A decades-old Portage Park bar at Six Corners was forced to close over the weekend amid the uncertainty of two major developments in the area, according to its owners.
In a Facebook post on Thursday night, Fischman Public House owners Gus and Shanna Karamaniolas announced that their bar at 4058 North Milwaukee Avenue was closing Sunday after 24 years, and called out freshman Ald. Jim Gardiner of the 45th Ward for stalling the developments pitched at Six Corners. They said the unexplained rejection of the long-anticipated projects is “a big middle finger to the small businesses.”
Gus Karamaniolas told Block Club that they were banking on proposed projects coming to fruition in the Six Corners area, including at the former Sears and former Bank of America sites, bringing in more customers and boosting revenue. He said it didn’t make sense to try and keep the business open any longer given the uncertainty.
In 2016, the owners signed a lease to move Fischman Public House from its former location near the intersection of Lawrence and Milwaukee about a mile south in the Six Corners business district, where it reopened in 2018. They took out a large loan on which they were unable to cover monthly payments due to a lack of business and put their home of 16 years down as collateral for the bar.
“Just so you know how much we put on the line, it was confirmed last week that we will lose our home over all of this,” the Facebook post read. “…We trusted so much that Six Corners would be developed that we confidently, and idiotically, put our house down as collateral and now we are losing it because of those foolish assumptions.”
In September, Gardiner said he was rejecting the latest plan for a $130 million senior housing complex known as the Point at Six Corners, which has been in the works since 2014. His decision was protested by frustrated business owners and residents.
A new plan for the former Sears was unveiled earlier this month by the developers. Residents said they were worried Gardiner would put the brakes on the Sears development like he did to the Point across the street.
The owners’ Facebook post asked Mayor Lori Lightfoot and City Council to let their “failed dream” serve as an example of why Chicago should do away with aldermanic privilege.
Gardiner’s office didn’t immediately respond to Block Club’s request for comment.
[Block Club] — Brianna Kelly