Tenure as mayor
Early in Cunningham's first term,he began large scale development projects that would be impeded by the ensuing COVID-19 emergency of 2020. He updated Waukegan's master development plan after nearly 40 years,created a capital improvement plan and proposed the development of a casino on the former location of Lakehurst Mall. In 2019,with the signing of the Rebuild Illinois Act by governor J. B. Pritzker,six new casinos were to be constructed,including one in Waukegan. [7] [8] Although legal challenges prevented the awarding of a casino contract during Cunningham's first term, [9] in January of 2025 the Illinois Supreme Court struck down the challenge,allowing his initial plan to move forward,with the permanent casino slated for completion by 2027. [10]
Another vision he had for the city was the transformation of the lakefront harbor into the "northern Navy Pier" of Lake County. Lakefront development has been attempted with mixed success by many administrations,with the primary barriers to progress being a railroad that held legal right-of-way and the difficulties of intensive environmental cleanup after decades of industrial use. [11] Cunningham's version included the establishment of the harbor and iconic "Government Pier" as an entertainment center and public open-space supported by surrounding housing developments. The development of the low-lying lakefront would be physically connected to the downtown area higher up on the bluff,which would also be further developed with commercial space,housing and cultural districts. [9] Critics of this objected to it,as they claimed the city did not have sufficient funds to accomplish this goal. [12]
In April 2019,Sam Cunningham and his mother,Lake County Board vice-chair Mary Ross Cunningham,were sued for allegedly violating the First Amendment rights of a Waukegan resident. The mayor allegedly threatened to revoke the resident's public housing voucher and potentially arrest the resident if he did not remove an altered image that depicted the two as devils. [13] [14] The lawsuit settled for $17,000,with the county paying $12,000 and the city paying $5,000. [15]
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