Peter Thomas outraged by former Grant Park Bar One neighbors

 

peter thomas 2Thomas is now getting permits for a new Bar One locale in the Old Fourth Ward at 253 Auburn Ave. but got peeved last month when the 4th & S.A.N.D. Neighborhood Association heard rumors from Grant Park that he was trouble.

Old Fourth Ward Business Association president Joe Stewardson dismissed the negativity. “I don’t put much store in rumors,” he wrote me in an email from Tokyo. “I think it is likely some for the negative feelings may involve previous businesses at that location. Intown neighborhoods are growing and as they do it becomes increasingly important that businesses owners and residents communicate and work with each other. The Old 4th Ward Business Association was created in part to do just that. It’s the only way to create the sustainable communities we all want. I believe Peter and Bar One will be a great addition to the O4W and, in particular, the Sweet Auburn Corridor. I look forward to working with him and all business owners to make sure we are all here for a very long time.”

Thomas felt his bar and lounge was a good neighbor but never felt welcome.  Neighbors would call the cops complaining about noise, drunkenness and cars parked in the neighborhood, he said.

“I paid my bills on time,” Thomas said. “I went through the processes legally to open my business. We had no citations on my property, no fights, no shootings. I employed four police officers four days a week.” He said he spent $6,000 a month on the cops to ensure patrons weren’t rowdy and noisy leaving the bar, especially when they parked on residential side streets.

When I visited the neighborhood Thursday afternoon, I met a couple of neighbors. Brad Wright, who lives about 120 feet from Bar One, said he didn’t even know it had closed. “The noise didn’t bother me,” said Wright, who has lived on McDonald St. behind Bar One for three years. “I could barely hear it.” He said he visited the bar once but it wasn’t to his taste.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *