Michael Jordan's Former IL Mansion Could Become A Museum: Reports

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — The owner of Michael Jordan’s former home in Highland Park hopes to turn the property into a museum, but city officials are skeptical, according to reports.

John Cooper is seeking to change the zoning on the site, known as Champions Point, to create an immersive museum experience on the 7-acre property and to partner with public and nonprofit entities on free-admission days, WLS reported.

Cooper projects 300 visitors daily, a number that one city council member felt was too optimistic, according to NBC Chicago.

Members of the public turned out at a council meeting on Monday, with one neighbor worried about “a large number of strangers coming in and out” while another person touted the proposal as an economic opportunity and celebration of a Chicago icon, WLS reported.

The council voted 4-3 to keep the door open on the idea with more discussion ahead, according to NBC Chicago, which noted that the city previously rejected plans to use the site as a timeshare and that leaders worried about how the nearby Helen Nature Center would be affected by a museum.

Jordan's mansion was sold to Cooper late last year for $9.5 million after nearly 13 years on the market. Originally listed for $29 million in February 2012, the final sale price came in at less than one-third of the amount Jordan initially asked for the house.

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