A competitive video gaming business is seeking special permission to open in Lincolnwood with operating times that extend into pre-dawn hours, but the Village Board held off on a vote in order to have the request amended a bit.
Zhanuzak Asangaziev, owner of Neon Gaming Hub, 3374 West Devon Ave., is seeking a special use permit to operate his esports gaming facility from 3 p.m. to 3 a.m. seven days a week.
Neon Gaming Hub is located within 150 feet of a residential neighborhood and is, according to current village code, allowed to operate only until 11 p.m.
Asangaziev has a certificate of occupancy and can legally operate the business, but he has been waiting for permission to stay open later.
The special use request was approved by the Plan Commission on a 4-2 vote at its Dec. 4 meeting – with two commissioners absent. The commission’s vote advises the Village Board to approve the request, with the board having final say.
During the Dec. 17 Village Board meeting where trustees voted on the request, Plan Commission Chairman Mark Yohanna spoke out against it. He was one of the commissioners absent from the Plan Commission’s Dec. 4 meeting.
“I would have opposed it 100%,” Yohanna said. “People who bought houses adjacent to commercial properties on West Devon did not expect operations until 3 a.m.”
Asangaziev operates another esports facility under the same name in Des Plaines. It is open until 2 a.m. on weekdays and until 3 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
Asangaziev said he filled out the request to operate in Lincolnwood until 3 a.m. seven days a week, but that he intends to keep the same hours as the other location.
The business owner emphasized the “video games as sport” aspect of his business, and said esports are being considered as events for the summer Olympic games.
The international nature of esports was also a big part of his reason for asking for the extended hours, he said. Online tournaments are often not based on U.S. time zones.
He specifically cited a tournament recently held in Shanghai with a prize pool of $2 million. He said players could include people from Europe and even Australia.
“So you don’t know what their time is. Right?” he told village trustees.
Asangaziev said that his main concern was that his customers would not have to suffer negative repercussions from esports leagues if his hours of operations forced anyone to cut a session short. Some leagues suspend players up to a week for ending a session prematurely too often, he said.
Mayor Jesal Patel helped some of the trustees understand Asangaziev’s special use request and business hour needs after Patel had learned about it from the Plan Commission meeting.
“So if you quit the game before it’s over, well the person on the other side doesn’t like that,” Patel said. “And so if you do it once, they’ll give you a warning. Second time, you’re locked out of the game for a week.”
Neon Gaming Hub has 25 gaming stations with state of the art equipment, the owner explained. Competing on slower computers or equipment can put someone at a disadvantage. So businesses like Asangaziev’s aim to level the playing field so wealthier players don’t have an unfair advantage.
Trustees raised concerns about noise issues when the venue closes, loitering and parking.
Asangaziev said he has never had any complaints about those issues with his other location and that even inside the building, music is considered by the players to be a distraction.
“I know people get excited. They go outside. They talk about how they did,” said Trustee Atour Sargon.
Trustee Jean Ikezoe-Halevi, who said her grandson participates in the type of gaming Neon Hub provides, felt more open to Asangaziev’s reassurances.
“I think I understand what you’re saying. But I think most of the noise is going to be inside with them either cheering or booing or cussing,” said Ikezoe-Halevi. “I don’t think you’re going to have that much trouble on the outside though.”
The board voted to have the proposal rewritten to address their concerns and to include a one-year look-back to be sure no problems arise in the first year.
They voted to take up the issue again at the Jan. 6 board meeting.
Alan Kozeluh is a freelancer.