Estate in south suburbs once owned by R. Kelly and an Isley Brother listed for $3.5M

OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. — There’s a property for sale in Chicago’s south suburbs with a lot of history and mystery attached to it, particularly for music enthusiasts.

Its owners have included an early McDonald’s franchisee, R. Kelly and one of the Isley Brothers.

Considering its backstory, it’s the type of headline-grabbing property that doesn’t often hit the market. As its listing agent, Alex Wolking of Keller Williams ONEChicago, says, “maybe once every 10 years” will a property like this go up for sale.

The property is at 1 Maros Lane in Olympia Fields, abutting Olympia Fields Country Club, and it carries a lot of intrigue.

It’s an enclave that, as its Zillow listing rattles off, “has been home to and hosted Grammy winners, Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, Songwriters Hall of Famers, athletes and icons of business and politics.”

Previously owned by R. Kelly, the property is being sold by the widow of Rudolph Isley, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 as part of music’s legendary Isley Brothers.

Rudolph and Elaine Isley have owned the property since 2013. Rudolph died at the home at age 84 on Oct. 11, and the property was listed for sale on Jan. 4.

Rudolph Isley, founding member of Isley Brothers and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member, dies at 84

The asking price is a robust $3.5 million.

Given its intrigue for music aficionados, the property has garnered plenty of interest from people who don’t necessarily plan to meet that hefty price tag. But they may have other inquiries about it.

“We’ve had a lot of interest in it and a lot of fanfare around it,” Wolking said.

But Wolking also says there’s been plenty of interest from serious buyers who may want to purchase the 3.7-acre property, with a 21,182-square-foot home, at 1 Maros Lane.

“It is just such a truly unique compound,” Wolking says. “… There’s just nothing like it.”

That’s true for a number of reasons.

History

First, the property would make for a lengthy Wikipedia entry.

Wolking says the original home on the property was constructed in 1972.

Known as the “McDonald’s Mansion,” that home was built by James Maros, one of 50 original operators of McDonald’s restaurants. According to his 1996 obituary in the Chicago Tribune, Maros owned and ran 10 of the McDonald’s franchises in Chicagoland and is credited with creating the original Ronald McDonald doll.

In 1976, his obituary says, Maros received the Prime Minister of Israel Medal “for his commitment to making the future of Israel better.”

And yes, the street the home resides on is named after him.

Then, in the late 1990s, a different sort of celebrity moved onto the property.

Grammy-winning R&B singer and Chicago native R. Kelly purchased it and, as Wolking says, gutted the home that Maros built to create his own. So the home that now stands on the property wasn’t built until 1997.

Wolking says one of the big features R. Kelly put into his new home that’s still there is an indoor pool room, designed in a jungle theme, with a waterfall, hot tub, grotto, two-story treehouse, clubhouse, adjacent family room and full bath.

R. Kelly is now disgraced, however, serving effectively the remainder of his life in federal prison after being convicted of multiple sex crimes.

Some of those crimes allegedly happened at the mansion on 1 Maros Lane, but Wolking says he doesn’t believe any negative attachment to R. Kelly remains with the property.

That’s largely because the home was totally renovated after R. Kelly’s residence by Rudolph and Elaine Isley.

Saved from foreclosure

The home was not in good condition, falling into ruin and heading toward foreclosure, when the Isleys purchased it in 2013 and “totally renovated it,” Wolking says.

The property’s list of features on Zillow makes for quite a resume.

In addition to the aforementioned indoor pool room, these include:

• Seven bedrooms and 16 bathrooms, nine full and seven half.

• Double front doors that open into a grand foyer.

• High ceilings that allow for abundant natural light.

• A kitchen equipped with high-end appliances, including a double oven and a range.

• A 288-square-foot dining room.

• A 644-square-foot primary suite with a private lounge area, an en suite bathroom and multiple walk-in closets.

• An “in-laws’ suite” on the main floor, with a bedroom, a bathroom and pool access.

• An elevator that accesses all three levels of the home.

• A home theater.

• A library.

• A fitness center.

• A private outdoor sports court equipped for basketball, tennis and pickleball, with lighting.

• Landscaping that includes a pond and al fresco dining areas.

• An outdoor hot tub.

• A large garage for up to eight or nine cars, intended to showcase a prize collection, with a bar area and a bathroom.

• A wood-burning fireplace.

• A full basement.

There are many other odds and ends about the property for a meticulous owner, which you’d probably want to be if you’re spending $3.5 million.

“People that really like the privacy and like the ‘grandness’ of the house are the ones that are calling,” Wolking said.

But a lot of expensive properties can provide privacy and luxury. It’s the story of the property at 1 Maros Lane in Olympia Fields that makes it different.

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As Wolking puts it: “How often do you get to own a celebrity-owned home?”

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