Any bar that opens on the corner of Belmont and Halsted (northwest side) will create an uptick in crime and excessive noise in the neighborhood. Bars on the northwest side of Belmont & Halsted have attracted a crowd that does not respect the surrounding Lakeview neighborhood: urinating in public, excessive drinking in public, excessive noise, battery, robbery, assault, and theft.

The original Spin was bought by David Gassman in 1999, and then was sold in 2014 to Jason Zilberbrand who opened the Whiskey Trust. Whiskey Trust was suddenly closed in December 2014, and since then, we have seen an decrease in petty crime.

However, before that closure, there has been an increasingly uptick in crime in that neighborhood since 2011 (to read more about crime in the neighborhood related to Spin, go to: http://www.cwbchicago.com/search?q=spin). Personally, I have witnessed more vandalism to my apartment building and excessive noise and trash left on my outside stairs.

I walked by Whiskey Trust/Spin a few days ago, and saw that they were applying for a liquor license under the name "Belmont & Halsted, Inc." After doing some research, I found out that David Gassman is reopening Spin (http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/lgbt/Spin-owner-to-re-open-Belmont-and-Halsted-space/50752.html). 

Neighbors are frustrated that this is happening, and we do not want Spin 2.0 to open. The Chicago Police Department does not have enough manpower to work late nights on the weekends to address petty crime issues, like noise complaints or sex in public. As neighbors of Spin, we are sick and tired of having to pick up Spin's mess of people vandalizing our buildings and we live in fear walking around at night near the corner of Belmont & Halsted from getting robbed or assaulted. 

If you do not want another version of Spin to open on the northwest corner of Belmont and Halsted, please sign this petition. As neighbors of Lakeview/Boystown, we respect the LGBTQ community to have a place to play but there are plenty of bars in the area already further north on Halsted that provide that atmosphere.

We recommend that a more family-friendly place (like Jack's on Halsted, right across the street) to open there.