City takes action last weekend against social club at Six Corners; cease & desist orders reportedly issued in 2020 for the site

by BRIAN NADIG

City inspection agencies posted "off limits-do not enter" and "business closed" notices on a building at 4827-31 W. Irving Park Road where an alleged unlicensed social club has reportedly been operating since at least the year 2020 in the Six Corners business district.

A Jan. 22 notice from the city Department of Buildings states posted on the entrance states that there was an "illegal build out and occupancy use" at the site, and a notice from the city Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection states that the business has been ordered to close.

A license for a social club has not been issued for the site, and there is no pending license application, according to the business affairs department. In June of 2020, eight citations and four cease-and-desist orders were issued for the building, the department said.

The site’s B1-2 zoning does not permit private clubs.

The buildings department posted the following on its Web site: "This is an unlicensed social club. (During a Dec. 31, 2021, inspection) we spoke with numerous people outside who self identified as ‘club members’ who were attempting to gain entry with their key cards but were unable to do so because the key card pad’s power was cut by members inside who were viewing the scene outside via video camera."

Police officers and business affairs representatives also were outside of the club on Dec. 31, the buildings department said. Inspectors reportedly were unable to enter the club, and, according the department’s Web site, a pending re-inspection notice was issued.

Some social media posters have criticized the city’s actions against the club, writing that it is intended for veterans and has nothing to do with the recent shooting incidents in Jefferson Park and Portage Park.

Last month the 16th (Jefferson Park) Police District announced a crackdown on illegal clubs following the Dec. 5 murder of a 19-year-old woman who was shot as she was leaving an unlicensed social club near Central and Lawrence avenues.

No one is in custody regarding the murder.

"Due to the recent event that involved the tragic death of a young woman in our community, it’s paramount that we do our best to ensure something like this never happens again," Alderman James Gardiner (45th) said. "Public safety always has been and will continue to be our top priority."

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