Essence LLC and Legacy Construction Chicago LLC Referred to Illinois Attorney General for Asbestos Violations at Fox Shore Apartments
Summary
Illinois EPA has referred an enforcement action to the Illinois Attorney General's Office against Essence LLC and Legacy Construction Chicago LLC for violations of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act and National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants. The referral stems from renovation activities at Fox Shore Apartments in Aurora that caused or threatened discharge of asbestos fibers into the environment. Illinois EPA is requiring relocation of all current residents until decontamination is complete.
What changed
Illinois EPA inspected the Fox Shore Apartments property in March and found that asbestos-containing acoustic ceiling texture had been improperly removed from multiple unoccupied units during renovation work without an approved abatement plan. The agency had previously notified the entities that no work should proceed until an abatement plan was approved.
The referral to the Illinois Attorney General's Office requests implementation of specific measures including stopping all activities at the facility and remediating under an approved project design plan. Property owner Essence LLC must implement its relocation plan to move all current residents from the 94-unit building until decontamination is complete and the building is cleared for reoccupation. Both Essence and Legacy face potential enforcement consequences for violations of state and federal hazardous air pollutant standards.
What to do next
- Cease all renovation activities at Fox Shore Apartments immediately
- Remediate the facility under an approved project design plan
- Relocate all current residents until decontamination is complete and building is cleared for reoccupation
Archived snapshot
Apr 11, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
April 10, 2026 Kim Biggs, Illinois EPA FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 217-558-1536
kim.biggs@illinois.gov Illinois EPA Refers Essence, LLC and Legacy Construction Chicago LLC
to Attorney General's Office for Enforcement Action Taken Following Improper Handling of Asbestos
Springfield - The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) has referred an enforcement
action to the Illinois Attorney General's Office against Essence, LLC d/b/a Essence IL Development, LLC (Essence) and Legacy Construction Chicago LLC (Legacy) following renovation activities that caused, threatened, or allowed the discharge of asbestos fibers into the environment at the Fox Shore Apartments, located at 430 North River Street, Aurora in Kane County. The activities violated the Illinois Environmental Protection Act, Illinois Pollution Control Board regulations, and the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants. Essence owns the Fox Shore Apartments, a four-story, multi-unit residential building. The building has 94 units, with 27 of them currently unoccupied. Illinois EPA was contacted by Essence after contracting with Legacy to conduct renovation work at Fox Shore Apartments. Renovation activities were conducted in unoccupied units. Essence asserts that, after renovations had begun, it received a Physical Inspection Report that had been completed for the property under a previous owner. The report recommended additional evaluations based on observation of friable asbestos containing material in multiple areas. After receipt of the report, Essence suspended all renovation activities. Illinois EPA inspected the property in March, examining the 27 unoccupied units, where asbestos- containing acoustic ceiling texture had been removed in many of the units. Illinois EPA noted no work should be done at the site until Illinois EPA had approved an abatement plan. No renovation work took place in occupied apartments, and the building does not have a shared HVAC system. Nevertheless, Illinois EPA is requiring Essence to relocate all current residents until the decontamination is complete, and the building is cleared for reoccupation. Essence has prepared a relocation plan to be implemented as soon as possible. Illinois EPA has developed a fact sheet/webpage to provide residents with additional information and to aid the transition.
- more - Essence-Legacy-Referral/2
The referral asks the Illinois Attorney General's Office to represent the Illinois EPA and requests that the entities implement measures, including stopping all activities at the facility and remediating the facility under an approved project design plan. ###
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