It was not what Israel Mejia expected when he walked into that meeting at Aurora City Hall on Wednesday.
After all, according to the Geneva accountant and investor, he’d already “spent a pretty penny in the last two weeks” working to reopen the now shuttered Leland Legends restaurant on the corner of Galena Boulevard and Stolp Avenue in downtown Aurora.
That’s how sure Mejia was that Mayor Richard Irvin was going to give him a liquor license again … despite past violations against his partner at another bar in town … despite a rocky history with the city when he was involved with this same location when it operated as Midtown Pub and Grill … and despite the city’s vision to fill that lower level of the historic Leland Tower with a more upscale restaurant.
Still, Mejia had the backing of the building’s landlord, David Karademas, to take over what should be a prime location directly across from the Paramount Theatre and its soon-to-open Aurora Arts Center.
Plus, Mejia told me, he’d heard through a reliable grapevine he was going to get the thumbs-up for the license. But instead, the mayor informed him it was a no-go.
“If you don’t learn from history you are likely to repeat those mistakes from the past,” Irvin told me when I asked about the decision. “We have no interest in taking steps backward.”
The mayor is referring to the history of Midtown Pub, which he said he found in his research, had over 1,000 calls for city services — mostly police and some ambulance — in the years it operated from 2010 to 2016.
“We can’t return to that,” said Irvin. And even with promises that the restaurant would be managed much better, “why take the chance?”
But Mejia, who said he’s not going ahead with other plans for a River Street restaurant because of this experience, insists he “just wanted a fair shot.” And he’s still convinced the decision came down to the city’s desire for a different kind of eatery — something more “Paramount worthy” — a phrase we’ve heard a lot when it comes to the future of the downtown area.
Frankly, there’s nothing wrong with that vision. It’s certainly what Paramount folks would like to see happen. So would I. Probably you too, especially if you are a fan of the theater and are constantly on the hunt for a nice place to eat, drink and be merry before or after its award-winning Broadway Series productions.
“We are not suggesting it has to be so upscale the average Auroran can’t afford to patronize it,” said Irvin. “We want to work together with the mayor’s economic development team (Invest Aurora) and Karademas to find the best fit for that location.”
Even Mejia “totally understands” where the city is coming from, and says he only wishes the mayor would have been more upfront with him about his chances of getting the license.
“They want a bigger and better client,” he told me on Thursday. “But good luck with that. That takes time and more money than anyone is willing to put into it at this point.”
Maybe. Maybe not.
The mayor said on Friday there were “a number of people” going through the former Leland Legends space this past week, with two, including a restaurateur who operates “five other successful locations in the Chicago area,” coming back “for second looks.”
“As soon as humanly possible,” Irvin replied when I asked if he could throw out a time frame when the darkened restaurant could be up and running. “We are working hard for that to happen.”
Karademas, who has invested millions of dollars in downtown Aurora and understands as much as anyone the potential it offers and the hurdles it faces, admitted he was disappointed with the mayor’s decision because it means “it’s back to square one” in finding a replacement tenant.
“When the universe won’t cooperate, you go in a different direction,” said the real estate developer, who once threatened to put a nail salon in that location because of his frustrations with the city.
But now, he is decidedly more neutral and positive — vowing he will “continue to take care of Aurora” and “will do my best to find a white tablecloth dining experience the mayor believes is possible.”
Speaking of which …. while he would not confirm details, Irvin said the city is “very close to having a signed contract” with a noted name in the restaurant business to open a new dining establishment in the Aurora Arts Center.
“This is a team effort to try and rebuild the downtown, “ he said, “And I am confident the team …. now in place will improve Aurora and take it to that next level.”
