Chicago tenant without air conditioning during dangerous heat wave

CHICAGO - Juel Stanley has been without air conditioning in her 10th floor apartment on South Michigan Avenue since before the recent heat wave began. 

As heat index values topped 100 degrees for four consecutive days, the temperature inside her apartment quickly climbed to 80 degrees.

The backstory:

"Right now, it is tremendously hot. It feels like a sauna. I’ve been working, doing my best. I purchased a fan to try to get cooler temperatures," Stanley said. 

Unable to stay comfortably in her apartment, Stanley said she has been staying with her parents in the south suburbs while waiting for the air conditioning to be repaired.

Stanley said she chose to live at 820 S. Michigan Ave. because of the building's historic significance and her family's connection to its former owner. 

The landmark was the first downtown Chicago building designed by a Black architect and served as the longtime headquarters of Johnson Publishing Co., founded by publisher John H. Johnson. Its iconic Ebony/Jet sign overlooking Grant Park became a fixture of the city's skyline.

Stanley said her late stepmother and other family members worked at Johnson Publishing. When the building was converted into apartments, she said she was excited to make it her home.

"The Johnson publication building defines black excellence and it’s not being done in this way," Stanley said.

What's next:

Stanley said she has called and emailed the property's management team every day but has not received a response.

"I'm on night three of being displaced," she said. "Hope to get back into my apartment soon."