CITY HALL — Ald. Joe Moreno (1st) said Wednesday that a lawsuit alleging that he violated the civil rights of the owner of the former home of the Double Door club is "frivolous."
Brian Strauss, whose family has owned the buildings at 1570-72 N. Milwaukee Ave. and at 1551-59 N. Damen Ave. since 1977, said Moreno's move to change the rules that decide how that property can be used scuttled his plan to sell the building for $9.6 million.
The measure to change the rules on how the former Double Door buildings can be used is pending, and is nothing more than a routine effort to give members of the community as much control over the property’s future as possible, Moreno said.
“That’s what the process is about,” Moreno said. “It is not designed to punish anyone.”
Some aldermen — who have near complete control over zoning regulations in their wards — typically change the rules to prevent new developments from being built or new businesses opening up without their approval.
The lawsuit also claims that Moreno used threats and political intimidation against Strauss in a personal vendetta over the eviction of the club.
Moreno denied threatening Strauss in a conversation recorded in a cellphone video in late February that was broadcast by CBS2 in May.
For 18 months, Double Door co-owners Sean Mulroney and Joe Shanahan battled Strauss in court over whether the club had given enough notice that they wanted to renew the venue's lease. Double Door lost the battle and was evicted Feb. 6 by the Cook County Sheriff's Office.
Moreno called Strauss "dishonest" and said he hasn't been able to sell the building because it is overpriced.
