6338 W. Roosevelt Rd.
Photo by Graham Johnston/Staff
Posted on 10/14/2011 11:36:04 AM PDT by neverdem
Berwyn resident has plans to set up shop on Roosevelt Road near Ridgeland
6338 W. Roosevelt Rd.
Photo by Graham Johnston/Staff
Staff Reporter
A Berwyn resident is looking to open a gun shop in Oak Park, Wednesday Journal has learned, though it's not clear whether the village will give him the go-ahead.
Justin Delafuente, 27, applied for a license back in July, for a business he plans to call Windy City Firearms, located at 6338 W. Roosevelt Rd. In his original application, he was shooting for an Aug. 22 opening date, but was still waiting for the village to issue a license as of Wednesday.
The gun owner and lifelong National Rifle Association member said he doesn't believe that the village is stonewalling his application.
"I think they're just trying to make sure it's done right," Delafuente said. "I don't think they're purposely dragging their feet. They just haven't dealt with this situation for a while."
Delafuente works for his stepdad's business, the 30-year-old Bull Sharpening, which is right next door to the proposed gun shop. The shop would not have any inventory on hand, rather, customers would be able to purchase their firearm online, and then pick it up at the office on Roosevelt. Windy City Firearms would only deal in long guns, such as rifles and shotguns, and not handguns or assault weapons.
Larry D'Antonio, the Berwyn resident who owns both the building and Bull Sharpening, confirmed that he was talking to his stepson about leasing the 1,000-square-foot space. It was formerly used by a printer, and most recently as a storage space for his sharpening shop.
He believes there's a place in Oak Park for such a business, and isn't worried that it will arm crooks.
"Everybody always talks about, 'Oh, well the criminals are going to get guns,'" D'Antonio said. "Let's be honest here. Criminals do not walk into a gun store and buy guns. They go buy 'em in a back alley out of a trunk. At this point, all he's trying to do is help law-abiding citizens that want to go out and hunt and do whatever they want."
According to a letter that former Village Attorney Ray Heise wrote to Delafuente back in June, such an establishment is allowed within the village's borders.
"It is permissible to sell rifles and shotguns within the Village of Oak Park, but not handguns, assault weapons or assault ammunition feeding devices," he wrote.
Heise, who is now retired, could not be reached for comment at his Oak Park home on Wednesday. But Simone Boutet, the acting village attorney, said village staff discussed Delafuente's application about a month ago, and there seemed to be consensus to let it move forward. Boutet said there was previously a gun store on North Avenue in the village, but it closed in the early 2000s.
That store, which also sold all manner of sporting goods, was Breit & Johnson and was located in the village for many years.
Boutet was unsure when or if the business license would be issued, and Sunny Choi, the village employee in charge of licensing, is out of the office this week. Calls and emails to Village Manager Tom Barwin and President David Pope on Wednesday and Thursday were not returned by late this afternoon. Both public officials have spoken staunchly in favor of gun control within the village, mostly recently with respect to Oak Park's longstanding handgun ban that was recently overturned by the Supreme Court.
Delafuente said there would be a one-day waiting period for anyone to purchase a gun at Windy City, and he plans to do background checks and review customers' Firearm Owner's Identification cards before making a sale.
For more on this story, see the Oct. 19 print edition of Wednesday Journal, and check www.OakPark.com for updates.
I'm so relieved!
“Just Rifles and Shotguns”
Not a bad name for the store, actualy.
Hey! I think he made up a brand new liberal definition here, probably refers to hi cap magazines.
It sounds like somebody is setting up the perfect gun case. Once the city has permitted every aspect of selling guns EXCEPT for selling handguns, it would be a slam-dunk to simply start selling handguns and dare the city to act. The Supreme Court has explicitly protected the right to own a handgun in the home for self-defense. It's not going to be permissible to outlaw the sale of such arms, given that a business has jumped through all the other hoops.
So basically, he's like the old sears/jcpenney/wards store, and has an online catalog with the "allowed guns", but doesn't do ffl transfers of weapons from GunsAmerica or ordered from Texas Military Gun Supply, or is he just an ffl transfer guy with no "online catalog" of his own?
Exactamundo.
The ideal name for this store is “Just Kinetic Devices”...if it’s okay for Obama’s murdering Christians and non-Muslims in Libya and Uganda, it’s good enough for a gun store.
When the union teachers in the democratic republic of Illinois teach (?) civics, do they teach about the nine amendments in the Bill of Rights? Just curious.
“...or assault ammunition feeding devices...”
I suppose a Ruger 10-22 25rd clip would qualify as an ‘assault ammo feeding device’...
Of course the 2nd Ammendment does not allow this kind of an exception.
National Rifle Association v. City of Chicago and Village of Oak Park.
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