R. Kelly leaves Near West Side warehouse studio at center of court fight
R. Kelly, who faces far bigger problems, moved out of his studio building on the Near West Side after a judge restricted the hours it could be used. After the city found dozens of building code violations and evidence people might be living in the warehouse at 219 North Justine Street, Judge Patrice Ball-Reed limited its use to 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Kelly’s lawyer said the singer, under renewed scrutiny over allegations of sexual assault following the “Surviving R. Kelly” TV series, could not be creative during those hours and had no choice but to vacate the building. [Chicago Sun-Times]
Gold Coast mansion to hit market for $5M, strange annex and all
A 19th century Gold Coast mansion is set to hit the market for $5 million, a price that includes city-approved plans to replace an odd addition built in the 1930s. The facades of the homes on Astor Street are interrupted by the one-story addition, so owner Margaret Elliot secured city approval for plans to replace it with a three-story structure that matches the height of the rest of the house. The expansion could be used as a separate residence, or could be linked with the existing building to create a 10,000-square-foot home. [Crain’s]
New 300-home subdivision advances in Orland Park
Orland Park officials endorsed a proposal to build 300 rental townhomes and villas near 171st Street and LaGrange Road. Michigan-based developers S.R. Jacobson and Lormax Stern’s future plans for the 58-acre Orland Ridge subdivision include a 122-key hotel and and more than 35,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space. The site in the mid-2000s was eyed as the location for a proposed 130-bed hospital until state regulators nixed it. [Daily Southtown]
Vernon Hills officials tell Macy’s 3 out of 4 ain’t bad
Vernon Hills officials want Macy’s to scale back plans its property outside Hawthorn Mall. New York-based Brookfield Property Partners and Macy’s are proposing building two stand-alone restaurants and two multi-tenant buildings on four outlots owned by the retailer, but officials want to limit the project to three buildings. Dallas-based Centennial Real Estate has started redeveloping the mall after acquiring it in 2015 and later buying the shuttered Sears and Carson’s anchor buildings. [Daily Herald]