New Liquor Store For Dangerous Part Of Joliet Faces Rejection

JOLIET, IL — Plans to open a wine and beer packaged liquor store in a crime-ridden area of Joliet appears on the verge of rejection now that Joliet Mayor and Liquor Commissioner Terry D'Arcy is calling for the denial of a Class C liquor license for Osho's Wine & Spirits.

Osho's would open in the rundown vacant multi-unit commercial building at 412-422 South Chicago Street, next to the empty Seafood Junction Restaurant at 410 South Chicago Street that lasted about a year, after opening in the summer of 2021.

The resolution before the Joliet City Council for Tuesday night's meeting calls for the denial of the proposed Class C liquor license for Osho's Wine & Spirits.

D'Arcy's letter urging the liquor license denial notes there have been 807 Joliet Police Department calls for service in the area "including several violent crimes" during the past two years.

"Based on the above, we foresee that the issuance of a liquor license would exacerbate existing law enforcement problems in this area," D'Arcy declared in his Council memo.

The applicant for Osho's Wine & Spirits is Pragnaben Soni, who has been involved in the sales of alcoholic liquor for one year. The anticipated gross revenue from the liquor sales at the proposed business on South Chicago Street would be 90 percent, city documents show.