(Above) George A. Tripp House at 42 East Superior Street, photographed in 2018, along with 44 and 46 East Superior Street. (Click on images to view larger versions.)

By Peter von Buol and Steven Dahlman

May 12, 2025 – Three historic row houses at 42, 44, and 46 East Superior Street, part of the City of Chicago’s Near North Side Historic Property District, have been listed for sale.

The properties, seized through foreclosure by a New York-based lender, Madison Realty Capital, are being sold through Jones Lang LaSalle amid an ongoing legal saga.

Former owners Jeffrey Laytin and Jason Ding, along with their firm, Symmetry Property Development, defaulted on a loan exceeding $20 million while attempting to realize a 60-story high-rise project.

The 12,478 square foot site at 42 East Superior Street includes a paved parking lot and is zoned DX-12, indicating a downtown mixed-use district.

Additionally, Jones Lang LaSalle, a global real estate services company with an office in Chicago, is marketing the neighboring 50 East Superior Street, a 15,879 square foot site featuring a seven-story office building totaling 113,300 square feet, also zoned DX-12.

(Left) This aerial view from the Jones Lang Lasalle website of the seven-story 50 East Superior Street (center), also known as the Western Methodist Book Concern Building, shows the three row houses at lower left.

As historic properties within the district, the 19th century row houses are protected from total demolition; however, developers can choose to retain their facades in new structures. Notably, large-scale developments require a Planned Development designation, which is subject to greater scrutiny from city officials than standard developments.

Laytin and Ding are under investigation for alleged fraudulent practices related to an additional $50 million loan provided by 89 Chinese investors participating in the federal EB-5 visa program. Each investor contributed $550,000 in hopes of obtaining American Permanent Resident Cards, commonly known as Green Cards. The EB-5 program has faced widespread criticism over fraud and fund mismanagement, making this case a significant example.

Attorney Doug Litowitz, who represents the investors, expressed disbelief at the lack of justice for the victims. “This situation has been absolutely insane,” said Litowitz (right). “If this wasn’t fraud, nothing is. Laytin and Ding had the money, and then it disappeared.”

Laytin and Ding’s demolition permits, filed in September 2018, prompted an emergency review due to the properties’ orange-rated status on the city’s historic resources survey, indicating potential landmark significance. The inclusion of these sites in the Near North Side Multiple Property Historic District occurred on March 20, 2020, as part of a broader historical identification process for buildings linked to early redevelopment following the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.

Litowitz remains frustrated by the lack of federal or local response to help the defrauded investors.

“Nothing has been done,” he said. “The federal magistrate recommended sanctions against Laytin and Ding’s operation, but progress has stalled.”