DeKALB | Peering into the windows of the Husky Grill and Sports Bar, 1205 W. Lincoln Highway, one can see chairs flipped over on tables and glasses arranged neatly on the shelves as if it’s about to open.

While the Husky Grill and Sports Bar has been closed since 2005, the building won’t be for long.

Cursed?

The building’s current vacancy is not new to that particular location. In the last 10 years, the building’s ownership has passed between the bank and several owners. Because of the building’s tumultuous past, local residents have begun to think the location is cursed.

“It’s a weird urban legend that the place is doomed to fail,” said Rob Deshazer, 30, DeKalb resident. “That seems to be the belief around town.”

Brothers George Broches and Dimitrios Brotsis, purchased the building at 1205 W. Lincoln Highway in 1997, where they opened Arcade Dreams, a bar and grill with arcade entertainment.

“If there were any kind of curse [in that building], they started it,” said DeKalb City Clerk Donna Johnson.

Some allege Arcade Dreams was a bar running under the guise of a restaurant.

“There were no tables to eat at, they filled the dining room with amusement devices and they sold alcohol,” Johnson said. “You tell me what it looked like.”

After numerous suspensions and fines, Arcade Dreams’ Class E liquor license was revoked in 2001. Shortly after, the National Bank and Trust of Sycamore foreclosed on the property after trying to collect on over $500,000 in loans taken out by the two brothers.

Take it to the bank

The building was later bought at a bank auction by an investor from Chicago. The building was soon returned to the bank.

Dennis Radcliff, whose son attended NIU, opened the Huskie Dawg Pound.

“It didn’t work out and he sold it,” Johnson said.

The building’s last owner, Steve Vincellette, operated the Husky Grill and Sports Bar until 2005. During his ownership, Vincellette was under constant scrutiny for passing out liquor advertisements that made the restaurant appear to be more like a bar than what his Class E liquor license allowed.

“Vincellette was [previously] in a different line of work,” Johnson said. “I was under the impression that he just didn’t have the background to run a restaurant effectively.”

Renaissance

Since Vincellette, the building has been under the ownership of the bank, waiting for its neon lights to be turned on and its chairs turned over.

“It’s kind of sad,” Deshazer said. “It’s a decent location to have some sort of business.”

Earlier this month, Artie Alberts, owner of Pizza Pros, decided to buy the location.

“We’re moving Pizza Pros down there so we can have a sit-down atmosphere,” said Jim Kinzel, co-manager of Pizza Pros. “Having a sit-down restaurant will help expand our business.”

He said Pizza Pros’ current location, adjacent to Bar One, is becoming too small for its growing business and currently offers almost no space to sit down.

Plans for the new location are still in the works.

“We’d like to see good businesses expand and make lots of money,” Johnson said, “Hopefully, Artie can do it.”

As for the supposed curse on the property, Kinzel said it wouldn’t affect them.

“We’ve been here for 15 years,” he said. “It will be properly managed.”