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An Update and History of "Villa Taj" in Burr Ridge Monument Turned Nightmare

  Financial troubles doomed $25 million Burr Ridge mansion that  
  owner says was a tribute to cultural integration

April 01, 2011

By Ted Gregory, Tribune reporter

 Dr. Husam Aldairi envisioned his dramatic mansion as a monument to the blending of cultures. He named it Villa Taj and made it hard to miss.Situated on a prominent intersection in the exclusive Chicago suburb of Burr Ridge, the home has a gold Jerusalem limestone exterior done in neo-Byzantine Moorish revival. The interior, appointed in Brazilian wood and Italian marble, features nine fireplaces, a soaring ballroom and 20-car basement garage.

But the path to completion became a nightmare. Residents who mistakenly thought a mosque was being built phoned Village Hall and complained. Aldairi, a dentist, says officials unfairly imposed excruciating construction delays. Then came a sexual harassment judgment against his business — not him — and a bankruptcy filing. Finally, in late February, pipes burst in the unoccupied mansion and an estimated 6 million gallons of water soaked the home.

An estate once valued at $25 million is now in receivership. The village is expecting a crew to strip the interior and cart away debris. And what was meant as a monument to cultural fusion — the name Villa Taj is an Italian-Persian mix meaning "crown jewel country residence" — now faces an uncertain future.

Read The Rest of Ted Gregory's Tribune Report Here

The Most "Under Water" Home in Illinois? $ 25 Million Burr Ridge Mansion Flooded

Pricey Burr Ridge Mansion Flooded

Burr Ridge has declared the 450,000-square-foot home an unsafe building

By LISA BALDE and CHARLIE WOJCIECHOWSKI

Even Villa Taj, the most expensive home on the Illinois market, is susceptible to water damage.

Earlier this month pipes burst in the vacated home's second-floor bathrooms and spilled a whopping six million gallons into the 45,000-square-foot Burr Ridge mansion.

The water accumulated over several weeks before a real estate agent for the home, which was listed in 2009
 for $25 million, discovered it on March 5.

That much water could supply the village of Burr Ridge for two to three days, according to Community Development Director Doug Pollock, and it ultimately did damage on every floor. Floors have buckled and ceilings collapsed. 

  

"I don't know how much the bill would be, but it will be a lot," Pollack said. "And we will bill [the owner] for it." 

The home is known as "the crown jewel of the Midwest" for its 160 tons of imported Gold Jerusalem stone, 20-car heated garage and 15,000 square-feet of terrace space.

The village declared the building unsafe.

The post-flood listing price of the home isn't known. At its height, Villa Taj flaunted features such as:

• Five master bedroom suites, each with bathrooms, walk-in closets, fireplaces, and handcrafted ornamental doors


• Jacuzzi-equipped bathrooms


• Conservatory, library, cigar room, wine cellar, dining lounge, formal dining room, grand kitchen, family entertainment room and a 2,400 square foot central ballroom


• Two-lane bowling alley