By Adam Harrington
Special to Inside
For nearly two decades, Lincoln Park residents, DePaul students, and CTA riders alike have made regular stops at Demon Dogs, 944 W. Fullerton Ave., a popular hot dog stand under the Fullerton El stop. Now, with plans to remodel the station in the works, the CTA has decided to terminate its lease, and community members are rallying to the hot dog stand's support.
In conjunction with plans to move the station entrance across Fullerton Ave. to the location currently occupied by Demon Dogs, the CTA had originally ordered it to close at the end of February, but moved the date up to August shortly before the deadline. Last Wednesday, it gave the hot dog stand 120 days to ship out, after the CTA's board voted five to one to terminate its lease.
Demon Dogs owner Peter Schivarelli said he is trying his hardest to work out a plan that will keep his operation alive. He said there is a court date set for August 11.
"We can't comment on the proceedings, but we intend to remain open," Schivarelli said. "We're trying to resolve some kind of process to work us into the equation, and have something that would work out positive for DePaul University and the neighborhood, as well as the CTA riders."
A number of community groups and institutions, including DePaul University and the Wrightwood Neighbors group, have rallied to Demon Dogs' support. Lincoln Park community activist Alan Mellis has been in discussions with the CTA, trying to work out a compromise to ensure a future home for the hot dog stand.
"We have relatives, and when they come into town, the first place they want to go is Demon Dogs," Mellis said. "What we've asked the CTA is not to close them down, and to work with Demon Dogs and to incorporate them into the plans for the station."
Mellis, who has also been campaigning for disabled accessibility and noise reduction considerations at the revamped Fullerton El stop, said the CTA's plans could potentially provide space for a new Demon Dogs.
"The CTA's indication is that they're going to be using all the historic buildings for the south side of the station, [with the entrance] on the north side," he said. "Their representatives indicated that there was room on the east side for more retail space."
Schivarelli said he is surprised and impressed by the support he has received by community groups. "The outpouring has shocked me. I always thought it was a popular place, but I underestimated how much people like the place," he said. "We're just trying to keep up the standards, and even improve what we've done. I have [many of] the same people working there since we opened."
Schivarelli said he would wait for a court decision before making comments on a specific future location for Demon Dogs.
Mellis said the planners for the new Fullerton El stop could consider opening a new Demon Dogs in the old fare collection building across the street, which has been shuttered since the late 1990s following a fire that damaged the interior.
"What we're really asking for is the CTA to work with their tenants to have a new building. They indicated that they are planning to have a Caribou Coffee in the old fare collection building, and they haven't leased the space out," he said. "It would be nice to have a new Demon Dogs in or near the old fare collection building."
Schivarelli said that considering the amount of power the city has, fighting any municipal organization is a risky proposition.
"When people say, 'Do you have this and do you have that,' when you're fighting City Hall in Chicago, it's a very tough thing to do," he said. "Judging by the history of what's going on, when they want to do something, the answer is send in the bulldozers." He cited the recent closure of Meigs Field as an example of the city's broad spectrum of power.
Still, Schivarelli said he intends to continue working to find a way for Demon Dogs to stay alive.
"We're intending to stay open for business, and we're trying to do everything we've done in the past 20 plus years. There are jobs at stake," he said. "Both sides are hoping to maybe work out some type of resolution. That's what I'm willing to do. To me, it's a month by month proposition."
For many years Schivarelli worked as a city Snow Command chief and superintendent of the 43rd Ward. He signed a lease for Demon Dogs in 1983, and he reportedly pays the super-sweet rent of $630 a month to the CTA—and is not required to pay for the utilities. The CTA plans to hold competitive bidding for the retail space on the east side of the station.
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