CHICAGO — What was once a tidy brick home filled with family warmth on Chicago’s South Side slowly descended into ruin and drug use following the deaths of its owners — the parents of Leonard “Pope Leo” Pope, a once-rising Chicago music figure. Years later, the house at 212 W. 109th Place is finally seeing a new chapter, thanks to a man who calls its purchase “the best decision I ever made.”
A House of Memories Turned Into a Trap
The modest, red-brick home in the Roseland neighborhood was once filled with laughter, music, and Sunday dinners. But after Pope’s father died of cancer in 2010, followed by his mother’s death from COVID-19 in 2020, everything changed.
“The house was just sitting there. No one was checking on it,” Pope told Daily Mail. “After my mom passed, it was like people just started squatting. It became a drug den.”
Squatters broke in. Windows were smashed. Copper wiring stripped. At one point, Pope said someone even tried to strip the stairs for scrap. The house that once represented a strong Black family’s success now stood as a symbol of community neglect and personal grief.
“I Didn’t Have the Money — Or the Energy”
Following his mother’s passing, Pope said he was not in a position to maintain the property, emotionally or financially. Despite being a fixture in Chicago’s underground rap scene, he didn’t have the means to hold onto the family home.
He eventually made peace with the idea of letting it go.
“I wanted it to go to someone who would care for it,” he said.
From Ruin to Renewal: A South Sider Steps In
That someone turned out to be James Glover, a local contractor who purchased the home in a Cook County tax sale. What he found inside was shocking — used needles, drug paraphernalia, and piles of trash.
“It was like walking into a war zone. But I could see the bones were still good,” Glover said.
He invested around $75,000 into the full renovation, replacing floors, windows, wiring, and even the stairs. The home now boasts a bright red door, fresh paint, new appliances, and a restored soul.
“It’s one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done,” Glover added.
A Community Symbol — And a Cautionary Tale
The house at 212 W. 109th is more than just real estate. For many in the Roseland area, it’s a symbol of how easily cherished places can be lost — and how powerful it can be when someone chooses to restore them.
Pope says he’s thrilled that his childhood home is no longer a hazard but a place of life again.
“I may not own it anymore,” he said, “but knowing it’s not being used like that anymore means the world to me.”
Do you have memories of a home, building, or community space that’s changed — for better or worse — in your Chicago neighborhood? Share your story with us at ChicagoSuburbanFamily.com.
