Chicago tenant endures heat wave without air conditioning in historic building

A Chicago tenant spent several nights away from her apartment last week after her building's air conditioning stopped working during a heatwave. Juel Stanley lives on the tenth floor of 820 S. Michigan Avenue, a historic building in the South Loop. For four days, temperatures outside felt like over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, while her indoor temperature climbed to 80 degrees.

Stanley called and emailed her property management company every day but received no reply. She eventually stayed with relatives in the south suburbs for at least three nights because the conditions in her flat were unbearable.

The building has personal meaning for Stanley. It was formerly the headquarters of Johnson Publishing, the company behind Ebony and Jet magazines, where members of her family once worked.