The exterior of Catalpa Gardens Condominiums, 1122 W Catalpa Ave, (note: the project’s Web site appears to be down at the moment) features bold contrasts – all three towers are being painted blue and gold.
“The original architects who designed the building held the belief that Edgewater has a lot of colorful buildings, like the Edgewater Beach Hotel,” says Charles L. Cornelius Jr., president of Development Ventures, Inc., the developer. “This was a contribution to that [history].” Greene & Proppe Design was the first architect on the project, which has since been taken over by BDSM Architects.
Catalpa Gardens held an opening Thursday night, and we stopped by to tour a unit and catch a glimpse inside the development claiming to be Edgewater’s largest. The project comprises three 11-story towers and 126 one- and two-bedroom units. According to Cornelius, about 65 percent of the condos are sold.
One-bedrooms ranging from 657 to 803 square feet are priced from $199,900 to $249,900, and two-bedrooms ranging between 1,054 and 1,408 square feet are priced from $283,400 to $399,000, says Wayne Caplan, a senior associate with Sheldon Good Brokerage, LLC, which is marketing the project.
Besides the colorful exterior, two features stood out when we walked through the project: glass walkways that connect the three towers and a spacious garden area on the fourth floor.
The glass walkways had impressive views of the lake and St. Ita’s Church, 5500 N Broadway St. The fourth floor is set back slightly from the building’s eastern facade, making space for a terrace. The view from the terrace gives you a good feel for Edgewater: the el rumbles past on the tracks next to the building, and the Edgewater Beach Hotel’s pink exterior stands out from other gritty buildings. Renderings of the project show landscaped roof decks, but we didn’t get to tour those.
Cornelius says most work on the building will be finished in the summer. Deliveries begin June 21, and units can be ready within 30 days of closing, he says.
New Homes Magazine named Catalpa Gardens the best new mid-rise of 2005.
