Des Plaines council OKs more liquor sales
The Des Plaines City Council Tuesday night authorized the expansion of liquor sales at four Walgreens locations, as well as a new liquor license for the Des Plaines Theatre in downtown.
Local Walgreens stores have been selling beer and wine since January 2010, but the four stores at Oakton Street, Golf Road, Rand Road, and Miner Street will now be allowed to operate full-service liquor departments.
Des Plaines 6th Ward Alderman Mark Walsten objected to the expansion, saying it would harm existing mom-and-pop liquor stores that are barely surviving.
“I’d like to protect some of our businesses,” Walsten said. “How much money does this billion-dollar company have to make taking business away from our small businesses?”
City Attorney Dave Wiltse said since Walgreens already has bulk liquor sale licenses, there is no legal foundation to deny the requests.
“This is just a question of going to a higher classification for more sales,” Wiltse said.
The Walgreens requests were approved 6-1 with Walsten casting the lone no vote and 4th Ward Alderman Dick Sayad abstaining because he owns Walgreens stock.
Several aldermen were opposed to the Des Plaines Theatre owner’s request for a tavern liquor license.
Alcohol is served at many suburban theaters, including the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan and Paramount Theatre in Aurora.
The city is charging the theater owners an initial fee of $3,850 for the license, with an annual renewal fee of $1,925.
Ward 1 Alderwoman Patti Haugeberg said she is concerned that the owner could turn the theater into a bar down the road.
With the license, the historic vaudeville theater at 1476 Miner St. is allowed to serve alcohol from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday, and 10:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Sunday.
“That’s not the plan that we have,” theater owner Dhitu Bhagwakar said, adding that he would sell alcohol only during performances and events at the theater. “We are not opening as a bar, but we are intent to have shows every night.”
Bhagwakar said it doesn’t make economic sense to have an employee there to sell alcohol without any events to draw in customers.
Ward 7 Alderman Dan Wilson said the city should get input from the theater’s downtown neighbors.
“If he wants to, he could make it a tavern,” Wilson said.
Wilson said the city should create a new kind of license classification for the theater and asked how long it would take to draft an ordinance.
Wiltse said it could take up to three council meetings to establish a new ordinance. However, a motion to draft such an ordinance failed on the council floor.
The final vote to grant the theater’s liquor license was tied with Jim Brookman (5th Ward), Wilson, Haugeberg, and John Robinson (2nd) voting against, and aldermen Walsten, Mike Charewicz (8th), Matt Bogusz (3rd) and Sayad voting to grant the license.
Mayor Marty Moylan cast the tiebreaking vote.