THINGS ARE not looking so good in Chigago for Dublin developer Garret Kelleher, above, who has been planning to build the city’s tallest apartment block, The Spire.
Not only is the city not now getting the Olympics – which would have boosted sales at The Spire – but there is a fresh setback for the scheme.
The owner of NBC Tower has sued to evict Kelleher’s firm from the riverfront skyscraper, where Shelbourne Group Inc has a lavish sales centre for the stalled Chicago Spire project.
Shelbourne, which leases the entire 18th floor in the 36-storey building, owes rent dating back to April of this year, according to a complaint filed in Cook County Circuit Court by a partnership that owns the building.
If Shelbourne is evicted, the firm could lose much of its $10 million (€6.71m) investment in the sales centre, which includes a fully built-out model, and lavishly fitted-out show apartments designed in consultation with the architect of the scheme, Santiago Calatrava.
The eviction suit is another sign of financial strain for Mr Kelleher’s once-glittering plan to build a 2,000ft high skyscraper on a site along the north bank of the Chicago River, west of North Lake Shore Drive.
More than a year ago Calatrava, joined a number of contractors filing liens against the site for unpaid bills.
Mr Calatrava alleges he is owed $11.34 million (€7.61m).
In August, a lender sued Shelbourne to collect $4.9 million (€3.29m) on two unpaid loans used to pay for preliminary development expenses.
