The Chieftain Group’s Lexington Park Condominiums at Cermak Road and Michigan Avenue in the South Loop bespeaks a lifestyle that is a far cry from the misdeeds of Al Capone and his cohorts, who claimed the site’s predecessor, the infamous Lexington Hotel, as their hideout during the Roaring Twenties.
Chieftain has taken great care to offer a balanced yet diverse panoply of features in this eco-friendly, LEED-certified residential complex. The diversity begins with the design, which consists of a 35-story glass-and-concrete condo tower connected by a parking structure to a neighboring seven-story low-rise loft building.
The two buildings are wed by a 15,000 square-foot park atop the parking decks. The park is heavily landscaped and features grilling and picnic areas and a dog run. Inside the tower are a number of amenities, such as a kitchenette with dining area, a well-appointed party room with a fireplace, and a fully-equipped fitness center.
The ground floor of the tower houses 18,000 square feet of retail space and an ultra-contemporary tower lobby made welcoming by a blend of stainless steel, stone and soft-colored millwork.
“The lobby is very inviting,” says Britta Rivera, vice president of sales for Chieftain’s U.S. branch. “And the retail space brings to the building a number of daily conveniences in order to accommodate the residents.”
The tower condos offer traditional designs with lots of open space, while the low-rise features classic “soft lofts” with concrete ceilings and partial walls that maximize airflow and natural light. All of the residences feature floor-to-ceiling windows. As a result, 75 percent of the units’ interior areas receive natural light, and the residents have a line of sight to the exterior from 90 percent of the floor area.
This feature contributes significantly to the project’s LEED Silver certification, as does the use of bamboo flooring, rubberized Parawood cabinetry, the extensive use of local building materials, and the expansive green roof.
The tower condos consist of one-bedroom / one-bath units (with and without dens), two-bedroom / one-bath units, and two-bedroom / two-bath units (with and without dens). The units range in size from 656 square feet to 1,346 square feet and are priced from the $230s to the $410s.
One-, two- and three-bedroom penthouses are still available on floors 32 and 33. They range in size from 1,068 to 1,645 square feet and are priced from $480s to the $720s.
The lofts are available in one-bedroom/one-bath layouts (with and without dens), as well as one two-bedroom / two-bath unit. The lofts range in size from 728 to 1,174 square feet for the one-bedrooms, which are priced from the $250s to the $310s. The one remaining two-bedroom has 1,212 square feet of living space and is priced in the $370s.
The lofts will be ready for delivery in the winter of 2008, while deliveries in the tower condos will begin in the spring of 2009. Deeded parking is available for $34,900 per space.
At press time, approximately 50 percent of the units were under contract, according to Rivera, who was quick to mention that policemen, firefighters, Chicago public-school teachers or any other City of Chicago employee now qualify for a $5,000 incentive when purchasing a unit.
Rivera also notes that, for a limited time, every buyer who purchases a loft condominium will receive a $10,000 incentive off the purchase price and parking for $17,450, or half price.
“This incentive is essentially the best out there. When combined, the buyer’s total savings is $27,450,” she says.
The Lexington Park Condominiums sales center and model are located at 2138 S Indiana Ave. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.