Ald. Marty Quinn’s ordinance to amend the zoning at 7023 W. Archer Avenue, the former Halina’s Pub, will block the new owner from operating a bar on the property.
“This past Wednesday, Feb. 19 the full City Council voted to change the zoning to single-family residential as a placeholder to preserve the community’s voice as to what’s going to happen there next,” he said.
The investigation by the City of Chicago Law Department on the illegal use of the seller’s liquor license will be the subject of a hearing on March 6. The licensing question will be heard by the committee for revocation in March or early April, Quinn said.
“If it were up to me, the bar would have been closed on Nov. 15 when this incident took place, but there is a process,” he said. “I don’t necessarily agree with the process but the city Law Department has a process and that’s what’s playing out right now. My motivation is to always protect the community’s voice.”
Rebecca Weber, co-owner of Weber’s Bakery, located one-half a block west from the closed pub, is happy the business has been rezoned as a residential property.
“When it was Halina’s, we never had an issue, we never heard anything about it,” Weber said. “It was just down the street and there were no issues at all. Then we hear, it gets sold really quickly and then the first day it opens, we heard about the shooting. Luckily it happened when we were closed so nobody was here and it didn’t impact us in any way.”
Quinn’s actions on the matter have the bakery’s definite support, she said.
Steve Batinich, owner of Record Dugout, located at 6835 W. Archer Ave., a few blocks east, agrees.
“I feel [the zoning change] is helpful because Marty Quinn does a good job,” Batinich said. “He’s always been very helpful and I think he’s doing the best thing for the community. The trouble is, I don’t think that bar should have been open to begin with.”
Batinich cited inspections that all businesses in Chicago must complete and comply with.
“If you change ownership, the license should have been changed, so how it got open to begin with surprised me and I’m glad it’s being closed,” he said. “I think it would be beneficial to the neighborhood.”
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