NORWOOD PARK — The owner of a "high-end" Lincolnwood liquor store no longer plans to move his shop to downtown Norwood Park, Ald. Anthony Napolitano's (41st) office said Tuesday.
Bill Assimakopoulos, the owner of The Vineyards in Lincolnwood which sells "high-end wine and spirits" near Touhy and Lincoln avenues, had Napolitano's support to move his store to 6060 N. Northwest Highway in an area where liquor stores had been banned from operating, said Chris Vittorio, Napolitano's chief of staff.
Assimakopoulos did not return a phone message left by DNAinfo Chicago Tuesday. Vittorio said he did not know why the proposal had been dropped.
But the owner of the strip mall, which was built in 2014, told Napolitano's office he has another prospective tenant interested in opening a liquor store in the same location Assimakopoulos had been eyeing.
Vittorio said he did not know the identity of the proposed store owner, but had been assured by the owner of the strip mall that the proprietor of the new store would agree to a long list of restrictions designed to prevent the store from becoming a nuisance.
Assimakopoulos had agreed to the restrictions.
The store would be allowed to stay open no later than 10 p.m. during the week and 11 p.m. on the weekend. In addition, the agreement also gives Napolitano the right to order the store to close at 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday at his discretion.
The store would also be prevented from selling liquor for less than $5.99 as well as all malt beverages and those advertised as offering a high alcohol content at a low price, including fortified wine, according to the restrictions.
In addition, the store must have cameras recording its exterior 24 hours a day, and follow all city ordinances regarding signs, litter, lighting and require proper identification for those buying alcohol, according to the restrictions.
There are no other liquor stores in downtown Norwood Park, although Ada's Market and Deli sells alcohol.
Former Ald. Mary O'Connor (41st) rejected an application from the 7-Eleven in Norwood Park to sell alcohol in 2014, and another proposal to open a liquor store on Northwest Highway fell apart more than a year ago.
There is a ban on packaged goods liquor licenses in the strip mall at Northwest Highway and Newark Avenue, which was built in 2014 near the Norwood Park Metra station.
The strip mall includes a recently opened cigar shop, pediatric dentist, insurance office, Subway sandwich shop and Mo Dailey's Pub and Grille, which serves beer, wine and spirits.
The packaged goods liquor license moratorium does not affect restaurants' ability to serve booze.
The moratorium on packaged goods liquor licenses has been in place along Northwest Highway between Raven Street and Neola Avenue since 2007, officials said.
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