Long time Andersonville staple Las Manos in jeopardy of losing lease

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

: “Synapse” by Artist Lisa Whiting on display at Las Manos. Credit: Las Manos

Art gallery and long time resident of Clark Street Las Manos Gallery

Tags: Alderman O'Connor, Alderman Osterman, Andersonville Development Corporation, Cagan Management, Las Manos

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Christopher Balza

This is horrible! Friends, neighbors, contributors… contact your alderman and the Cagan Management group to express your frustration. This is truly a loss for the community and the Andersonville art scene.

In addition the unprofessional attitude expressed from Cagan Management Group should not be tolerated!
Jackie

Truly a shame.. Las Manos is a unique part of our neighborhood’s identity. At the same time I understand that the market dictates rental prices.. happens every day. I, for one, sure hope they pull it together and succeed in staying put!!
Jeff

It is kind of funny the way gentrification works sometimes, landowners are going to maximize their profits and all the frustration in the world won’t change that. It happened in Wicker Park and it’s only a matter of time before Andersonville goes full yuppie paradise with chains a plenty. The northside has maybe 3 neighborhoods left for real people.
Simon

Cagan Mgmt is obviously acting very unprofessionally, but they are just agents of the property owners and they do as they are told. The real venom should be saved for whoever owns the property. The neighborhood probably needs another frozen yogurt chain anyway.
Wewilliewinkleman

Don’t be so quick to blame the landlord. A lot of it has to do with property taxes, which have skyrocketted. Don’t blame the chains either. Andersonville used to have a very good mix of businesses. The more restaurants and clubs located to Andersonville, the more small retailers got crowded out. Most of the restaurants and certainly the clubs are evening oriented. If there is not enough daytime traffic to support small businesses and the rents go up because of higher property taxes, the businesses voluntarily relocate or go out of business. Sad to say is the trend is not to return to the way it once was. I used to go to A’ville during the day regularly. Now I hardly go there at all because the fun little businesses that used to be there are gone.
- Christopher Balza
  
  There is no excuse for how they were treated though, completely unprofessional behavior… so yes, I am still blaming the landlord for not cooperating nor acting in a professional and polite manner toward their client. Completely unacceptable.
Jorge Cruz

How about all these “outraged” neighbors buy in to the business and commit to paying $500-$1000 per month towards the new lease? If you want it so desperately then subsidize the business out of your own pockets. However please don’t tie up 2 or 3 aldermen on this- they have more important issues to work on.
http://twitter.com/acubsfan007 William Lorca

I have been looking to open a retail store in Andersonville, a start up, and its not easy. I like this space and would love it, but I feel bad on how it has come upon the market. Prices have risen and as I talk to people I see that it is property taxes and such. So, I am certainly at a cross roads. I need a good location with foot traffic but I, too, do not want to be held hostage by all of this.

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Long time Andersonville staple Las Manos in jeopardy of losing lease