Swift Mansion fire was arson, CPD says

Chicago police arson detectives continue to investigate a weekend fire at the Swift Mansion in Bronzeville, a historic 131-year-old building whose owners allegedly moved to evict nine residents in the weeks leading up to the blaze.

Three tenants of the mansion, located at 4500 S. Michigan Ave., filed lawsuits in late November against the building’s owners. The complaints allege nine low-income tenants were illegally evicted from the building to make room for South American migrants who have made their way to Chicago.

The lawsuits each allege the building owners entered into a contract with the city to provide housing for migrants within the mansion. The first hearing in each of the lawsuits is scheduled for mid-January 2024, court records show.

Procurement data listed by the city shows no contracts with the building owners, but records from the city’s Department of Buildings show a permit was issued on Nov. 1 to replace or repair drywall inside.

The building owners could not be…