Andrew Hertzberg
Last November, Che “Rhymefest” Smith purchased the childhood home of Kanye West in hopes of turning it into an arts incubator. But now architects of the project say it must be torn down.
The building is located at 7815 S. South Shore Drive in the South Shore neighborhood. Smith purchased the house to be used as a studio for Donda’s House, a non-profit founded by West and Smith in honor of West’s late mother.
The announcement was made last year in an Instagram post. “We want to show bright spots in communities thatve been divested from, we know more Lights exist here, they just need to be activated.”
According the DNA Info, Smith has said that the cost it would take the repair the house would exceed the cost of tearing it down completely and building again.
Donda’s House was launched in 2013 with the mission of providing access to the arts in underserved communities.
The organization is planning a large-scale fundraiser for Giving Tuesday on November 28th, 2017. More details and ways to get involved have been posted on the Donda’s House website.
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Kanye West is a board member of Donda’s House, but he has not released a personal comment or statement on this decision.
