Editor's Note: CPD on Monday morning issued a summary of closure for Blüm restaurant and nightclub in River North,. Our updated story can be found here. Our original story continues below.
Chicago Ald. Brendan Reilly is urging city officials to shut down the Blüm restaurant and nightclub in River North, citing a mass shooting outside the business that occurred early Sunday morning and "chronic neighborhood complaints."
Eight people were shot during a fight at approximately 2:38 a.m. outside in the 300 block of West Erie, according to Chicago police. In an email, Reilly, who represents the city's 42nd Ward, wrote that he and residents have been sounding the alarm about the establishment for years - yet the city hasn't taken action to discipline the club.
"Inexplicably, the city has allowed this nightclub to continue to operate, despite my prediction that it was just a matter of time before another shooting incident would occur," he stated.
Reilly explained his office has been working to facilitate the sale of the building and to have Blüm shut down and evicted before the building is sold next month. According to the alderman, the Chicago Police Department was expected to issue a summary closure order on Sunday, as he requested. However, it remains unclear if the order had been issued as of the late evening.
"These late hour nightclubs are a blight on River North, with many catering to gangbangers, drug dealers and gun-toting patrons," the alderman stated. "Many of the gun crimes being committed downtown overnight are related to fights originating at these late hour clubs, yet these operators are allowed to remain open."
Reilly blasted the head of Chicago's Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, saying the commissioner "and his bureaucrats need to do their jobs, stop catering to these bad actors and start revoking liquor licenses."
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"It should not require a mass shooting to result in the closure of a problem nightclub," he stated.
NBC Chicago has reached out to Chicago police and the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, but had yet to receive a response as of late Sunday night.
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The complete message from Reilly is below:
Dear Neighbor:
I have been petitioning the Department of Business Affairs & Liquor Commissioner to shut down Clutch / Blum for years now, without success.
This bad establishment has been the source of chronic neighborhood complaints and has been linked to prior shooting incidents. Inexplicably, the city has allowed this nightclub to continue to operate, despite my prediction that it was just a matter of time before another shooting incident would occur.
Because the city has failed to close this bar, my office has been working to facilitate the sale of the building to have Blum shut-down and evicted. In fact, the property is currently under contract to be sold next month.
I have asked CPD to issue a summary closure order to ensure this nightclub does not reopen before the building is sold and they are evicted next month. It is my understanding CPD is issuing a summary closure order today.
These late hour nightclubs are a blight on River North, with many catering to gangbangers, drug dealers and gun-toting patrons. Many of the gun crimes being committed downtown overnight are related to fights originating at these late hour clubs, yet these operators are allowed to remain open.
The Commissioner of Business Affairs and his bureaucrats need to do their jobs, stop catering to these bad actors and start revoking liquor licenses. It should not require a mass shooting to result in the closure of a problem nightclub. River North residents and I have been sounding the alarm to the city about Blum for years - yet the city has done nothing to discipline the club.
How many more people need to get shot before the City steps up to the plate and starts shutting down these bad operators? Downtown residents should not be forced to suffer because city bureaucrats refuse to do their jobs.
Sincerely,
Brendan Reilly
Alderman - 42nd Ward
