

Pews to Penthouses: Church Conversion Anchors the Rise of ‘Gold Coast West’
(Above) The former Wayman African Methodist Episcopal Church. Photo: @properties Christie’s International Real Estate / Compass. BY DON DEBAT In the heart of what was once the nation’s most infamous public housing project, a 137-year-old church is being gutted for $1.4 million condos – anchoring a luxury transition that developers are rebranding as ‘Gold Coast West.’ The Near North Side neighborhood once infamously known as the Cabrini-Green public housing “ghetto” is at a cr
Don DeBat
Feb 15


Renters and Landlords Feel the Bite of Tardy Property Tax Bills
Photo by Ralf Kleemann As property tax bills hit Chicago landlords with increases of up to 31.7 percent, renters can expect significant rent hikes next spring. By Don DeBat Rental apartment dwellers and landlords both are beginning to realize that the city of Chicago, Cook County, state of Illinois, and the federal government are not their friends. After months of uncertainty and delay, Cook County officials on November 14 finally mailed the second installment of 2024 propert
Don DeBat
Nov 26, 2025


Drop in New Apartment Starts Could Spark Downtown Rent Hikes
Apartment hunters in downtown Chicago may encounter sharply higher rents next spring due to a significant drop in new rental unit...
Don DeBat
Sep 1, 2025


As Floods Rise, is Chicago the Windy City, or Water City?
(Above) 2017 photo of a flooded Chicago Riverwalk. As recent monsoon-like rains inundate neighborhoods, Chicago homeowners are grappling...
Don DeBat
Aug 24, 2025


Democratic Machine Attempts to Dump Assessor Kaegi
(Above) Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi (left in photo) and Lyons Township Assessor Patrick Hynes. Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi is...
Don DeBat
Jul 30, 2025


Southeast Side a Better Fit for Permanent NASCAR Track
(Above) Driver Shane van Gisbergen competes in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Grant Park on July 6 (AP Photo/Erin Hooley). Residents and...
Don DeBat
Jul 13, 2025


New Ordinance Will Provide More Regulation of Short-term Rentals in Chicago
(Above) Dining/Great Room of an Airbnb in Old Town. Interior photos by Andrew Charles Miller. (Click on images to view larger versions.)...
Don DeBat
Jun 3, 2025


Apartment Renters and Landlords Battle Over Move-In Fees
A conflict is brewing between landlords and tenants in Chicago’s North Side apartment rental market over non-refundable move-in fees. A...
Don DeBat
May 17, 2025



