River North residents upset over proposed sex club
CHICAGO (FOX 32 News) - The idea of a private "adult" club has River North neighbors on edge. Outside the location in the 300 block of West Superior, a public notice sign is posted requesting a special use permit.
The sign says the space would be a private social club for adults who share an interest in bondage, discipline, domination and submission.
Nonprofit Galleria Domain 2 wants to open a new location in River North. The company also runs another club in the Bucktown area near the intersection of Western and North avenues.
The company claims they are "Chicago's Premier Kink Club," and provide adults opportunities to experience pleasure and joy. Those adults have to pay membership fees and sign confidentiality forms.
“We just don't need this in a residential neighborhood, it doesn't belong in a residential neighborhood,” said Steven Levi, who lives next door to the potential sex club.
Levi said the neighborhood is up in arms about this and will not take this issue lying down.
“It is deplorable that a business such as this, and I’m a fairly liberal person, would move into a residential neighborhood where there are families and children,” said Levi.
“I don't know what kind of people it’s going to attract,” said Vanessa Florian, who walks by the location every day and says she doesn't really know how to feel about it. “If they move in and everything seems to be fine, the location is still safe, then I don't think there’s anything wrong with it.”
Residents who live near the Western and North location don’t even know about it.
“Really? There’s one over here? I had no idea,” said resident Sydney Peltier.
So, it seems that if you don't know about it, you are bound to not care?
“It’s funny that there would be kind of a stink about this, its 2015,” said Ryan Rutledge while laughing.
A hearing date for the special use permit has not been announced, but the public will get a chance to comment on this matter in front of the Zoning board of appeals.
The alderman and attorney for this club did not return phone calls.