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While Chromium Niteclub, located at 817 W. Lake St., looks calm, when the club lets out in the early morning hours, the scene is drastically different.

Violent nightclub shut down

By: Alex Mariscal

Posted: 11/12/07

Chromium Niteclub, located at Lake and Halsted Street, forfeited all of their business licenses after years of investigation, pending license violations and a revoked liquor license at a Department of Business Affairs & Licensing hearing on Oct. 29.

However, as part of an agreement, Chromium will remain in business until Dec. 3 to fulfill promotional and entertainment contracts.

Across the street from Chromium is Kozan Studios. Since 2003, business owner, resident and former school teacher Kathy Kozan watched as the nightclub made its impact on the neighborhood and its inhabits.

"They take no responsibility toward their neighborhood or their patrons," said Kozan.

Kozan has lived right above her studio for the past 14 years and has been running her business there for the last 23 years. For Kozan, the issue is a personal one, and from the start of the problems with the nightclubs, Kozan has been a leading force in the fight to keep her neighborhood safe from the violence and commotion produced by club patrons.

On Aug. 19, Kozan felt a personal attack on her neighborhood with the murder of Omari Houston, a club patron leaving Chromium. On her website, Kozan voices her opinion on the unjustness of the death.

"The night that man was shot to death, I was right there in the middle of the street. Gun shots were coming from the direction of my building and I had no idea where to run," said Kozan.

The trouble first began at the end of 2003, when Kozan first encountered difficulties with Chromium having to do with garbage, violence late at night and the excessive parking which made it difficult for her to leave her own home.

"I decided to confront the source and went straight to Tony Perez, the owner, and was told that there would be something done about the issue," said Kozan. "However, nothing was done about it, and instead they tried to intimidate, threaten, bully and rough handle me when I refused to stay quiet. They're hoodlums."

Perez was contacted but did not reply.

In the spring of 2004, Chromium proposed to get a late-night liquor license that would allow them to stay open until 4 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights and 5 a.m. on Sunday nights. Kozan planned to attend the meeting ready to oppose, until something came up at the last minute. Later she received a call from Perez asking if she would be attending the meeting.

"I told him that I wasn't going to be able to make it, and later I found out that he sent someone in posing as me and signed as me and my business, I was so infuriated," said Kozan. "I called him up and told him never to call me again if this is the way he planned on doing business."

The problems did not stop there. Since then, Kozan has kept video documentation of the violence that occurs from Chromium, and has created a website dedicated to keeping the neighborhood safe and asking Chromium to either clean up their act or shut down.

"When dealing with Chromium, you're just not operating with someone who wants to resolve problems," said Kozan. "They aren't taking responsibility in any matter and made no effort in fixing any kind of problems. They let in rowdy patrons and sneak in more above their limit, and do not do anything to stop the patrons from fighting on the street."

For the past year and half, Kozan has set up a mannequin at her window with the recorder so that she can be able to go downstairs to see first-hand the problems that occur.

"I just had this mannequin in the studio, put a wig on it and set it in front of the window," said Kozan. "People don't think I come down to really see what's going on, and I've seen people yell and swear at the mannequin, and I just laugh because I do know what's going on." ?

The videos show all the street fighting and the police intervention that occurs.

"The 12th District Police are the only heroes in this," said Kozan.

"The police can't close Chromium down, but they do all that they can. They are proactive and the police commander himself has come to every meeting. Those officers ran toward those shots the night the man was killed and risked their lives, and it shouldn't have to be that way," said Kozan.

Just two months after the shooting, ABC7 did an I-Team report on the problems dealing with Chromium. Two weeks later, changes were seen.

"We're not trying to close down all nightclubs, we're not anti-nightclub," said Kozan. "Chromium needs to be closed, people are dying and being beaten in the street because of them."

Fortunately for Kozan, Chromium will not be allowed to stay in business past Dec. 3. Kozan sees this as a victory made for the efforts of their neighborhood.

"They broke my windows, tried to sue me and tried anything just to intimidate me," said Kozan. "But I stood my ground and the judge agreed."

Representatives for Chromium could not be reached for comments despite several attempts to contact them. To view Kozan's website for more information about activities, visit www.LakeandHalsted.com.