Joliet gas station owner wants deal Thorntons got

A man whose family has owned a gas station in Joliet since 1957 wants the same gaming-and-liquor deal that Thorntons got earlier this year.

Joliet generally bars liquor sales at gas stations but made an exception in a disputed vote for a Thorntons gas station being built at Jackson and Collins streets. Thornton sought the deal, which also will allow liquor and video gaming at the station, in exchange for contributing more than $300,000 to move the historical Casseday house that sat on the site.

Now, Terry Lambert, the owner of the Lambert Mobil & Convenience Store at 1529 N. Broadway St., wants the same provisions for liquor and gaming.

Attorney Jim Murphy said his client, Lambert, is a Joliet resident and longtime business owner and paid homage to the council’s support for small businesses before telling them Monday, “We’re asking you to actually step to the floor and support this business at this time. You’ve done it for out-of-towners.”

The council met for a workshop meeting Monday and is scheduled to vote on the Lambert license Tuesday.

Mayor Bob O’Dekirk, the city’s liquor commissioner, has recommended denial of the liquor license for Lambert.

O'Dekirk also recommended denying the liquor license for Thorntons, noting at the time that his office is constantly denying gas station owners who seek licenses to sell liquor. A divided council voted, 5-3, for the Thorntons deal, but seemed primarily interested in saving the Casseday House, not expanding liquor and gaming to gas stations.

“I just think the Thorntons license was bad policy,” O’Dekirk said Monday. “I think it was a bad decision by the council.”

O’Dekirk repeated his past argument that there would be a line of gas station owners seeking the same deal if gaming and liquor was allowed at Lambert’s station.

The license also faced opposition from the Will-Grundy counties chapter of the Illinois Licensed Beverage Association.

“We feel this is going to hurt our business,” said Ralph Stevens, president of the chapter, adding that the organization has had the issue “on our agenda for a while now.”