CITY HALL — A strip-club owner who plans to open a medical-marijuana dispensary on the Near West Side got permission Friday to relocate it to a site near the Medical District.
Perry Mandera, owner of Custom Strains, as well as the trucking firm Custom Companies, Cardinal Fitness and VIP's, Chicago's self-proclaimed "full liquor and topless bar," sought to open a dispensary called the Herbal Care Center at 1301 S. Western Ave.
A year ago, Custom Strains got permission to open the dispensary at 1105 W. Fulton St., but according to Mandera's attorney Jim Banks he ran into "obstacles" at that site.
"He essentially went out and looked for another location," Banks said. "This site is markedly different. We feel it's much better."
Ald. Jason Ervin (28th) threw his support behind it, saying it was "very compatible" with the surrounding area, as it's near the Medical District with a handful of hospitals surrounding it.
The Zoning Board of Appeals agreed.
Commissioner Sam Toia recused himself from the vote, stating Mandera is a member of the Illinois Restaurant Association, and Toia is president of that organization.
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