Pilsen residents and neighborhood groups protesting Saturday said it is not about stopping all new business or developments, but about protecting their livelihoods.
Located one block from his home and the proposed location for a new restaurant and bar, Carlos Colon, a resident of Pilsen, said there is not enough space for both.
“I literally live next door. Fifteen feet from door to door,” he said. “They don’t benefit the neighborhood, they just affect the neighborhood.”
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Colon said the proposed location for a new Beercade headquarters if approved would only add to the existing list of problems it has with other developments in the area.
“I’m sick of people defecating in the alley,” Colon said. “Noise late at night, people leaving empty containers of liquor garbage.”
And he’s not the only one.
On Saturday, he was joined by dozens of other Pilsen residents and neighborhood organizations demanding that Beercade headquarters choose a new location.
“This kind of business may be good in other parts of the city, but not in this residential area where its residents just want to live in peace and quiet,” Vicky Lugo told the Stop the Pilsen Landmark coalition.
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“And right now we have COVID, right? We know a lot of people have lost their jobs, that they will be evicted from this community and these people are thinking of setting up a Beercade,” added Rosa Esquivel, president of the Pilsen Alliance.
Protesters said they have not yet heard from the owners of the arcades and grills, despite numerous attempts to contact them.
“You know, it would be good when companies, particularly companies that are much more nightlife, alcoholic, entertainment, take the time to talk to the community before applying for those applications,” he said. say fellow, Matt Richmond.
Protesters noted that the business was originally denied a liquor license from the city and only received a conditional license after appealing to the state. A decision that is currently being fought by the city’s legal department and these protesters.
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“We, the community, will fight for justice again and win,” Lugo said.
ABC7 arrived in the city and at Beercade headquarters, but did not respond to our request for comment.
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