An ordinance authored by Ald. Danny Solis (25th) to put a moratorium on liquor licenses for a very specific part of Pilsen is puzzling local residents.

The ordinance, which was expected to pass the full City Council Wednesday, would place a moratorium on additional liquor licenses on a two-block swath of Cermak Road, between Damen and Leavitt avenues.

According to the ordinance, this area is, “adversely affected by the over-concentration of businesses licensed to sell alcoholic liquor within and near the areas.”

The ordinance passed the City Council licensing committee by voice vote Dec. 7. Other aldermen typically yield to the relevant home ward alderman on liquor license matters.

Maya Solis, spokeswoman for the alderman, said that there have been numerous complaints by residents that live around the area.

But Solis’s office did not comment further, and Pilsen residents interviewed by the Chicago Journal had neither heard of the liquor license moratorium nor had complaints about this part of Cermak Road.

“The area is actually pretty quiet as opposed to a lot of other places in the neighborhood,” said Maria Torres, an organizer for the neighborhood group Pilsen Alliance.

“If residents were up in arms, there would be a petition,” Torres added. “But there’s no petitions circulating around the area.”

There are four businesses in the two-block area licensed to sell liquor. They are El Guerro Super Mercados, 2100 W. Cermak; YoYo Liquors, 2155 W. Cermak; Juniors Sports Bar, 2058 W. Cermak; and an American Legion post at 2129 W. Cermak.

“The main place that sells liquor in that area is a grocery store,” Torres said.

Junior Cervantes, an employee at YoYo Liquors and son of the liquor store’s owner, said that he was not aware of the ordinance and added that his father has had past issues with Solis.

“Solis is Latino but sometimes it seems like he doesn’t care about Latino-owned businesses,” Cervantes said.

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Louis Flores, manager at Juniors Sports Bar, also said that he was unaware of the ordinance. Flores added that he works at the bar most days and has not seen any problems like loitering or violence that might come with a block that sells too much booze.

Other business owners and employees on this two-block cut of Cermak felt the same. Hyun Kang, owner of Dollar Star Plus, at Hoyne Avenue and Cermak Road, said that the area was actually less fraught with gangs and violence than parts of Pilsen just to the north and just to the south.

Jim Becker, a carpenter who has owned a home at Cullerton and Damen avenues for 28 years, agreed with Cervantes’ contention that Solis is being anti-business.

“It kind of boggles my brain that he would do something like that,” Becker said. “Pilsen needs businesses.”

Mostly, though, residents didn’t know what to make of the ordinance.

One common resident speculation was that Solis is going to lose this part of the 25th Ward to the adjacent 12th Ward in remapping. That apparently is untrue.

Ald. George Cardenas said in an interview that part of Cermak Road would stay in the 25th. Cardenas added that he was “not involved at all” with Solis on this moratorium.

“It is news to me,” Cardenas said.

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By pilsen guy from Pilsen
Posted: 12/20/2011 4:20 PM

Teacherman, you are one angry teacher. First you call us "drunks" and now you say "it's not the alderman's job to wipe our arses". But it is the alderman's job to make sure that streets and san does their job in his ward. There are many concerned citizens in Pilsen who do do their part and who will not be bled out of the community as you so eloquently put it. But it's one thing to be bled out and it's another thing to "run away"

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By Teacherman from McKinley Park
Posted: 12/19/2011 8:57 PM

It is not the alderman's job to wipe the arses of the residents/businesses of Pilsen. If the community gave a damn, each member would do their part to improve the quality of life there. It's called civil society. When the apathetic outnumber the concerned citizen, the community hemorrhages its good residents to better, safer communities.

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By pilsen guy from Pilsen
Posted: 12/18/2011 10:28 PM

Teacherman, the issue here is not about how many businesses need to have a liquor license, it's more of why the alderman wants to impose a moratorium. I don't see him doing that in any other parts of the ward. Would he do that on Taylor street ? I don't think so. As for us "borracho's" in Pilsen we shouldn't have to complain about garbage on Cermak if our alderman did his job ! Btw, you deserted Pilsen for McKinley Park, so why should you care ?

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By Teacherman from Former Pilsen resident in McKinley Park
Posted: 12/18/2011 1:56 AM

How many businesses need a liquor license in a 2 square block area? 4 isn't enough? I remember when the Heart of Chicago had a tavern every half block from Coulter through 22nd Place & from Damen to Western. All of you borrachos need to complain about the garbage littering Cermak on those blocks.

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By Live here my whole life from Pilsen
Posted: 12/16/2011 8:57 PM

I believe this was done to help Martins Corner bar down the street. As soon as Juniors Bar opened and the Veterans Post started to take their customers Matins bar might of payed the aldercreature for help. They are pretty connected with politics and have a whole block of DO NOT PARK 24 hrs next to their buss. Maybe the media should dig around and get the truth.

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By pilsen guy from Pilsen
Posted: 12/16/2011 1:41 PM

Hey Tom, That sounds like a Jack Abramoff move. Interesting idea, seeing that there is only one other bar in close proximity, only a half block away from Cermak !!

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By Tom.D from West Town
Posted: 12/16/2011 12:30 PM

Genuinely wild speculation, but maybe look just outside the zone? The classic scam is for a liquor store owner in county A, near the border with county B, to pay the preachers in B to preach for a dry county, (drunk) driving everyone from county B to your store in county A. If you have a bar/store near by, and this zone is the most likely spot for new competition, then locking down the players in this zone is good for you.

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By pilsen guy from Pilsen
Posted: 12/16/2011 11:38 AM

The alderman's decision to create a liquor license moratorium for the two blocks of Cermak makes you think he's either rewarding someone or punishing someone. Which is it ?