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Nouveau Tavern Rep Says Neighbor Opposition is 'Racially Motivated'

 The interior of Nouveau Tavern in Streeterville, including the street-facing windows that management vowed to keep closed as part of a compromise with residents.
The interior of Nouveau Tavern in Streeterville, including the street-facing windows that management vowed to keep closed as part of a compromise with residents.
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RIVER NORTH — A River North bar and restaurant that has drawn the ire of some neighbors has undergone expensive and "dramatic changes in the way we do things," its marketing manager said Wednesday, but as a result, business is suffering, he said.

What really has patrons of Nouveau Tavern, 358 W. Ontario St., upset is a change that prohibits them from walking west on Ontario Street when leaving the bar, said Teddy Gilmore, the marketing manager.

The majority of Nouveau's patrons are black, and Gilmore said he thinks complaints from residents about noise and crime are "racially motivated." 

"I have very angry African-Americans, angry at me because they're like, 'This is 2014, what do you mean we can't walk down the street that way?'" he said. "I've got to say, 'Hey, I'm trying to be a good neighbor. I'm trying to make sure my neighbors can sleep well."

 Nouveau Tavern managers posted these signs in the window warning customers to abide by their recent agreement with residents.
Nouveau Tavern managers posted these signs in the window warning customers to abide by their recent agreement with residents.
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Courtesy Nouveau Tavern

Lizzie Schiffman outlines some neighbors' complaints and how Nouveau Tavern says they've responded:

The changes were made after neighbors blasted the bar at a community policing meeting, claiming the bar was too loud and attracted crime. Gilmore told them he would do whatever it took to improve things, but even after increasing security and banning patrons from Ontario, he said he has received "absolutely zero feedback from the neighbors."

"I can show you the messages from our patrons saying they will never come here again because we won't allow them to walk west" on Ontario.

Other changes include closing the street-facing windows at night to keep sound in, and hiring more armed security staff to police patrons' behavior outside the business and clean the streets after closing.

Gilmore said none of the residents or neighborhood groups has called his personal cellphone with complaints since he gave out his number at last month's CAPS meeting. But he said he doesn't think that necessarily means the conflict between the restaurant and its neighbors has been resolved.

"I'm born and raised in the City of Chicago," Gilmore said. "This is one of the most segregated cities in the country. [These complaints don't] happen if we have a different type of crowd. These people are complaining not because there's noise ...

"I believe in my heart of hearts these people have a problem with an African-American person walking on the streets. I'm not going to say the whole neighborhood — one lady admitted that she's done 30 or 40 of the 70 complaints" to police.

Although he said police have mentioned in casual conversation that complaints about noise, litter and violence outside his restaurant are down, Gilmore said the River North Residents Association recently pulled out of a follow-up meeting between management and neighbors that was scheduled for Thursday.

A police spokesman could not confirm the frequency of complaints but said the Near North District continues to look into the matter.

"It seems like we've been shunned by the neighbors," Gilmore said. "They're not even giving us a chance.

"How are we supposed to know what's working and what's not?"

The neighborhood group did not respond to requests for comment, nor did the River North CAPS beat facilitator.

Resident complaints at the July 18 CAPS meeting included an uptick in late-night noise, litter and property damage.

One resident said broken and intact glass liquor bottles littering the sidewalks have become so commonplace in the six months Nouveau has been open that her young children have started picking them up on their Sunday morning walks.

Despite months of tension between the club and residents, the July CAPS meeting "was actually the first time that we've ever spoken to neighbors directly," Gilmore said.

An earlier request to renew Nouveau Tavern's liquor license was abruptly denied on April 11, forcing the bar and restaurant to close for a weekend before reopening the next Monday after owners filed an appeal.

At the time, Gilmore accused the city of closing Nouveau without warning for racially motivated reasons.

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