Lake View Talks Hotel Chateau; Building Violations Detailed

After a string of recent failed building inspections at Hotel Chateau, its owners are headed to court, and Lake View residents are planning ways they can let judges know they’ve had enough.

The 19th Police District Court Advocacy Group held a meeting Tuesday night to let residents know that simply coming to the Nov. 13 court date as a silent bystander means more than people think. Chairman Richard Thale says the courtroom process can sometimes be repetitive, so having a group of people stand when a court case is called lets judges know the neighborhood means business.

“The community doesn’t realize how much power we have as citizens,” Thale said. “Once I figured out that I have much more power than I realize, and that I can help out police more than I realize, that’s when I got hooked on doing this… When you’re at the courtroom, it’s a clear signal to the judge, the prosecutor and also that victims that we cared enough to take the time and come to court.”

Thale said he can’t count the number of times he’s been to court for issues relating to Hotel Chateau. However, representatives with the 46th Ward say this could be the final straw before the building is closed. 

“There’s a lot of really long term residents that are really good neighbors... For some people, it’s been their home for a long time"

District Commander Elias Voulgaris says he encourages residents to go to court hearings with the Court Advocacy Group, saying it sends a clear message that the community cares. 

"Hotel Chateau has been a source of quality-of-life issues not only affecting the hotel, but the area around the hotel," Voulgaris wrote in an email. "The crime we are looking at is small scale drug dealing, drinking on the public way, aggressive panhandling, and fights leading up to a battery or an assault."

The single room occupancy hotel at 3838 North Broadway has long been a home to social service providers’ most difficult clients, from prisoners to mental health patients, and causes problems for residents, business owners and government officials.

And after passing just three of the 11 building inspections so far in 2012, it’s clear why some are frustrated. The two most recent inspections on Oct. 24 reveal Chateau passed its annual boiler inspection, but failed a special inspection after a complaint about proper ventilation.

However, the real problems are outlined during a strategic task force inspection on Aug. 28. During that visit, issues like broken smoke detectors, bathtubs that wouldn’t drain, toilets that wouldn’t flush and multiple electrical issues were some of the more serious issues on the long list of violations.

It's the same issues owner Jack Gore – who could not be reached for comment – had with the Diplomat Hotel in Lake View. After countless violations, Gore handed over the Diplomat to the City of Chicago in lieu of millions of dollars in fines he accumulated. It's now being transformed into modern housing for people at risk of homelessness. 

"The crime we are looking at is small scale drug dealing, drinking on the public way, aggressive panhandling, and fights leading up to a battery or an assault."

Joy Tolbert Nelson of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office was at the Court Advocacy meeting answering questions. She says it’s important area residents look at both sides of this issue. While there are problems with the building, and more importantly, with some tenants, Tolbert Nelson says not everyone at Hotel Chateau is causing problems.

“There’s a lot of really long term residents that are really good neighbors that need the affordable housing,” Tolbert Nelson said. “For some people, it’s been their home for a long time… I think (owners) will try really hard to fix the building, because if you’re living in that type of housing, you’re on the brink of having nowhere else to go.”

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Shutting down Chateau was a concern for one Lake View resident in attendance. She worried the group of “bad eggs” would be evicted with the hotel’s closure, spilling out onto the streets and causing similar problems as homeless people.

“I’ve lived in the area for 10 years, so I’ve seen the progression,” said the resident who asked not to be named. “…I’m not specifically after Hotel Chateau, I’m after having a safe community. Around that area, and around Gill Park where kids play, it’s a problem. It’s not appropriate. It should just be a safe environment.”

Anyone interested in attending the Nov. 13 court date to show their support can RSVP and receive more information by contacting the 19th District CAPS office at 312-742-8770 or the Alderman's office at 773-878-4646. 

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