Champions Point Museum At Michael Jordan's Former Home Unanimously Denied By City

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — The Highland Park City Council unanimously shot down a proposal to turn basketball star Michael Jordan's former home, known as Champions Point, into a museum.

Champions Point Owner John Cooper sought to change the city's zoning code to turn the home into an immersive museum experience dedicated to greatness.

Cooper originally proposed the museum idea to the Highland Park City Council in December, where community members and city officials expressed skepticism.

Both the public and councilmembers brought up concerns about the amount of traffic and visitors the property could attract. Neighbors said they were worried about a large number of strangers near their property.

Before Monday's City Council meeting, Cooper told Patch that he took everybody's feedback into consideration and made some changes to his proposal to better support the community.

"The highest priority here is to maintain the integrity of the neighborhood," Cooper told Patch. "There are neighbors who live on Point Lane and Museum Drive there, and I want to make sure that this is not affecting their day-to-day lives."

At the meeting, after Cooper's presentation, several community members shared their thoughts during public comment. A majority of the community who spoke were against the proposal, but other speakers said that the property becoming a museum could boost the local economy and attract visitors to Highland Park.

"Highland Park has always been a special place, and I think with Champions Point, it could become the kind of destination that other North Shore communities will look at and wish they had. I don't want this opportunity to pass us by," one resident said.

One resident who lives in the Architecture Point neighborhood, who opposed the museum plan, argued that Champions Point is not unique or special.

"We've heard comparisons to Ravinia Festival and suggestions that it could serve as a community asset. But the reality is much simpler. There's nothing inherently unique about this property itself. This perceived specialness is based entirely on who used to live there, Michael Jordan, and not anything the property actually is today that matters," the resident said.

Many residents expressed concern about how the zoning change could negatively affect a relatively quiet neighborhood. Neighbors said the proposal didn't align with the character of the neighborhood.

Ultimately, the city council unanimously voted not to allow the zoning change. Mayor Nancy Rotering said allowing the change to the zoning code would set a dangerous precedent.

"I think this sets a bad precedent because there are plenty of other interesting spots that could potentially become something commercial in the middle of a residential neighborhood. I have concerns about, probably for a lot of people who live in the neighborhood, their greatest asset suddenly being degraded by virtue of a commercial enterprise being next door," Rotering said.