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Normal’s 2nd cannabis dispensary plans to open in Chinese restaurant building

The owners of High Haven want to open a cannabis dispensary at 106 Mall Drive in Normal. That's the current location of the Mandarin Garden restaurant.
Town of Normal
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Meeting Materials
The owners of High Haven want to open a cannabis dispensary at 106 Mall Drive in Normal. That's the current location of the Mandarin Garden restaurant.

Bloomington-Normal could soon see the opening of its third cannabis dispensary. And then a fourth.

The Normal Zoning Board of Appeals on Jan. 19 will hear a proposal to open High Haven at 106 Mall Drive, Normal, in the building now occupied by the Mandarin Garden restaurant. Mandarin Garden has operated in that location since 1990, though recently it’s only done carryout in part due to hiring challenges, according to the Bloomington-Normal Restaurant Scene blog.

High Haven is seeking a special use permit from the town. It plans to enhance the green space around the property and add several security enhancements, including a new secured delivery area with security fencing, according to materials submitted for the Zoning Board of Appeals meeting. The business expects to be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day.

The proposal comes from Gabriel Judd with High Haven Dispensary LLC, based in Glenview.

Normal’s first cannabis dispensary, now called Beyond/Hello, opened in 2015 in north Normal. Recreational cannabis has been legal in Illinois since 2020.

Beyond/Hello also operates a location in Bloomington, near Veterans Parkway.

Last year, Bloomington officials approved another dispensary on the city’s far west side, but it has yet to open.

Ryan Denham is the digital content director for WGLT.
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