The illegal party had about 300 people who weren’t wearing face coverings or social distancing.
Chicago police broke up a party being held in the basement of a former Wicker Park bank on the weekend for violating rules designed to mitigate the spread of coronavirus. Around 300 people without face coverings were found attending the illegal party in the basement of 1612 W. Division Avenue in the early hours of Sunday, November 29.
A spokesman for the city’s Business Affairs and Consumer Protection Department said that the city closed the “dangerous and unlicensed commercial party.” City officials consequently hit The Vault/All Access, which hosted the party, with five cease-and-desist orders and nine citations. The party was hosted in a location without a single smoke alarm, carbon monoxide detector nor fire extinguisher while sparklers and smoking were allowed inside the basement.
CHICAGO — The city broke up a 300-person party early Sunday in the basement of a former bank in Wicker Park. The illegal party was being held in the basement of… https://t.co/h1fHOL9xic
— ChicagoMusic (@_ChicagoMusic) November 30, 2020
The venue was once the Bedford, a subterranean cocktail lounge and restaurant which featured a bank vault and seating surrounded by safety deposit boxes. It is now owned by RDM Development and Investments who intend to revamp the building to possess both a glamourous rooftop as well as the unique basement restaurant.
Illinois is in the midst of the second wave of COVID-19 and gatherings of any size are considered extremely dangerous with the current strain on Chicago hospitals. “Actions like this are a slap in the face to the thousands of businesses and millions of Chicagoans that are making sacrifices every day to keep our city safe”, said Rosa Escareno. commissioner of the city’s business department.