Michael Jordan’s $29M Mansion at Centre of Major Row One Year After Sale
Michael Jordan's mansion, once listed for $29 million, is at the centre of a major row just a year after it was sold in a cut-price deal.
Last year, the six-time NBA champion finally sold his home in north Chicago after more than a decade on the market.
The 32,000-square-foot mansion was originally listed at $29m before Jordan dropped the price to $14.855m in 2015.
According to NBC Chicago, the Highland Park estate was finally sold last December for $9.5m.
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The listing read: "NBA Superstar Michael Jordan's seven-acre estate is as legendary as His Airness himself.
"The 56,000 square foot property, equipped with every conceivable luxury amenity, is a physical monument to his tireless dedication and hard work.
“The custom-designed property includes a regulation-sized basketball gymnasium, circular infinity pool, putting green, tennis court, and cigar room, each with Jordan's signature touch."
Since then, the property has become the centre of controversy.
John Cooper, who is a partner at a commercial real estate firm, bought the property last year and failed in his attempt to turn it into a $1 million-per-owner timeshare.
Now, he wants to transform the estate into a permanent tourist attraction.
According to Sportico, Cooper is set to appear before the Highland Park City Council to request a zoning amendment.
In an 18-page pitch deck, he described the proposal as “a unique destination designed to inspire personal transformation."
Cooper is seeking a special permit that would allow him to conduct regular tours of the property and access the car park of a neighbouring nature preserve.
He said the property would be open for visitors from 08:00 to 19:00 from May to October, with reduced hours for the remainder of the year.
Cooper is also requesting permission to host six annual evening events, each concluding by 23:00.
However, the proposal has already attracted criticism from local residents, who have raised concerns about the potential environmental impact.
An email posted online read: “A nature preserve exists to safeguard fragile ecosystems, not to facilitate the monetization of private property.
“This proposal makes it abundantly clear that Mr. Cooper does not understand the magnitude of destruction his plan will cause to [the nature preserve], and that is profoundly alarming.”
In an attempt to win approval from local government, Cooper has pledged to direct a percentage of ticket sales to the park district.
He said those charitable aims would be delivered through the creation of a non-profit called Champions Legacy, but he confirmed to Sportico that the organisation has not yet been set up.
Topics: Michael Jordan, NBA, Basketball
James Taylor