Prairie District Lofts aims for reasonable prices with rare South Loop lofts

Developers Keith and Brian Giles spent much of the mid- to late 1990s converting old warehouses and factories throughout the South Loop into loft condos that were at once chic and rugged. In the process, they helped to transform an industrial wasteland into the city's fastest growing neighborhood. They also managed to put themselves out of business, at least in this particular development niche. (more…)

CMK combines cutting-edge design with affordable prices in South Loop

On a recent January afternoon, a young woman in slim gray pants and a white fur-trimmed parka passed through a hallway at 1620 South Michigan, the sleek high-rise completed late last summer in the South Loop. She looked as if she might have been designed to go with the building, to match its white walls, clean lines and slabs of exposed concrete. (more…)

RDM's 1400 N. Lake Shore Drive offers modern amenities in historic setting  

When RDM Development's Robert Mosky acquired the vintage Gold Coast apartment building at 1400 N. Lake Shore Drive, he saw an opportunity to convert its apartments into condos that combined Old World charm with 21st century technology. (more…)

MCL's ParkView offers an oasis in bustling Streeterville    Â

Streeterville is a busy, beautiful, hyperactive neighborhood. People who live here want to be in the thick of the action, and Streeterville has it all – the lake, Oak Street Beach, Magnificent Mile shopping, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Navy Pier… But as folks in Streeterville will tell you, even those who thrive on city action need the occasional break from it. Â

MCL Companies is addressing that need at ParkView, a 47-story high-rise that, as the name suggests, overlooks a park. And not just any park. The developer commissioned the San Francisco architectural firm of Hargreaves Associates to design a striking 74,000-square-foot multi-level park that sits immediately east of the new high-rise on a parcel of land at McClurg Court and Illinois Street. The park features seasonal plantings and a series of paths that wind through shaded seating areas, play areas and a section earmarked for a fountain. (more…)

Azure Tower's terra cotta and blue glass designed to engage Boul Mich

by Dan Schuyler

Here's a question for designers and developers eyeing South Michigan Avenue: how do you make your high-rise stand out when the competition is as intense as a football game between the Bears and the Packers?

The stretch of Michigan Avenue between Roosevelt Road and Cullerton Street is the epicenter of development in the booming South Loop, with six high-rises, one mid-rise and one loft project currently in various stages of marketing. (more…)

KB Home offers luxury houses minus maintenance at Creekside

by Dan Schuyler

What do today's new-home buyers want in floor plans, finishes, landscaping and architecture? Before KB Home began building houses in suburban Chicago, the company surveyed scores of recent buyers to answer this question. (more…)

CBI Custom Homes sweats the details for $3.9 million Tudor in Glencoe

by Dan Schuyler

When you cast an eye over design-build firm CBI Custom Homes' stunning period-specific houses, you're reminded of the quotation from 19th century Chicago architect Daniel Burnham displayed on the company's Web site, CBICustomHomes.com: "Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood." (more…)

Lagrange's cutting-edge X/O towers ready to tango in the South Loop 

Architect Lucien Lagrange is best known for his ultra-luxury buildings in and around the Gold Coast, elegant structures that, observers often remark, look like they've always been here. But with projects such as Erie on the Park and Kingsbury on the Park, favorites among local architects (see architecture feature on pg. 34), Lagrange proved he was just as capable of making bold statements and creating buildings that both stand out in and enhance Chicago's famous skyline. (more…)

Thrush's 740 Fulton sits head and shoulders above West Loop neighbors One of the best places in Chicago to linger over lunch or an after-work drink is the roof deck at Pegasus, the Greek Town restaurant at 130 S. Halsted St. It's not so much the food, which is terrific, as the breathtaking views of downtown that make the experience. From this third-floor space, the Sears Tower looks close enough to touch and the sun playing on one of the world's great skylines is worth a trip to the West Loop no matter where you live.

Now, consider that at The Thrush Companies 740 Fulton high-rise development, several blocks north, the first residence doesn't start until the fifth floor, and you might be tempted to join the 100-plus condo buyers who decided to live where they could enjoy similar views without leaving their living room. (more…)

Ivy Hall caps new University Village, adding houses to mix

During the past five years the historic Maxwell Street neighborhood has gone from a strip of dilapidated storefronts and vacant lots to University Village, a bustling mixed-use community located on 68 acres adjacent to the University of Illinois at Chicago campus, on the Near West Side.

Built by the South Campus Development Team (SCDT), a joint venture of Mesirow Stein Real Estate Inc., Harlem Irving Cos. and New Frontier Cos., University Village is entering its third and final phase of development with Ivy Hall, a collection of more than 160 walkup condominiums, more than 30 townhomes, and 36 single-family homes. (more…)