What makes a suburban high-rise development “ultra-luxury”? Well, according to housing analyst Tracy Cross & Associates, any condo development with units priced at $400 a square foot or higher is considered to be in the super league, as opposed to downtown Chicago, where the benchmark is $600 and up.
We only found one such development in north and northwest suburban Chicago – Winthrop Properties‘ Winthrop Club Condominiums at 1567 Maple St in Evanston, were units are priced from the $320s to $1.8 million.
Perhaps it’s a sign of how far downtown Evanston has come in the last few years that such a development can command a price-per-square-foot range from the $400s to the $500s.
Don’t expect to find the kind of luxe finishes you get in ultra-luxury homes in downtown Chicago, however. What you will get for your money is granite countertops, Italian cabinets, stainless appliances and Kohler fixtures. Parking is included in the price and some of the larger units come with two parking spaces. This is still the ‘burbs, after all. Amenities include a 24-hour doorman, a swimming pool and a club room with a “home-theater.”
Originally the developer planned to build a nouveau vintage high-rise that harks back to the grand old buildings along Lake Shore Drive, but, interestingly, the Evanston Plan Commission stepped in and insisted on something more contemporary.
FitzGerald Associates Architects designed a glassy high-rise that the developer says evokes International style architecture. The homes have views of the lake, Evanston and the downtown Chicago skyline.