Owners Of Bar In Public Nuisance Case Open New Bar In Same Neighborhood

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A popular River North Bar is now under fire for noise disturbances as an alderman and the city are calling it a nuisance neighbor.

Next month Concrete Cowboy will have a status hearing with the city, and action could be taken against the bar's business license, but residents are concerned because the same owners just opened another bar around the corner.

"You can hear the music pumping even if you aren't inside the building," said neighbor Darrn Borowski.

"Screaming, yelling, typically fighting," said Courtney McHugh.

"Sirens and screaming regularly," said Nora Filet.

And some videos of fights that appear to be right in front of the Concrete Cowboy can be found online.

Fights and police calls in part prompted the city's legal department to file a public nuisance case against the bar, detailing more than 50 incidents. It includes accusations of everything from staff "committing battery without justification," to the bar allegedly failing "to maintain [its] late hour exterior safety plan." It also states that employees failed to promptly notify police of fighting via 911.

"I moved in a couple months ago, and the very first night because it was so loud there were police sirens, there was screaming and a couple of arrests," Filet said.

The 42nd Ward alderman lives nearby and in a letter wrote that he's witnessed "chronic late night traffic congestion, corresponding vehicular noise and noise created by patrons outside of the establishment."

And just steps away around the corner, the owners of the Concrete Cowboy just opened a new bar Wednesday night.

"Not my favorite new neighbors," Filet said.

The owner of the Concrete Cowboy told CBS 2 he would look over the complaint, talk with his lawyer and call back. That call has not yet come.