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4h ago

South Shore's Mama Africa's Marketplace Faces Jan. 23 Move-Out as Building Sale Nears

A sharp property-tax spike pushed the landlord to sell to a local veterans nonprofit.

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Spiritual elder Oshuntaye Brown, left, hugs Lakiesha Infarinu Williams, known as “Mama Africa,” as other members of the American Association of Brazilian Candomblé and Culture sing and drum at a party and fundraiser in Williams’ store, Mama Africa's Marketplace, in the South Shore neighborhood, Jan. 11, 2026. Williams' son, Godly, 2, is on her back. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

Overview

  • The landlord set a Jan. 23 deadline for owner Lakiesha Williams to vacate after her lease ended Dec. 31.
  • Leave No Veteran Behind, led by Eli Williamson, is poised to buy the building for use as its South Shore base, with the sale expected to close soon.
  • Property taxes on the building rose from $16,463 in 2022 to $58,592 in 2025, a 255% increase that the landlord cited in seeking a sale.
  • Williams raised about $25,000 toward a purchase but said lenders required $100,000 in cash against an estimated $550,000 offer.
  • The 4,000-square-foot marketplace has operated as a low-cost retail and event venue since 2021, and the parties dispute whether the purchase will preserve or displace that community role.