It was recently made public that the internationally revered record store Dr. Wax, located at 5225 S. Harper Court, will be closing its door August 31st, 2007 due to an increase in the cost of their lease. Dr. Wax has been a Hyde Park institution for over a decade, supporting hundreds of local and underground artists who otherwise would have had no Chicago market. It has directly influenced the artistic landscape of this great musical city and has consistently placed integrity and artistry over commercialism.

Harper Court was opened in 1965 as an artistic enclave, and that tradition has been largely preserved over the years. And while the Harper Court Foundations (the NFP that manages the property) website lists their mission as promoting programs, individuals and activities, including those artistic and cultural in nature, that benefit the community by contributing to increased employment, payroll, {and} business volume, we can think of no greater loss to Chicago's artistic community than this most valuable asset. Every effort should be made to offer Dr. Wax and its owner Sam Greenberg a rental rate that will allow Dr. Wax to remain open.

On behalf of all the musicians, DJs, and music fans who have benefited from the musical education Dr. Wax has offered us over the years, we ask the Harper Court Foundation and Alderman Toni Preckwinkle to understand the tremendous loss this would be to the community, and make every effort to retain Dr. Wax as a tenant in Harper Court at a manageable rent.