City of Waukegan Forces Sale of Lakeside Towers Apartments—New Owner to Invest $20 Million in Rehab
Waukegan Mayor Ann Taylor had enough of the slumlord owners of Lakeside Tower Apartments and forced the owner to sell the property through court action.
Speaking to the Lake County News-Sun, Taylor said, “I was fed up with the deplorable and inhumane conditions existing at Lakeside Towers,” Taylor said in an email. Screens were missing from windows, and trash was thrown from the upper stories of the building because the trash chutes were chronically clogged. Plumbing issues resulted in some residents being unable to use their bathrooms.”
City Attorney Kelley Gandurski also described the building as “dangerous and hazardous,” according to the Lake County News-Sun.
A forced sale of this type hasn’t occurred in recent Waukegan history, but for anyone that follows Waukegan’s crime challenges, the address of 200 Julian Street in Waukegan is well known. The former owner, Apex Waukegan, had let conditions get so bad that elderly residents couldn’t even leave their apartments because the elevators would often not work. Residents reported missing essential doctor appointments.
The Aequo Foundation is the new owner of the building and met with tenets after the sale went through. The organization plans to invest $20 million into rehabbing Lakeside Tower to ensure that it provides a safe place for residents.
The sale of Lakeside Tower in Waukegan’s 4th ward will likely bring significant relief to its residents, neighbors, and businesses around the building who have witnessed crimes in and surrounding the neglected building.
