Although it’s been more than 20 years since Michael Jordan stepped off the basketball court for good in 2003, fans still love any chance they get to connect with the former NBA star. But recently, residents of the affluent Chicago suburb where he once lived have been speaking out about the new owner’s latest plans for his place.
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After more than a decade on the market, John Cooper bought Jordan’s abandoned nine-bedroom, 19-bathroom Highland Park crib for $9.5 million in December 2024. As we’ve previously reported, Cooper has since used the place he renamed “Champions Point” as a timeshare and a swanky Airbnb. But now, he’s asking the town for a zoning change and announcing his plans to turn the home into a museum.
“The theme of the tour is going to be ‘greatness,’ and our goal is to kind of teach people what it means to be great at life,” Cooper told the Highland Park City Council during a Dec. 15 pitch for his plan, according to ABC 7.
Cooper says he wants to give visitors an “immersive, multi-sensory experience focused on personal transformation.” Although most will have to pay to get a peek inside the 7-acre space, he says he’d like to work with schools and various non-profit organizations to designate days to provide free access to the place the NBA legend once called home.
But while some think Cooper’s plan is a great tribute to the NBA legend who brought six NBA championships to the Second City, some area residents are uneasy about the idea of bringing increased traffic to the otherwise quiet neighborhood.
“The thought of a large number of strangers coming in and out right next to our door brings us a lot of fear,” one neighbor said during the Dec. 15 meeting.
Others agreed, expressing concern for their kids who have been able to play in their yards in peace.
“We’ve already been burdened by the noise and nuisance that has gone on,” another neighbor told The North Shore Record. “I have a pool less than 300 feet from the path. I have kids and grandkids who play in the pool. The last thing I want is for them to be burdened by gawkers running down the street and infiltrating our yard.”
Another neighbor hopes the whole thing will just go away.
“Just let this one die a quiet death,” he told The North Shore Record
The Highland Park City Council didn’t make a final decision on Cooper’s plan during the meeting, but we’ll keep our eye on the story for any updates.
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