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This Old Town Block Has Been Dry For 50 Years, But That Might Be Changing

By Ted Cox | November 2, 2016 5:46am | Updated on November 3, 2016 8:32am
 The sale of alcohol has been outlawed in the 1700 block of North Wells Avenue since 1966.
The sale of alcohol has been outlawed in the 1700 block of North Wells Avenue since 1966.
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DNAinfo/Alex Nitkin

OLD TOWN — A quiet block in Old Town might have to make a little noise if it intends to stay that way.

David "Buzz" Ruttenberg, owner of a series of properties on the 1700 block of North Wells Street, known by locals as Crilly Court, wants to allow alcohol sales in a precinct that's been dry for a half-century.

According to Marilyn Katz, who's handling public relations for Ruttenberg on the issue, he's willing to make any concessions he can to end the local ban on alcohol.

At a public meeting last month, Ruttenberg laid out his plans for the area, saying he'd like to welcome in a "boutique restaurant" that would allow "incidental" liquor sales, meaning they couldn't make up more than half of all proceeds, with food the primary source of income.

Katz added Wednesday that he's agreed to "additional strictures" such as no liquor store or bar in the area, if only he could get permission for an "incidental" liquor license at such a restaurant.

According to Katz, at the end of that public meeting, "people agreed to send suggestions to Steve Weiss," president of the Old Town Triangle Association. He'd collect the suggestions and relay them to Ruttenberg.

"That didn't happen," Katz said. "Instead, he sent a different kind of letter out to everybody in the Old Town Triangle Association."

Katz, however, said that, at least for now, Ruttenberg was dropping his push for a petition in the precinct to turn the area wet. Such a petition would need to be signed by two-thirds of the registered voters in the precinct to make the change. Instead, they were waiting to hear the results of a meeting an Old Town association "task force," including Weiss, was set to have with Ald. Michele Smith (43rd) on Wednesday.

"We decided not to petition until we actually hear from the folks who were there about what kind of other guarantees they'd like to see," Katz said. "We are still hoping that Steve will follow through on what we thought was agreed upon at the meeting."

Weiss declined to comment on the matter Tuesday and said he would have more information later in the week after the meeting with Smith.

"It's the community's decision," Smith said Tuesday. "I'm just there to make sure people have accurate information."

Katz insisted Ruttenberg was seeking to defuse the situation and "kind of start again — a reboot."

She added, "Nobody wants a fight. Nobody needs that kind of contention. We hope that, with the alderman meeting with Steve, we can get to a process that actually works. We're hopeful that she can facilitate a more peaceful process."

That, however, may not be possible, to judge from the lack of support for the change at that public meeting, when Weiss asked who was in favor and no one raised a hand.

The precinct was voted dry in 1966, in what was clearly a bid to keep rowdier and more boisterous elements concentrated to the south in Old Town, and that dynamic continues to resonate today.

Local resident Jacqui Thams pointed out at the community meeting that there is Declan's Irish Pub to the south of North Avenue at 1240 N. Wells St. and even Corcoran's Grill & Pub to the north of North at 1615 N. Wells St., saying, "They can be very loud and disruptive," she urged that such establishments be kept out of Crilly Court.

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