WICKER PARK — The music will continue at Double Door, at least through New Year's Eve.
On Monday, the owners of the music club, who've been fighting an eviction battle with their landlord for the past nine months, were given permission to stay in the building at 1572 N. Milwaukee Ave. through the end of the year, the Tribune reported.
Club owners Sean Mulroney and Joe Shanahan, who've operated the popular venue since 1994, must hand in the keys to their landlord and building owner Brian Strauss on Dec. 31, according to an order of possession signed on Monday by Circuit Court Judge Orville Hambright Jr.
William Dorsey, a lawyer for Strauss, said the decision to allow Double Door to operate until the end of the year was made during a closed-door hearing. Monday's ruling also increased Double Door's monthly use and occupancy fees to $26,000 for use of the space through the end of the year, the ruling shows.
Earlier this month, Hambright ordered the club to leave but did not give a date.
There have been rumors that Double Door is considering buying its own building nearby, but Mulroney declined to comment. Previously, Mulroney said he wanted to buy the building that Double Door rents, but he and Strauss had different views on the worth of the three-story, 10,000 square-foot building, which includes apartments on the upper floors.
At issue from the start was whether Mulroney gave Strauss proper notification of his wish to enact a three-year extension on his lease that ended in October 2015. Last month, Hambright brought the legal battle to a close, saying he couldn't prove a lease extension was followed correctly.
Mulroney told the Tribune that appealing Hambright's decision is a "possible option" and assured, "Double Door is not leaving the city of Chicago. We're not done. We still hope to work things out in that building."
Strauss was not available for comment.
Double Door does not currently have a show booked yet for New Year's Eve but there is a band, Lordi, scheduled to perform on Feb. 14, according to the club's online calendar.
Related coverage:
Double Door Eviction Fight Drags on As Judge Seeks Ruling (June 22)
Double Door Eviction Case Delayed Again, Will New Twist Save Club? (June 20)
Double Door Eviction Trial Ends, Judge Could Rule By Monday (June 14)
Double Door Should Get Zoning Change, Alderman Says, But It's Not Clear Why (June 2)
Double Door Landlord Tells Club to Get Out on First Day of Trial (May 18)
Double Door Eviction Case Still In Limbo, 'Pretrial Talks' Continued (May 12)
Double Door Lawyer 'Hopeful' Club Stays As Case Heads to Trial (April 12)
Double Door Eviction Delayed as Court Fight Continues (Jan. 27)
Double Door Eviction Fight: Music to Continue as Case Drags On (Jan. 8)
Double Door Building Sale to Downtown Investors Underway, Records Show (Jan. 5)
Double Door's Landlord Could be Close to Selling Iconic Club's Building (Dec. 17, 2015)
Lawyer in Double Door Eviction Case: 'Time for Them to Go' (Dec. 10, 2015)
Double Door Liquors, Iconic Wicker Park Music Venue, Facing Eviction (Dec. 3, 2015)
Vintage Bass Guitar Missing After Double Door Owner Plays Diabetes Benefit (June 19, 2015)
Friends Rally to Help Double Door Worker Facing $46,000 on Medical Bills (Dec. 5, 2014)
Double Door to Open Third Entrance For First Time (July 10, 2013)
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