Preservationists are trying to stop the sale of the historic Highland park estate that insurance magnate Mickey Segal had to forfeit as part of his conviction for racketeering, fraud and other crimes. The 17-acre property along Sheridan Road, built as the A.G. Becker estate, includes grounds designed by landscape architect Jens Jensen and a Tudor Revival home designed by Howard Van Doren Shaw.
We reported in spring that Orren Pickell Designers & Builders was interested in the property, much to the dismay of historic preservationists, who fear the original landscaping will be ruined if the estate is subdivided for development. Pickell won an auction for the property this week and according to the Chicago Tribune, met with the judge, prosecutors and the preservationists trying to head off a sale yesterday.