Hotel Chateau Owner Still a No-Show in Court

For the second time, controversial Hotel Chateau owner Jack Gore could not be served the necessary paperwork to call him to court Tuesday, but officials did order hotel management to complete a few tasks.

Sreya Sarkar, the director of education and advocacy at the Lakeview Pantry, attended the hearing along with 10 others showing support for government officials to take action. However, just like the court date on Nov. 14, Gore never showed up.

“Mr. Jack Gore still could not be served a summon to the court, but a lawyer representing him was present in the court room,” Sarkar wrote after the hearing via email. “The future of Chateau is still undecided, but for the time being, the management has been asked to take care of a few things. The hotel will remain open for now.”

The following tasks and deadlines Chateau's managment needed to complete were outlined at the hearing:

1. In the coming 24 hours: All the garbage needs to be taken from the building, and the garbage chute doors need to be replaced.
2. In the coming 7 days: The fire alarm system needs to be inspected and fixed.
3. In the coming 14 days: The sprinklers on the garbage chutes need to be fixed to prevent fire.

The single room occupancy hotel at 3838 North Broadway has long been a home to social service providers’ most difficult clients, causing problems in the neighborhood. A recent building inspection revealed a countless number of violations, sending the building’s owner to court to possibly close Chateau’s doors for good.

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."

In November, Gore was called to court regarding the violations, but he never showed up, saying he was never notified of the hearing.  Richard Thale, the chairman of the 19th Police District Court Advocacy Group, said Gore’s inability to be served the paperwork ordering him to attend the court dates could be perceived as stalling.

The next court hearing will be on Jan. 29 at 11 a.m. at the Daley Center.

Related Articles on Patch:

• Hotel Chateau's Court Date: 'It Was Frustrating'
• Lake View Talks Hotel Chateau; Building Violations Detailed

Follow Us on Facebook!