Developers buy site of famed Chicago restaurant

A group of developers have purchased the basement of a luxury condominium building from the city of Chicago that was once the site of a famed restaurant.

Officials say the former home of was purchased for $1.37 million by a group that wants to re-establish it as a gourmet restaurant.

Maxim's opened in 1963 and quickly became the gathering spot for celebrities and Chicago's elite, according to a history on the city of chicago's web site. The striking décor, an exact replica of the famous Parisian restaurant, was just the starting point. The opulent ambiance, fine food, and the renown of the original Maxim's were an unbeatable combination, and soon anybody who was anybody showed up. Liza Minnelli, Rod Steiger, Woody Allen, and Audrey Hepburn were just some of the bold-face names who dined there.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports the buyers include Doughnut Vault proprietor Brendan Sodikoff.

During its heyday in the 1960s and 1970s, Maxim's attracted people like Liza Minnelli, Rod Steiger, Woody Allen, and Audrey Hepburn. It closed more than a quarter century ago, and the property was donated to the city of Chicago in 2000 by Nancy Goldberg, widow of architect Bertrand Goldberg.

The 8,000-square-foot space was used for special events as the Nancy Goldberg International Center.