Once a spot for special-occasion steak and lobster dinners, the Pines Restaurant and Oak Leaf Lounge at 7412 Harrison St. have fallen from their former grandeur. Now the 25,422-square-foot lot with the restaurant and auto garage next door has been listed for sale for $1.2 million.
Neighbors have complained about loud crowds and early-morning fights among patrons who attend dance events at the building. Police say owners Tony and Maria Kaldis, of Elmhurst, have been issued 12 local ordinance tickets for nuisance behavior by patrons of the building. The Kaldis’ have been convicted numerous times and not paid any of the fines associated with the convictions, police said. The property was characterized as a “nuisance property” by police in November.
According to Internet real estate listings, the lot contains two restaurants with a second-floor, three-bedroom apartment above and a five-bay auto garage building. According to the listing, the functioning restaurant can bring in $3,500 rent per month whereas the vacant, non-functional restaurant is worth a potential $2,000/month in rent, the listing says. The auto-repair garage brings in $2,900/month in rent, according to the listing. The site is offered by Prime Capital Real Estate in Chicago.
The listing also includes a “25+ car parking lot.”
It was to the latter that around 10 Forest Park squad cars responded, Nov. 16 at 2:30 a.m., to a brawl involving 100 people, according to police reports. Police took custody of a woman who was swinging at other patrons, as well as a man dressed in woman’s clothing who told police other patrons were beating him. Neither were charged.
Police were summoned the next weekend as well for complaints of loud music and fighting.
A call to Prime Capital Real Estate was not immediately returned.
