BUCKTOWN — A cannabis dispensary co-founded by a former NBA player and a lifelong Chicagoan who each have extensive experience in the industry will open in Bucktown at the end of June.
Village Dispensary, 1850 W. Webster St., will hold its grand opening June 29. It is taking over the site of a former emissions testing facility near the Kennedy Expressway that has been closed for almost a decade.
The business is helmed by former NBA player Al Harrington and Chicago native Dan Pettigrew. The two founded the cannabis company Viola Brands in 2011 and have expanded it across the country. Retired NBA star Allen Iverson is also a partner in Viola.
The dispensary will be Pettigrew and Harrington’s second location in Illinois. Last summer, they launched Viola CHI in suburban Broadview. The Bucktown location will become Village’s flagship location when it opens.
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The opening is a homecoming of sorts for Pettigrew, who grew up in Hyde Park.
“It’s literally a dream come true. My mom passed about five years ago, and one
