LOGAN SQUARE — The second-floor nightlife spot, East Room, has filed for a late night liquor license with hopes of extending its already popular nights to 4 a.m. on weekdays and 5 a.m. on Saturdays.
The move for longer hours comes just two years after the bar/venue opened at 2352 N. Milwaukee Ave.
While the owners of East Room say neighbors have been positive about their application, a group of some neighbors say they are concerned.
The stretch where East Room is located has become a nightlife hot spot over the past year with the opening of Slippery Slope, which frequently has long lines out its door, and a number of other bars lining Milwaukee Avenue.
The only other late night option in the vicinity is the Owl, 2521 N. Milwaukee Ave.
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Steve Isakson, who lives about a block and a half from East Room, has been gathering neighborhood opposition against the late night license for fear of what could happen further down the road if the business is sold.
"Not a lot of great things happen after 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. on Saturday and these 4 a.m. licenses, once you've got one, it's very difficult to take it away," Isakson said. "It's not a problem now, the East Room, they are very good neighbors. They run a tight ship, but once they get this, it's transferable."
Zack Eastman, one of the bar's owners, told DNAinfo no matter what license East Room holds, they plan on staying active in the community.
If approved, the only thing that will change at the bar will be its hours, owner Eastman said in an email last month.
When asked about some neighborhood opposition this week, Eastman said he had no further comment "but support this far has remained positive and we will continue to be an active and supportive Logan Square business."
To obtain a late night license a business must obtain consent via signature from 51 percent of the legal voters registered within 500 feet of the business.
East Room obtained those signatures and officially submitted its application Dec. 30, according to city records.
Ald. Proco Joe Moreno (1st) said he was "still receiving community input and waiting for the liquor commissioner to conduct [a] signature review."
Isakson, the neighbor in opposition, said he spoke with a police sergeant and there have been zero incidents logged at the East Room.
The fear is that the stretch of Milwaukee becomes a late night destination.
"When The Owl is already open until four, The East Room if they get to stay open till four, you have a synergy effect," Isakson said.
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