CHAMPAIGN – Jupiter's at the Crossing could become home to an off-track betting parlor as soon as September, under a lease arrangement between Jupiter's and Inter-Track Partners.

Carlos Nieto, one of the owners of the pizza, billiards and video-arcade business in southwest Champaign, said Monday he plans to lease 800 square feet on the second floor to Inter-Track Partners for use as an OTB.

The OTB would have an entrance separate from Jupiter's and would be operated by Inter-Track Partners employees. But Jupiter's would furnish food and beverages and have plenty of TVs for watching horse races.

Last week, the Illinois Racing Board approved an off-track wagering license for Balmoral Racing Club Inc. to operate the facility and approved Jupiter's at the Crossing to act as concessionaire.

It would be the third location for the off-track betting parlor since it opened 16 years ago in Champaign-Urbana. From 1992 to 2005, it was on West Springfield Avenue in Champaign. In 2005, it moved to the Brickhouse in Urbana, where it operated until May of this year.

Since then, Bob Bilocerkowycz, president and chief executive officer of Inter-Track Partners, has been looking for another local food-and-beverage operator willing to host the OTB.

Nieto emphasized the OTB would take up only a small portion of the Jupiter's at the Crossing building at 2511 Village Green Place. And he vowed to keep it distinct from his family-friendly restaurant and entertainment center.

"It will not be the focus of our business, just another facet of our business," he said. "We want to make sure it's a good fit. If it doesn't prove to be a good fit, we'll stop doing it."

Nieto compared the new operation to existing off-track betting parlors in Bloomington-Normal and Niles, which he called "upscale."

Besides the local OTB, Inter-Track Partners operates 15 other off-track betting parlors around the state, including three in Chicago, nine in the suburbs and three in the downstate communities of Normal, Peoria and Peru.

Bilocerkowycz said he chose to work with Nieto because he's a successful entertainment-venue operator with a hands-on approach. He said other attractive qualities about the Jupiter's location included:

– Its proximity to the Curtis Road interchange with Interstate 57.

– "Expandability" at that site if the OTB needs more space.

– Availability of parking.

"People don't have to compete with softball tournaments for parking," he said, referring to tournaments on the diamonds around The Brickhouse.

Even though the OTB will occupy less space at its new location, Bilocerkowycz said, "I think we'll be able to match revenues (from the former location) and hopefully increase them with the proximity to the highway and the marketing expertise of Carlos and his colleagues."

Bilocerkowycz said he would like to open the OTB in "six to eight weeks or even sooner.

"Some interior construction needs to be done, the teller station built. ... I look to be open in early September," he said.

He said the OTB expects to hire three or four full-time employees and one or two part-timers.

The Inter-Track Partners CEO said he appreciated the help he has gotten from the cities of Champaign and Urbana.

"There's been a lot of positive support from both cities," he said. "I feel bad we have to leave one for the other."

Bilocerkowycz said he looked at locations in downtown Champaign, but parking is one of several challenges there.

"I'm not against downtown," he said, but added it could be a problem if patrons have to run outside to feed meters.