Village Should Reconsider Pulling Sky Zone's License, Says Judge

ORLAND PARK, IL — Orland Park officials were too quick to pull the business license for Sky Zone following a September 2020 fight that may have involved hundreds of people and a large police presence, a Cook County judge ruled last month.

The village will have to take into account the steps Sky Zone Trampoline Park took towards remedying the situation, according to Judge Eve Reilly. After its license was pulled, the entertainment center sued the Village Board and have since been allowed to stay open during the appeal process.

While Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau said residents shouldn't be quick to judge the business owners, recent public comments from residents indicate worry that incidents outside the property at 66 Orland Square Drive are becoming all too common.

"Our local businesses shouldn't be attacked because of actions they have no control over," Pekau said at a village board meeting in response to criticism of Sky Zone and Gizmo's Fun Factory.

Sky Zone in Orland Park filed a lawsuit with the Cook County Circuit Court in March, looking to reverse the revocation of its business license. The lawsuit came after the village board voted 7-0 to back village manager George Koczwara's December decision to revoke the license following the September incident for which the business was cited for disobeying fire code.

Reilly granted the business an emergency order that gave it the ability to remain open with restrictions. The new restrictions included closing by 9 p.m. Friday through Sunday, and having private security on weekends, according to the agreement between the village and Sky Zone LLC. The company continues to follow those new rules.

Sky Zone also reduced its permitted occupancy to only 80 ticketed jumpers and 45 spectators, according to the agreement. The entertainment facility is also no longer allowed to host glow nights, which was the event being held on the day of the deciding incident.

At the time, Koczwara called the decision unfortunate, adding that the village "wants every business to succeed."

"We don't want to close businesses, but businesses close themselves," Koczwara said.
In her ruling last month, Reilly said Koczwara and other village officials did not fully consider the measures Sky Zone has enacted since and asked officials to consider if other punishments or rules would be more appropriate.

Last week, Koczwara said he was open to reconsider the case, but would not be admitting new evidence or holding another hearing. Still, attorneys for the entertainment center say Sky Zone was misrepresented, adding the ticketing information from the day of the incident doesn't match police reports.

Initial reports from Orland Park officials indicated there was a fight inside Sky Zone, with more than 840 people inside.

Attorney Kevin Gerow, representing Sky Zone at the Feb. 22 hearing, said that number is inaccurate, adding there were about 842 tickets sales made during the whole day on Sept. 12, and the facility opened just after 9 a.m.

As of Wednesday, the village had not set a timeline for when a decision may be reached on Sky Zone's license. There is no deadline for the reconsideration under Reilly's order.