WICKER PARK — The Double Door is not giving up on its fight to stay in the building that the music venue has operated out of since the 1990s and wants an appellate court to hear its case.
On Wednesday, Cary Schiff, a lawyer for Double Door co-owners Sean Mulroney and Joe Shanahan, said that he filed an appeal to a circuit court judge's ruling last month that ordered the club out of the building at 1572 N. Milwaukee Ave. by Dec. 31.
The "notice of appeal" will allow the club to legally stay in the Wicker Park building as the appellate court hears the case, which could take anywhere from a few months to a few years, Schiff said.
"As it stands right now, the [circuit] judge ordered us out by Dec. 31. We filed an appeal to have the appellate court reverse the decision," Schiff said.
Asked why the appeal was filed, Schiff said, "We have significant issues that we think are worthy of review by the appellate court."
Mulroney and 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 in August by Circuit Court Judge Orville Hambright Jr.
Dorsey, a lawyer for Strauss, declined to comment on the appeal to the appellate court made by Schiff.
Double Door's monthly use and occupancy fees are $26,000 for use of the space through the end of the year, the August ruling shows.
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. In July, Hambright brought the legal battle to a close, saying he couldn't prove a lease extension was followed correctly.
Last month, 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."
Related coverage:
Double Door Can Stay Through End of Year, Judge Rules (Aug. 15)
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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