“Patience is a virtue,” Mayor Jack Lind told Amoco station managers after they finally secured Village Board approval on March 4 for a license needed for video gaming.
Managers Almas Khan and Jay Ahmed had repeatedly appeared before the board seeking a CV liquor license, which allows alcohol to be served at their gas station at 10559 S. Harlem Ave. The station, which switched from a Thorntons to an Amoco last year, needed the license as a state requirement for video gaming.
At a February meeting, the motion to approve the request failed on a 3-3 vote, with Lind among those opposed. Because Lind serves as both mayor and trustee—having been appointed to complete former Mayor Chuck Tokar’s term in 2023—there is no tie-breaking vote.
This time, the measure passed 4-2, with Trustees Bill McFarland and Elaine Davenport voting against it, as they typically do in cases involving gaming expansion. Trustee Ed Kowalski, who had also opposed it in February due to a lack of information on the placement of the gaming machines, supported it this time after the managers provided photos and a detailed layout.
Responding to a question from Trustee Roger Meslar, the managers confirmed they would post signage on exterior doors and inside, notifying patrons that the gaming area is restricted to those 21 and older.
“We will cordon off the gaming area on the right side of the building, and it will be within the view of the cashier,” Ahmed said.
He added that the license would help the business compete with similar gas stations across Harlem Avenue in Palos Hills and on the same side of the street in Worth.
Khan said they plan to have five gaming terminals on the premises.
“They have been here a couple of times before and the only thing different today is that they brought photos,” Davenport said.
“Finally,” said both Khan and Ahmed, almost in unison, as the meeting ended.
The men also announced additional changes at the Amoco station.
“We are going to have a doughnut place and a fast-food place inside,” Khan said. “One should be open in a few weeks, and the other might be a few months. But we will have a grand opening.”
In other business, the board unanimously approved an ordinance requiring landlords of multi-unit rental properties to inform tenants that renters’ insurance is available. Kowalski proposed the measure following a Jan. 25 fire at 10520-26 Brooks Lane that displaced more than 20 families.
“We witnessed people who lost everything. Some did not even know that rental insurance was available,” Kowalski said. “These people were not protected. At least they will be informed.”
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