Fed up with what they describe as unsafe and unsanitary conditions, tenants at Parkside Apartments, 143 N. Parkside Ave. on Chicago’s West Side, marched this month to demand long-overdue repairs. Residents say they have dealt with raw sewage in hallway drains, recurring bed‑bug infestations, and ceilings that are literally crumbling over their heads. Organizers with the Parkside Terrace Alliance say the building’s new owner, Infinity Capital Partners, and on‑site manager, East Lake Management, have not delivered on maintenance and security promises. Tenants paused a rent strike this summer after an agreement with the owner, but they say the concessions have not translated into the repairs they were promised.
City Takes Owner To Court
The Chicago Department of Buildings has taken the building’s owner to court and scheduled a hearing for Dec. 4, 2025, after city inspectors cited multiple violations. Inspection records from May 19 list 10 citations, including failures to maintain exterior walls, exterior doors, and stairwells, and the property has failed its past four inspections, according to Block Club Chicago. Tenants say those records simply put on paper what they have lived with for months, pointing to raw sewage, unsecured entrances, and dangerous wiring as daily realities.
Tenants Organized Months Ago
Residents formed the Parkside Terrace Alliance earlier this year and began pressing management in the spring. They staged a rally in May to document moldy hallways, broken locks, and overflowing trash, then reported those issues to the new manager and the owner. Coverage at the time captured long‑simmering frustration from tenants who said maintenance requests went unanswered and described the building’s decline after last year’s sale. East Lake Management told Austin Weekly News it was conducting inspections and working to address the problems.
Promises, No Repairs
Organizers say a mid‑August agreement with Infinity Capital Partners promised to forgive “tens of thousands of dollars” in owed rent, hire security and add two building staffers, including a janitor, in exchange for calling off the rent strike. Tenants say those promised changes have yet to materialize. Residents continue to report bed‑bug infestations, plumbing backups that leave human waste in hallways, faulty wiring, and ceilings that are visibly sagging. One tenant told Austin Weekly News, “We need our building back.” State Rep. La Shawn Ford joined a Nov. 8 rally calling for inspections of individual units, and Ald. Chris Taliaferro (29th) said his office had filed 311 requests and contacted city departments about the building, according to Block Club Chicago.
Legal Implications
The Department of Buildings is pursuing remedies aimed at forcing repairs and ensuring the property is brought up to code. If the city prevails, a judge can order abatement, require specific repairs, and schedule follow‑up inspections under court supervision. Tenants and organizers say they plan to press their case at the Dec. 4 hearing while continuing public actions to push for immediate fixes.
In the meantime, residents say they will keep documenting conditions and organizing neighbors until the owner completes the repairs or the court compels changes. The outcome of the December hearing will determine whether Parkside Apartments finally sees the basic maintenance that tenants say has been missing for months.
