The reopening of a Garfield Ridge bar that was the site of a fatal shooting in November has sparked community outrage and city hearings, as 13th Ward Alderman Marty Quinn moves to shut it down permanently.
After residents reported new owners reopened the former Halina’s Pub at 7023 W. Archer Ave. on Jan. 25 without a valid liquor license, Quinn announced his response and future plans in a Jan. 27 Facebook statement.
Following discussions with the Chicago Police Department, the city’s Business Affairs and Consumer Protection office, and the Law Department, Quinn said the new owners had failed to file a change-of-ownership application. As a result, the bar is subject to a liquor moratorium, preventing it from legally serving alcohol.
“The liquor moratorium is what is being raised, and the liquor moratorium is not transferable,” Quinn said. “What took place is the sale of Halina’s, but inside that sale, you cannot transfer the liquor license. That is the crux of the City of Chicago’s case against all actors at 7023 W. Archer Ave.”
A license discipline case is pending before the Mayor’s License and Disciplinary Commission for failure to file the required ownership transfer.
Until a final decision is made, the business cannot be shut down, Quinn said.
Community Reaction
Cindy Bieniek, president of Prism Corporation, which operates a nearby printing center, said the bar does not affect business during the day.
“If it’s a legitimate owner of a business, he or she should be allowed to open it as long as the proper licensing is in place,” she said.
However, she questioned whether the new owners understood the transaction when purchasing the establishment.
“I feel a little bad for the people who bought the establishment thinking they were going to be able to have a license and ended up not being able to have one,” Bieniek said. “I feel that it is not very up front of the prior owner to not let them know there was a possibility of not being able to have liquor served there.”
Ultimately, Bieniek said she supports whatever the community wants.
“I think it’s important what the neighborhood would like, so I would back either way,” she said.
Push for Zoning Change
If the charges against the new owners are upheld, the property could be rezoned from a business to a single-family dwelling.
“I’ve been pretty clear from the onset,” Quinn said. “What transpired there is, in my opinion, an under-the-table deal that was operated under the disguise of night, absent collaboration with my office, with the 8th Police District, its commander and the Garfield Ridge Neighborhood Watch.”
Quinn has gathered more than 200 signatures supporting the rezoning, which will be presented as evidence at a city zoning committee hearing on Feb. 18. The full City Council is set to review the matter on Feb. 19.
“The community has spoken loud and clear,” Quinn said. “They do not want Halina’s; they do not want a liquor establishment there.”
Anita Cummings, executive director of the United Business Association of Midway, said Quinn’s actions reflect his commitment to protecting the neighborhood.
“His decisions and his moving forward on that particular issue are really important to the surrounding community,” she said. “I think we have no choice but to concur with his actions and what he’s going to do, not only for the protections of the businesses along Archer but of the community residents that surround the area.”
Cummings noted that Halina’s Pub had not experienced similar issues under previous ownership.
“This kind of [incident], in our opinion, is the handwriting on the wall with a new owner and the way he conducts business,” she said. “So again, I have to reiterate, we’ve been supportive of Alderman Quinn’s support of the residents of the community.”
Quinn emphasized that business success in Garfield Ridge depends on community trust.
“Finally, the actors in and around that business have broken the trust of the community,” he said. “There is no second chance.”
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