While applying for the PPA license, which Young said is a rigorous process, she learned from the city that the space they were renting was not the proper fit for the new activities they hoped to add.
Art West has an active limited business license for the business activity of the sale of art that is active through Nov. 15, Elisa Sledzinska, a Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) spokesperson, emailed The TRiiBE on June 23.
In February 2022, Art West received a cease-and-desist order from the BACP. The department issues these orders when an establishment must stop business activities outside the scope of its city-approved license activities.
A few weeks ago, the city informed Young that the original permit for the property meant for it to be used as an office. However, Young said she and her landlord weren’t aware of this until she began applying for the PPA license over the last few months.
Young said that obtaining the PPA license would have required the building’s property owner to have two bathrooms, 10 percent parking, an architectural site plan and more.
“The landlord would have needed to build out the space specifically to fit our occupancy,” Young explained.
All of those steps would have been costly, she added. So, over the last few weeks, she began weighing her options and sought help from the local Chamber of Commerce.
“When we found out about the permit, I started thinking to myself there was nothing else that I can do right now, and if we were to shift and try to rezone the space, get an architectural site plan, like, those are expenses that I don’t think my property owner was prepared for,” Young said.
She added, “We’re still all recovering from the pandemic. In general, things are getting tight for a lot of people. I don’t want to speak too much about him [the landlord], but I don’t think we collectively were prepared for what that might mean in terms of cost to rezone.”
Ultimately, Young made the tough decision to close Art West. However, she is committed to finding a new space for the gallery in North Lawndale. Although it was disappointing to close the gallery, Young said she learned a lot over the last two years as a business owner that will prepare her for the future and for other entrepreneurs looking to open brick-and-mortar businesses.
“Find out if your property owner has the proper permit,” Young said. Also, she encouraged entrepreneurs to do as much research as possible, get an attorney to help navigate the city’s business licensing process and tap into business development resources that may be available through the community’s local chamber of commerce.
So what’s next for Young and Art West? Young said one of her goals before finding a new space is to continue to work toward launching West Side Redefined, an asset mapping project. She described it as a docuseries highlighting legacy businesses, new businesses in the neighborhood and other cultural amenities. Art West will also engage with communities outside North Lawndale and the West Side.
Young said community members could support Art West by purchasing merchandise they’re looking to get rid of during this transition.
“We hope that people will continue to follow our work. We still plan to do community engagement. If people have any ideas about where our new location should be, that’s great,” she said.