Is it possible to be ignorant retroactively?
I mean, I think I understand what is happening now. But I don’t understand what went on before upon which what is happening now is contingent.
I read in the Oak Leaves that a Cook County judge has ordered the fast food restaurant Tasty Dog to vacate its premises by Sept.14.
Oak Park officials claim the restaurant stopped paying rent earlier this year.
Now, here comes the part about which I am retroactively ignorant.
Why is the village of Oak Park involving itself in a landlord-tenant rent dispute in the first place?
That would be because the village of Oak Park is Tasty Dog’s landlord.
How did that happen?
It’s a long and unusual story.
Back in 2001, Tasty Dog was located at 701 Lake St. A developer wanted to buy that land and, well, develop it.
Tasty Dog’s owners – and customers – complained to the village.
And then the village did a strange thing.
The village of Oak Park bought the land at 701 Lake St., as well as a parcel of land across the street at 708 Lake St., at a cost of a little more than $1 million.
Village officials spent an additional $450,000 to build Tasty Dog a new restaurant at 708 Lake St.
Village officials called this a compromise. Did they need to compromise? Why not let market forces operate?
Well, anyway, the result was that Oak Park – I guess that means you and I – became Tasty Dog’s landlord.
Earlier this year, village officials contend the Tasty Dog owners stopped paying rent. Hence the eviction procedures.
I’m still flabbergasted by the deal that created the situation in the first place – our local government spending $1.5 million to placate the owner of a hot dog stand.
It might have been a very good hot dog stand. But, still!
And since you and I have been Tasty Dog’s landlord for all these years, how come we didn’t get a discount?
And if Tasty Dog’s owners lose their legal battle and are forced to vacate, to whom will we rent the land?
It already has a restaurant on it.
Maybe we need a public hearing on the issue.
Paul Sassone is a freelance columnist for Pioneer Press.
