New Dispensary Silver Jade Set to Open in Former Spark’d Location

Crystal Lake may soon welcome a new marijuana dispensary, Silver Jade, which plans to occupy the former Spark’d location at 330 N. Route 31. This development follows the abrupt closure of Spark’d in December 2022, just a year after it opened. The Crystal Lake Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved a special use permit for Silver Jade during a recent meeting, paving the way for a potential second dispensary in the area.

The City Council is expected to vote on this proposal on September 16, 2023. If approved, Silver Jade will join Ivy Hall as the second marijuana dispensary operating within Crystal Lake. The building remains owned by a group known as 330N LLC, which includes real estate agent Tony Bellino and 280E LLC, owned by brothers Bryan and Zachary Zises. The Ziseses also own Dispensary 33, the Spark’d location in Richmond, Illinois.

Zachary Zises previously stated that the original Spark’d location was not profitable, necessitating a change in ownership. “The owner needed to find a different path,” he explained to the Northwest Herald last year. Bellino mentioned that conflicting ideas between owners and management contributed to the decision to close.

Silver Jade is among 35 entities that secured a state Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization License through the Social Equity Criteria Lottery in 2023, as reported by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Omar Fakhouri, a representative from Mint Cannabis, acted as a consultant during the planning and zoning meeting. Mint Cannabis operates dispensaries across several states, including Michigan, Arizona, Nevada, and Missouri, with one Illinois location in Willowbrook, owned by Fakhouri.

Given that a dispensary previously operated at this location, city commissioners expressed support for Silver Jade, contingent upon compliance with all city regulations. However, local concerns have arisen, particularly from Deb Parquette, owner of Purrfect Cat Rescue, located nearby. She raised issues regarding the potential for marijuana odors affecting her young volunteers. Parquette stated, “I would go home some evenings, and my vehicle would smell like pot.”

City Planner Elizabeth Maxwell noted that police had several interactions with the former management of Spark’d. The city issued a violation notice due to an event held without the necessary special permits. One of the city’s stipulations prohibits on-site marijuana consumption, a point Fakhouri emphasized, assuring that the new operators would maintain “zero tolerance” for such activities on the premises.

As Crystal Lake looks forward to the potential revival of its marijuana market, the outcome of the upcoming City Council vote will determine the future of the Silver Jade dispensary and its role in the community.