After a long search for a suitable space to open its dispensary, Perception Cannabis settled on the former currency exchange located at 7000 N. Clark. While the proposal doesn't require a zoning change, Perception Cannabis would be required to obtain a Special Use Permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals in order to operate. 

As the community input process for this proposal progressed, many constituents expressed concern about Lunt Auto & Tire having to close and relocate. The plans include demolishing the building at the site to provide parking for the retail space. Many of our constituents, understandably, expressed concern that this proposal would displace a long-term, minority-owned local business in the ward. 

In learning about the situation with Lunt Auto & Tire, I began conversations with the business owner and the property owner leasing him the space. In those conversations, I learned that Lunt Auto & Tire had inadvertently let their lease lapse in December and have been on a month-to-month lease since January. The landlord had initiated conversations with them beginning in January to let them know that they were having issues finding a tenant for the retail space without offering parking. They let the tenant know that if they found a viable tenant, they would look to transform the space Lunt Auto & Tire occupies into a parking lot as they could not afford to keep the large retail space on Clark vacant. Those conversations pre-dated Perception Cannabis expressing interest in the storefront, meaning that the plans to create parking for the retail space were not tied to any specific business or tenant.

I've been working with all parties to see if we could come to an amicable solution to help meet everyone's needs. In conversations I had with the owner of Lunt Auto & Tire, he expressed that he needed time and some financial breaks in order to find a new location for his business. The property owner has indicated she is willing to grant some financial relief in the form of two months of rent reimbursement for Lunt Auto & Tire to help them with costs associated with relocating. Lunt Auto & Tire has also already found a new location for their business to continue and I've reached out to the Alderman of that ward to ask for his support in some permitting approvals they'll need; those requests have been granted.

The location that Perception Cannabis selected for its dispensary is in the heart of a critical commercial corridor in the 49th Ward. The dispensary, coupled with the opening of the Wild Onion Market, creates the potential to anchor the area and encourage additional economic development throughout the corridor. Additionally, Perception Cannabis is a social equity license holder with roots already in the Rogers Park community. Its CEO, Charles Cherqui, is a long-term 49th Ward resident who wants to grow his business in his own backyard and provide employment opportunities within his community. 

Based on the community response to the proposal and the concessions the landlord is willing to offer the owner of Lunt Auto & Tire, I am supporting Perception Cannabis' request for a Special Use Permit.