No liquor allowed yet for former Capone hideaway in Kane County
If there will be any hiccup in transforming a former hideaway for Al Capone near St. Charles into a sports bar, it could be more about liquor and gambling than about noise and traffic.
Jeremy and Nicholas Casiello made a pitch for the location at 35W337 Riverside Drive known this past December. They intentionally selected the spot because it was in unincorporated Kane County, so video gambling is legal there.
The location began as a summer resort in the 1920s. It transformed into a supper club restaurant in 1973 but closed in 2012.
Neighbors in the residential area that surrounds the property have spoken against noise, traffic and late hours of operation proposed for the would-be sports bar ever since the Casiello brothers brought their zoning application to the county. After multiple concessions favorable to the neighbors, the county board seemed poised to grant the zoning for the property Tuesday.
County board Chairman Chris Lauzen, however, asked for a one-month delay to allow him to visit the location and speak with the Casiellos. Lauzen is the point person for granting a liquor license, a piece of paper the brothers will need if they want to operate a sports bar or pursue video gambling operations through the state.
In an interview, Lauzen said he's not yet committed to the idea of granting the location a liquor license, especially after listening to another group of neighbors objecting to the business Tuesday morning.
"I understood what they were saying," Lauzen said. "That liquor license hinges on the health and safety of the area. So the license should not be assumed. To get approval for zoning does not mean you get a liquor license."
Kurt Kojzarek is chairman of the committee overseeing the zoning application. He said he expects an up-or-down vote on the zoning next month.
A "yes" vote would be a strong indicator that whatever Lauzen's questions are about the liquor and gambling have been resolved.
"We could pass the zoning, but the actual liquor license itself is up to (Lauzen)," Kojzarek said. "It doesn't make a lot of sense for us to go ahead and pass it, allow it to happen, if the chairman isn't sold on the idea."