Ken Norman's Flossmoor Mansion, Formerly In Disrepair, Torn Down

FLOSSMOOR, IL — The famous, then infamous, home of former NBA player Ken Norman was demolished Wednesday morning after safety concerns and vandalism pushed the home's new owner to start from scratch, village officials said.

The property, located at 19020 South Kedzie Avenue, used to be an elegant mansion with an indoor pool and basketball court. However, once the property was sold in a 2015 auction, it became clear the current state of the home could not support tenants.

Norman purchased the 2-acre property in 1989 for $430,000. It currently sits in unincorporated Rich Township, but new developers told Patch they hope the village of Flossmoor will annex the property since it is located between two Homewood-Flossmoor establishments.

"It's a reflection on our community," Flossmoor Mayor Michelle Nelson told the Daily Southtown. "In its heyday it was a beautiful reflection on the community. In its current state it is not."

The home was bought in 2015 by Randy Pertler, who first tried to fix the home up before realizing it would not be suitable. Norman disclosed mold issues in the property when he first put it up for sale in 2013. According to village police, issues of vandalism and trespassing on the property have further weakened the infrastructure.

Now, Pertler plans to use the land to build about 30 to 35 condominium units. The project is estimated to cost around $5 million and will soon be open for potential investors, Pertler said.