The Wicker Park storefront space that used to house the popular Double Door nightclub may be vacant for the foreseeable future, if the alderman whose ward the club used to call home has his way. Video obtained by CBS 2 shows Ald. Joe Moreno threatening Double Door's former landlord, Brian Strauss, and promising to use every legal means at his disposal to ensure the space remains vacant.
Strauss and Double Door co-owner Sean Mulroney were engaged in a yearlong legal battle over Strauss' attempts to evict the club after Strauss claimed that Mulroney and partner Joe Shanahan failed to provide ample notice to renew the lease, a fairly common problem among retailers. The video shows Moreno telling Strauss that Strauss cannot be trusted, and that Moreno introduced an ordinance in City Council to downsize the building's zoning while the legal battle was ongoing.
Downsizing would limit Strauss' ability to court tenants for the building, rendering it vacant and reducing the building's value. Moreno also threatened Strauss with multiple building inspections.
Strauss claims Moreno tried to broker a sale of his building to Double Door ownership for well less than what Strauss believes the building is worth. Moreno said of the confrontation that he is "glad the video is out there."
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