HotHouse Grows Cold

By Julene McCoy in Arts & Entertainment on Jun 26, 2007 8:13PM

File this under news that makes Chicagoist sad, the HotHouse at 31 E. Balbo will be no more. According to their press release, this is not good-bye, but a mere hiatus while they look for a permanent location. Yeah, we’ve heard that kind of thing before, but it usually involves a man, not our favorite world music club.

Last year around this time HotHouse founder Marguerite Horberg was kicked to the curb and a business manager came in to help organize the finances. A year later, Marc Harris stated that the HotHouse faces a $70,000 cash shortfall in their annual budget of $1.4 million. Horberg chimed in that she would be open to dialoguing with the newly elected board at the HotHouse on how to move forward with a community-based organization, yet her venture won’t be ready for any constructive action for a year.

A dispute was resolved with the landlord giving the non-profit “an opportunity to move out and move on” and to start the search for a permanent home. HotHouse will continue to sponsor their signature events, such as the Jazz En Clave Festival, but now they will be held at other venues around the Chicago area. A quick look at the calendar shows that there is nothing booked after the 15th of July, so there is only the present to visit this cultural gem in the South Loop.