Malnar's Tap Fire Causes $450,000 Damage

JOLIET, IL — Joliet Fire Department officials say the cause of Saturday morning's blaze at Malnar's Tap at 1123 Clement St. remains undetermined. The financial damage to the structure was estimated around $450,000, according to Fire Chief Greg Blaskey.

He said the building damage was around $300,000 plus another $150,000 of contents, bringing the total to $450,000. He stressed these are general estimates.

"It's still under investigation at this point," Blaskey told Joliet Patch on Monday afternoon.

Others, including insurance adjusters, will meet with the property owner to determine whether the building can be salvaged, Blaskey added.

Saturday's fire occurred just days before the new owner of Malnar's Tap was set to go before the Joliet City Council.

Tuesday night's meeting agenda includes a Class A liquor license transfer recommending approval for Malnar's Tap.

The meeting agenda was put together days before the fire.

However, a City Hall employee told Joliet Patch on Monday morning that the license transfer is likely to be delayed from action by the city council in light of the fire.

Mayor Bob O'Dekirk was recommending the approval of the liquor license to William Stanford. A hearing before the city's liquor commission happened on Jan. 8.

Stanford told city officials including Inspector General Chris Regis and Detective Pat Schumacher that he was in the process of remodeling the building and was working with the city's building department on all his permits, a city memo indicated.

The daily operations of the long-time neighborhood restaurant and bar would not change under the new ownership, city documents state. Stanford told the city last month that he plans to employ about a half dozen people at Malnar's Tap.

No one appeared in opposition to the liquor license request, city documents reflect.