If you haven't seen it, the "outdoor patio" in front of Gigio's is gone.
The structure was illegal under the City's ordinances and got significantly worse when the owners blocked all ability to view behind the structure. The tarps were eventually removed when neighbors complained, but the area in and around the structure became a center of drug sales and illicit activity in the neighborhood.
All of this was reported to Gigio's ownership and clearly obvious to anyone with eyes, but they seemed not to care. Drug dealing was good for business, it appeared.
But its gone now. Good riddance.
From reader emails, we are aware numerous complaints were made to 311 and to BACP, but this has persisted for over two years. Things move slowly in the City, and we are told the City, with support from the Chicago Police, finally had enough and ordered the patio removed.
Gigio's has been around a long time, but history in the neighborhood doesn't earn them a free pass for bad behavior.
If you see drug activity continuing in front of Gigio's or in the parking lot across the street, call 911 and report it. Also call 311, and feel free to email us (link on the right) if you want to share with us as well.
And make sure to support the businesses around Gigio's (Tiffany's, In On Thai and Sky's Beverage Depot). All three businesses have suffered mightily while Gigio's ownership has pretended not to see what was right in front of their face.
Realistically there’s only so much the owners can do. I know personally they have asked them to not hangout in front and they would move infront of Tiffany’s on broadway or in on Thai and then come right back. Cops were called numerous times as well and never really showed up. So it’s not that the owners don’t care but there’s only so much the owners could do without fearing for their safety as well as their employees. Drug deals happen everywhere so to blame a business or say they were ok with it when they’ve called the cops several times for the bs in-front is wrong. Y’all always so quick to criticize without knowing facts.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in office, we held numerous meetings with CPD and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office about drug dealing at this business. This problem has persisted for years. Police expressed frustration that people arrested for dealing drugs would return to the same location later that day and resume selling. The other businesses in the area also expressed frustration. I would occasionally walk inside this business and point out all the drug dealers who were dealing right outside their entrance.
ReplyDeleteOn one occasion, a dealer became upset because I kept calling 911 to report his activity. He approached a police officer and asked what the officer could do to stop me from calling. Visibly frustrated about not being able to do much to stop all the drug dealing there, the officer told him to move to a less busy area where he would be less easily seen.
It is deeply frustrating that this problem has continued for so long, but I'm delighted this has finally happened!