Olympia Fields mansion built by R. Kelly listed for $3.5 million

The massive, 30-room Olympia Fields mansion that disgraced recording artist R. Kelly once owned was listed Wednesday for $3.499 million.

The six-bedroom, 21,182-square-foot mansion only has had celebrity owners. Kelly, currently imprisoned on a sentence of more than 30 years after being convicted twice in the past two years on a slew of child sexual abuse charges, constructed it in 1997. Kelly lost the mansion to foreclosure in 2013, and another musician, Rudolph Isley, founding member of the R&B soul group the Isley Brothers, and his wife, Elaine, paid $587,500 for the mansion later that year.

The Isleys then undertook a major renovation of the mansion. Now, with Rudolph Isley having passed away in October at age 84, his estate has decided to list the mansion.

“When Rudolph and Elaine Isley bought the house, it had fallen to ruin,” listing agent Alex Wolking of Keller Williams ONEChicago told Elite Street. “It was a foreclosure and sat vacant for three years. The basement had been flooded, and they remodeled it to include a 1950s-style diner. They put in a new kitchen, and resurfaced the sport court. They’ve done a ton of work to it.”

Wolking’s listing credits the Isleys with investing “millions” in the mansion. Features include nine full bathrooms, seven half bathrooms, a grand foyer, soaring ceilings, a kitchen with top-of-the-line appliances and custom cabinetry, an elevator, a home theater, a diner, a fully equipped fitness center, a library, an in-law suite and a primary bedroom suite with multiple walk-in closets.

The mansion has a two-story indoor swimming pool room that is done in a jungle theme and has a waterfall, a grotto, a clubhouse and a two-story treehouse.

“There’s nothing like it, period,” Wolking said. “It’s 21,000 square feet and every inch is used. There’s no wasted space here.”

Outside on the 3.7-acre property, which adjoins the Olympia Fields Country Club, are the resurfaced sport court, a pond, several al fresco dining areas and a six-car garage.

The property had a $253,959 property tax bill in the 2022 tax year.

The asking price stands out in Olympia Fields, where the next-highest asking price for a house is $1.05 million for a 7,273-square-foot home. Elsewhere in the southern suburbs, one of the highest asking prices is a $3.15 million price tag for a 12,000-square-foot mansion in Frankfort.

Goldsborough is a freelance reporter.

Join our Chicago Dream Homes Facebook group for more luxury listings and real estate news.