 tax year based on a total fair market value of $98,674,723, Haney said.
According to the Cook County Assessor, this is based on a pro-rata assessment for all newly constructed improvements for 47% of the year, Haney said.
Since Wind Creek did not receive a certificate of occupancy for the casino and parking garage until Oct. 14, 2024, they believe that it would be fair if they could pay property taxes based just upon the prorated 2024 assessed value for the period after it received a certificate of occupancy (21.37% of the year), he said.
“The casino is not contesting the overall valuation of the property, only the period of time used to calculate the taxes that will be due for 2024 ($24,159,965),” Haney said.
Wind Creek has asked the villages of Homewood and East Hazel Crest to sign a stipulation as part of its appeal to the Cook County Board of Review. Neither municipality objected, Haney said.
In other business, the board approved three ordinances to officially establish the North Halsted Tax Increment Financing District on Feb. 25.
The purposes of the ordinances are to approve the redevelopment plan and designate the redevelopment area, as well as adopt tax increment allocation financing, said Angela Mesaros, director of Economic and Community Development.
The board also declined a request for a special use permit submitted by Niya Jones at Tuesday’s meeting.
Jones wanted to operate an event space called “The Livie Room” at 18035 Dixie Highway for various community gatherings and events that would consist of a maximum of 50 to 60 people, Mesaros said.
However, Mayor Rich Hofeld and trustees were concerned with the fact that the space is only 1,100 square feet and includes only one bathroom, as well as limited parking space.
“This is awfully tight, and I just think that this would be the wrong space for your space, so I can’t support it,” said Hofeld, adding, “perhaps another location will come about.”
“I do not like when people want to come to Homewood and open a business and we say no. I don’t like it, it’s an icky feeling,” said Trustee Lauren Roman, adding, “I just don’t think that this is the right location with all that we have going on in our downtown area right now.”
