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AUSTIN WEEKLY news ■
Ald. Taliaferro pulls support from Galewood luxury apartments,
Vol. 31 No. 42
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November 1, 2017
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austinweeklynews.com
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Also serving Garfield Park
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@AustinWeeklyNews
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The tireless ti l Edi Edie Jacobs, page 5
Troubled Chicago Ave. store closed down Austin Pantry in Oak Park, which shut down in September after heroin bust, to remain closed By TIMOTHY INKLEBARGER Staff Reporter
An Oak Park appeals board has upheld a decision by Village Manager Cara Pavlicek to close a convenience store, located on the corner of Austin Blvd. and Chicago Ave. in Oak Park, in September after police arrested one of its employees on 17 counts of heroin sales and possession. The Oak Park Business License Appeal Board, made up of three Oak Park trustees, heard testimony from Austin Pantry co-owner Azzam “Sam” Mohammad as well as residents and the village staff before voting unanimously to reject the appeal. The village revoked the business license on Sept. 18, following the Aug. 30 police sting of the business, which resulted in the arrest of store employee Edgar Lucas, who was charged with 17 counts of heroin sales and possession. Following the testimony, the appeals board deliberated in a closed-door session and returned with its decision. A findings-of-fact document explaining the reasons for the board’s decision was scheduled to be prepared and made public by Oct. 30. Several residents testified in favor of not renewing the business license, arguing that Lucas was not the only problem at the store. Young men also were selling drugs outside of the store for several months leading up to the arrest and created a dangerous environment for the corner, they said. Oak Park Police Chief Anthony Ambrose told See AUSTIN PANTRY on page 4
A blast from the past, in the present
ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer
Customers browse the front of the store on Monday, Oct. 23, 2017, at the Out of the Past Records store on Madison Street in Austin. Read more on pages 8-9.
Construction to start on new food hub Community leaders and elected officials recently broke ground on the Hatchery in East Garfield Park By IGOR STUDENKOV Contributing Reporter
Rain didn’t stop a large crowd of elected officials, businesspeople and community activists from attending the Oct. 24 groundbreaking of the Hatchery, an East Garfield Park food business incubator
that is expected to open sometime in the fall of 2018. As previously reported by Austin Weekly News, the development is a joint project between Accion Chicago and the Industrial Council of Northwest Chicago. It will be located on a largely vacant lot east of Kedzie/Lake Green Line ‘L’ station, be-
tween Lake Street, Albany Avenue, Randolph Street, Maypole Avenue and Kedzie Avenue. Once completed, the 70,000-square-foot faciliity will be able to house between 75 and100 entrepreneurs. The Hatchery is projected to create around 150 jobs in its first year of operations and around 900 jobs within five years. The Hatchery is an outgrowth of ICNC’s
Austin Chamber of Commerce on the move... 773.854.5848 • www.austinchicagochamber.com
See HATCHERY on page 6