City development gatekeeper cashes in big time on personal real estate deal

The new City Council Zoning Committee chairman sold one of his Ann Sather restaurants for $10M

Alderman Tom Tunney (44th) and Ann Sather restaurant at 909 West Belmont Avenue (Credit: 44th Ward)
Alderman Tom Tunney (44th) and Ann Sather restaurant at 909 West Belmont Avenue (Credit: 44th Ward)

The City Council’s new chief gatekeeper for development is cashing in big time on the sale of a restaurant property he owns.

Alderman Tom Tunney (44th), who took over as chairman of the council’s powerful Zoning Committee when Mayor Lori Lightfoot took office, sold his Ann Sather restaurant at 909 West Belmont Avenue for $10 million, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Tunney will continue to lease back the Lakeview restaurant and its parking lot for the next 10 years from buyer Tim Glascott, owner of Glascott Saloon.

Tunney also operates Ann Sathers out of leased locations at 3415 North Broadway and 1147 West Granville Avenue.

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The veteran alderman in May took over the Zoning Committee chair that had been held by disgraced former Alderman Danny Solis (25th), who stepped down from the job after news broke that he was a mole for authorities in a federal probe of City Hall corruption.

Tunney told the Sun-Times he sold the restaurant property in an effort to help “simplify” his life.

“I’ve got a lot of risk involved in owning all of that real estate and running the restaurants and chairman of Zoning,” he said. “I don’t need all of this responsibility. It’s time for me to start unwinding my real estate.” [Chicago Sun-Times] — John O’Brien