Public art, a preliminary proposal for a dog-friendly bar and improvements at Mayfair Park discussed at recent meeting of Mayfair Civic Association 

by BRIAN NADIG

A dog-friendly bar, beautification initiatives and park improvements were discussed at the Feb. 9 meeting of the  Mayfair Civic Association.

Barking Barrel, a concept that would include a restaurant and bar where dogs would be welcomed and an adjacent doggie daycare, is being proposed for a warehouse at 4300 W. Montrose Ave., where a winery and entertainment venue was proposed in 2020, according to 39th Ward Alderman Samantha Nugent’s office. A moratorium on new liquor licenses on the block would have to be lifted, a spokesperson for Nugent said.

Association president Ron Duplack said that project organizers are working out details and may be ready to make a presentation to association members in the next couple of months.

Also at the meeting, Nugent reported that the city Department of Transportation has surveyed the landscaped bump-outs along West Lawrence Avenue and that repairs are planned. She added that the Pulaski Elston Business Association is planning to use Special Service Area funds to help maintain the gardens on the bump-outs, which have been maintained for years by volunteers.

Another beautification initiative discussed at the meeting was the possibility of securing sculptures or statues for public places in the area, including Mayfair Park, 4550 W. Sunnyside Ave. Attempts last year to install a sculpture on a temporary basis at the park fell the through.

It was recommended at the meeting that the association look into preserving a Hindu god statue that was installed next to former 17th (Albany Park) Police Station, 4461 N. Pulaski Road, as part of its sale and subsequent conversion to the Taste of Thai Town restaurant, which chef Arun Sampanthavivat  opened in 2015. The restaurant has closed, and the property is for sale.

Duplack said that given the uncertainty of the site’s future, the association hopes to talk to the owner about possibly finding a new location in the community for the statue if it were not to remain at its current location. The statue is housed in a decorative, open-air display.

It also was reported that funds are being sought for the redesign of the basketball area at Mayfair Park, where two of the four rims have been removed to prevent full-court games. Under the proposal, four half-court games could be played, and a pickle-ball option may be added, said park advisory council president Jon Litwin.

Also, state Representative Mike Kelly (D-15) announced that state capital funds are being an allocated for protective bike lanes to be installed along Bryn Mawr Avenue between the Sauganash Trail and Kedzie Avenue.

Additional state funds are being used to install police cameras with license plate reader technology on the Northwest Side and in some nearby suburbs according to Kelly’s office.

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