CLEVELAND, Ohio -- As Ohio’s first medical marijuana retailers opened this week, one dispensary is a step closer to debuting in downtown Cleveland.

Representatives of Green Thumb Industries, or GTI, Ohio, which holds five provisional licenses to dispense medical marijuana in Ohio, will present plans for Rise Dispensary at 1222 Prospect Ave. to the Cleveland City Planning Commission on Friday. GTI got unanimous approval from a city design review committee Thursday morning, conditional on a few minor changes the committee requested. Operators said they hope to open Rise by mid-May. In addition to obtaining the planning commission’s approval for its plans, GTI Ohio must obtain a certificate of operation from the state before opening the dispensary.

Gary Matczak, a Pennsylvania-based architect, presented the plans on behalf of GTI. Rise Dispensary will occupy the basement and first floor of the two-story building, which has been empty since the last tenant, the Xecutive Lounge nightclub, closed a few years ago. The trapezoidal building juts into the intersection of Prospect Avenue and Bolivar Road, just west of Playhouse Square. GTI Ohio plans to make exterior renovations to the building, including revamping the signs and lighting. Renovations are expected to cost about $500,000.

The design plans include construction of a secure, covered area for receiving cannabis shipments that are outside the public view, said Adam Robbins, market development manager for GTI, a national cannabis cultivator, processor and dispensary operator.

Heading up the state operation for GTI is Cleveland-area businessman Bobby George, owner of the the Ohio City restaurant TownHall.

“I just believe in the industry,” George said of why he chose to invest in medical marijuana. “I think it’s great, not only to get it into the patients’ hands, but I think it’s great for our economy. I’m sick and tired of Ohio being last to do everything.”

The building will have security features including cameras and an alarm system and will be accessible only to individuals with state-issued medical marijuana cards. There will be only one entrance for patients who have a medical card, where they check-in via an intercom system. There will be a second check-in at an interior reception area.

“All inventory will be stored in a [Drug Enforcement Administration]-rated vault,” Robbins said.

The actual dispensing will be shielded from public view, with blinds installed in consultation rooms.

With the business hidden from the public, some design review committee members were concerned that the building would not appear to assist in rejuvenating the neighborhood.

“The building is going to be lit up. We’re going to restore from the first floor down. So it will look active. This building has been vacant for years,” said George. “It’s going to look active, especially a lot more active than it’s been for the last decade.”

George used to own the property, but sold it in 2015. He said it is a coincidence that he is now returning as a tenant, saying it was difficult to find properties downtown that meet the state’s requirement that dispensaries are at least 500 feet away from schools, churches, public libraries, public playgrounds, public parks and community addiction services providers.

Medical marijuana became legal in Ohio in 2016 after former Gov. John Kasich signed House Bill 523. The bill created a strictly-regulated program that is open to patients who have a qualifying medical condition. The program requires patients to get a prescription from a licensed doctor, register with the state, and obtain marijuana from a state-licensed dispensary. The state set up a licensing program for marijuana cultivators, processors and dispensaries, for which prospective operators had to apply for a limited number of licenses. The state ultimately awarded 56 provisional dispensary licenses, selected from a pool of more than 360 applicants; GTI Ohio received five total, and three of the five licenses the state allocated for Cuyahoga County.

The other operators licensed to dispense in Cuyahoga County are Greenleaf Apothecaries, LLC, for a facility at 3865 Lakeside Ave. East in Cleveland; and Cannamed Therapeutics, LLC, at 10500 Antenucci Blvd., Suite 200, in Garfield Heights, according to state records. GTI Ohio’s other two licenses are for locations at 11818 Madison Ave. and 18607-18609 Detroit Ave., both in Lakewood.

As of Wednesday, only four dispensaries in the state are operational – two in Wintersville, one in Canton and one in Sandusky.

Robbins said it is too soon to say how many daily patients they expect to serve at Rise. They estimated that an average total purchase is $60-$80. Initially, Rise will only dispense the raw version of the marijuana plant, or “flower.” Later, GTI Ohio plans to sell other forms of marijuana, such as oils, vaporizer pens and edibles.