Last summer, the owner of the Slice of Chicago restaurant at 1600 W Broadway came forward with a proposal to turn the mutated phone booth of a building at the corner of Broadway and Washington into yet another fried food takeout joint. I never set foot in the place when Jug Liquor was still open for business, although during my brief stay at "Upper Drug-o-topia," the professional drunkards downstairs frequented Jug to buy their 24-packs of Milwaukee's Best (which, for the record is NOT Milwaukee's best).
On top of simply not needing another fried food and styrofoam-producing shack along Broadway, there's another reason to be relieved that this particular proposal never had more substance than the cheap "Natural Ice" beers that were sold at Jug. The owner of Slice of Chicago at 1600 West Broadway entered into a voluntary agreement to withdraw his food manufacturer/business license "in lieu of an adverse hearing." Apparently there were both major health/safety violations there as well as continuous drug dealing on the premises. Good for Jordan that the place was shut down, and good for Hawthorne that the same stuff didn't pop up here.
While the Jug Liquor site has no demolition order on it, I find it hard to imagine anything else happening with this property, and have reason to believe the owner is razing the structure on his own volition. Maybe in the near future, we can get something like a Nice Ride bike rack on a key intersection.
FYI, Slice of Chicago's bastard offspring took up residence at the former JC's Barbeque (nee Harold's Chicken Shack).
ReplyDeleteAnd it's not demolition taking place at 2006 West Broadway, it's a remodel to turn the building into a small restaurant called Pappy's, according to permits pulled ten days ago:
09/09/2010 BIRE 3067356 Open 25000 Broadway Washington Llc N/A $2,928.76
Scope: alterations and entryway addition for restaurant. sck#1
CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY REQUIRED: YES
CONST TYPE: 5b OCCUPANCY: b (less than 50 occupnats) 2006 IBC
SPRINKLERED: NO
20% accessibility upgrades_____accessible entry and new accessible single user toilet room_____
Tenant: pappy's
SAC: _0.75_CHARGES _0.22_CREDITS = _0.53_NET
MET COUNCIL LETTER DATED _7/28/10_
ENGINEER: palanasami
Thanks for the info, C29. It's hard to believe that tearing away this much of the building is anything but demo, but there's our proof.
ReplyDeleteGreat. More fried crap in styrofoam containers.
I noticed this the other day and immediately could tell it was a remodel and not a demo, since it's being carefully taken apart and not haphazardly knocked down. Wish it would be knocked down.
ReplyDeleteThe legendary Jugs is now a footnote in the annals of the memories of many an alcoholic who celebrated monumental anniversaries with a bottle of Mogen David 20/20.My first child was toasted with a shot of Fleischmanns purchased from the historical landmark as was the death of my sanity was toasted with every shot i took. The Hawthorne Hawkman laments the fact that fried crap will present itself in styrofoam facilitaters...where as i lament the selling of a product that makes your brain fried crap in a cranial compartment. Celebrate the differences!!!
ReplyDeleteI for one am happy to see Jug Liquor go the way of the dinosaur. We'll probably see fewer panhandlers begging at the 94 exit.
ReplyDeleteSwamie the owner said it is being remodeled for a hambuger,and sandwich shop.
ReplyDeleteDennis W.
Dennis, if there's one consolation here it's that Swamie is very committed to Hawthorne and surrounding neighborhoods. I'm confident he'll run a tight ship.
ReplyDeleteIf the owner of this business is REALLY committed to the neighborhood, I would like to suggest they sponsor (pay for) a concrete, trash receptacle or two in the immediate area of their business. As has already been stated, more fast food = more garbage in the neighborhood we have to pick up. For $12 per month they could do this.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, I would like to suggest this for all the food businesses along Broadway. The garbage they generate doesn't stay on their properties. It works its way into the residential areas very quickly since so many of the people buying the food are on foot.
I decided against publishing a comment on the Jug Liquor post on the grounds that it was stupid. It accused everyone on the post of not having an idea of what was really happening, made indecipherable nicknames of (presumably) local politicians, and none of its conspiratorial claims could be substantiated.
ReplyDeleteBut if you really want to enlighten us, Mr./Mrs. Anonymous, feel free to add more substance to your claims and try again.