Don’t you just hate it when those pesky small businesses get in the way of big, new luxury condo developments? Don’t you just hate it even more when those pesky small businesses aren’t actually in the way, but simply don’t blend in with the aseptic condos and their well-to-do buyers? Today, the Chicago Tribune reports on a father of three who owned a small bar called The Natural in what was formerly a part of unincorporated Lyons Township in Cook County.
But with a six-building, 108-unit condo development called Clocktower Pointe going up across the street, The Natural must have been looking mighty unnatural– the City of Countryside (pop. 6,000), where Clocktower is being built, annexed the land and posted a legal notice in a community newspaper informing the owner, Jeff Jablonski, that he had 10 days to shutter his business.
Jablonski never saw the ad, he told the Tribune, and by the time he found out what was going on, he and his 21 employees had less than a day to ship out. Countryside Mayor Carl LeGant tells the Tribune: “You aren’t going to get any young couples that well-set who appreciate anything detracting from their investment.” No word yet on when Starbucks will be swooping in. Condos at Clocktower, located at 6475 Joliet Rd, are priced from the $400s.
It would be nice to see the Trib find a way to continue this story for a long time or at least bring it back up when the condos near completion. Someone should organize a boycott of the development. The town should be ashamed and embarassed fro doing something like this. I hope the development fails and the bar owner finds a way to bring al lawsuit against the town and if possible the developer if they were at all involved in the closing. Put a stop to the stupidity and over-governing.
I can remember when a well-run, respectable neighborhood tavern was considered an ASSET to the community. Wow, I must be getting old…
I read this story on the Trib online and felt a little sick. I’m surprised there have not been more comments.
“You aren’t going to get any young couples that well-set who appreciate anything detracting from their investment.” WTF? I’d also like the whole story as Jack commented above.
I’m a Realtor with some bias here and like to see attractive development and communities with upstanding retail (large or small) rather than shacks passing as “mom and pops” stores. Such as the (not naming names) hangers on liqour store/bar located on strip of N Lincoln Avenue just North of the Irving/Damen intersection. Bad news, bad hard-core drunks… would love to see it go.
Was the Natural a shack or a corner tavern? How many other bars have the cops to them around there?
I’ve actually been to this area of Countryside years ago and there was a couple of rough clubs mixed with big sports bars.
Was a crappy way to give this guy the heave ho, no doubt. Obviously, they squashed it for the development… there should be a law.
Ehhhhhhh……
I would say the Natural hasn’t been given the opportunity to fix it’s late night meat market reputation.