I had always wondered if Flair Tower, the 198-unit apartment building under construction at the corner of Erie and Franklin streets, would look anything like the original sketch, and now it looks like I have an answer.
While we were admiring the view from the upper floors of Silver Tower yesterday, @properties agent Jason Pohlonski mentioned that the design had changed, and that developer McCaffery Interests had decided to depart from the more traditional-looking high-rise with the mansard roof (at left) that had originally been proposed.
Now, Flair Tower’s Web site shows a boxier, more conventional glass-and-steel high-rise (at right) that could be mistaken for one of the Museum Park towers in the South Loop.
Aside from the design shift, it looks like pedestrians will have more than just a cement wall to look at as they pass Flair Tower. The parking garage is scaled with the tower’s namesake, Flair House, and it appears to have window and awnings that suggest retail. According to the developer’s Web site, McCaffery will be aiming for LEED certification and the building will feature 9,500 square feet of retail space.