Oak Lawn Trustee Tom Phelan tonight will ask fellow trustees to reconsider a decision to restore later weekend hours at the Brunswick Zone bowling alley.
At the request of the business’ management, trustees voted June 14 to allow the business to remain open until midnight on weekends but to close its game room and pool hall at 10 p.m. to dissuade non-bowlers from hanging around the building, 4700 W. 103rd St. Phelan, an outspoken critic of the bowling alley, and Trustee Alex Olejeniczak voted against the longer hours.
The village board’s decision to restore the later weekend hours came several months after a gang-related shooting involving Cook County sheriff’s police in August in the Brunswick Zone parking lot led management to voluntarily agree to close earlier. But that resulted in the bowling alley losing much business, according to company officials.
There were no reports of violence or gang-related incidents while the earlier weekend hours were in effect, leading Phelan to lobby for their continuation.
“The violence and the weapons issues are gone,” he said.
Two trustees would have to change their votes for the board to switch and make the earlier weekend hours permanent.
But even if that doesn’t happen, Phelan wants his fellow trustees to have a chance to make an informed decision based on a report he has compiled.
“My intent is to make sure that the board has accurate and complete information, including a detailed history of what happened in the past, what Brunswick allegedly was going to do to correct those problems, obvious evidence that they didn’t do those things, and the village’s weak (if non-existent) efforts to vet all of those issues,” Phelan said in an email.
Village manager Larry Deetjen disagreed that trustees were not fully informed about the issues related to Brunswick Zone.
“(Police) Chief Villanova has provided (Phelan) all the information he needs,” Deetjen said.
Phelan said the village and Brunswick Zone officials never agreed on the consequences the bowling alley would face if another criminal incident occurred there.
“This is something I’ve been monitoring, worried about for five years,” he said. “(There’s) the potential for a life-threatening situation.”
Phelan also believes Brunswick executives have been less than truthful about the amount of money the bowling alley has lost as a result of the earlier closing time.
Brunswick Zone management implemented several restrictions designed to curtail fights and other inappropriate conduct after two off-duty sheriff’s police officers shot an armed man whom they saw shooting at a car on Aug. 10 outside the bowling alley.
The safety measures included closing two hours earlier on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and instituting a $5 cover charge after 9 p.m. on Monday through Thursday nights. Additionally, off-duty Oak Lawn police officers provide security at the bowling alley, and Brunswick management and police meet on a regular basis.
