Epstein Helps Develop Illinois' Largest Cannabis Dispensary

The cannabis retail market is an extremely fast moving and rapidly developing market and these dispensaries go through several steps prior to designing. Most companies in the marketplace have already defined their brand identity, which is incorporated into the design of the new store. Therefore, planning for our client’s new cannabis retail store begins with a well-coordinated effort with the owner, their legal representation, security, and the local municipality for every location. Community inclusion and public appeal is also an important part of planning for the retail site. Our design team is constantly engaged during the city hearings, and provides any necessary documentation, such as floor and site plans, for example.

As designers at Epstein, the strategic planning of a functional and flexible retail environment allows our clients to better merchandise their products so the customer can navigate the space effectively. We work with our client, security vendor, technology consultant and contractor to plan, document and engineer a complete space that provides all of the program requirements needed.

For this project, Epstein helped Cresco Labs from concept to completion for their Schaumburg, Illinois dispensary. We collaborated with Cresco to develop the space plan and created deliverables such as an area map, security layout, and exterior elevations that were submitted to the state board of zoning to start the process for approval for the dispensary. Once approved, Epstein prepared the architectural, mechanical, electrical, structural, and fire protection drawings for permit and construction. After the permit was successfully attained, Epstein helped Cresco and the general contractor complete the project under a very fast 45-day construction schedule.