MORGAN PARK — Bar 118 will reopen Wednesday after a three-day shutdown at the hands of the city's Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection.
In a letter obtained by DNAinfo, city regulators detailed the closure as well as a "liquor license plan of operation" for the business at 11848 S. Western Ave. in Morgan Park.
The letter dated Friday includes a long list of terms that he bar must meet including having a security guard at the entrance on Friday and Saturday nights, installing five security cameras, making a conscious effort to reduce after-hours loitering and more.
Javon Cherry is named as the contact person for Bar 118 in the plan outlined by the city. Cherry, a Blue Island resident, said Tuesday evening he's a minority partner in the tavern and lives just six blocks away.
"We are trying to be proactive," Cherry said. "A lot of the things in the city's plan we already had in place, but now it is in writing."
He said the action plan and three-day closure stem from complaints dating to November. Then, neighbors voiced concerns about the bar's patrons hanging around outside the bar after closing. Bar 118 is open until 2 a.m. every night except Saturday when it stays open until 3 a.m., Cherry said.
"We kind of had to right the ship a little bit there," he said.
As a result of the mandated closure, Bar 118 was closed for the South Side Irish St. Patrick's Day Parade. This is typically a busy day for taverns along Western Avenue in Beverly and Morgan Park.
Cherry said he wouldn't know if his bar would have seen an uptick during Sunday's parade since the tavern was closed. Bar 118 is also a bit of a hike from the end of the parade route on 115th Street.
Bar 118 opened in April. Complaints about the tavern first surfaced at a town hall meeting Ald. Matt O'Shea (19th) hosted Sept. 23 at the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences in Mount Greenwood.
Homeowners living nearby the tavern were at the meeting and said there had been an uptick in crime since the bar arrived on the scene.
Cherry believes things have quieted down since complaints arose. And he promised to continue to work with neighbors, the alderman's office and police to be sure it stays that way.
"We are trying to go above and beyond what the city plan says," he said.
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