As new residential construction continues to change the face of the city, developers are finding it increasingly difficult to craft a project that makes a statement in its home neighborhood.
Joint-venture developers Castlebar Enterprises Inc. and Stillpoint Development appear to have accomplished just that with Halsted Row, their 44-unit condo project at 2847 – 2905 N Halsted St in Lake View.
Comprised of five buildings designed with retail space on the ground floor and condos above, Halsted Row sits along what is arguably Chicago’s busiest street. The five in-line structures are examples of the “Chicago Style” architecture that began gracing the city a century ago.
While Halsted Row’s brick and masonry exterior nods to the colors, materials and textures of its environs, it was important to pay homage to the ground-level commercial character of Halsted Street, according to Jeff Goulette, the project architect and a partner in the firm of Sullivan, Goulette & Wilson Ltd.
“We definitely wanted to hold the integrity of the street,” said Goulette, pointing out that in so doing on a project of this length, it creates a strong presence. “On the other hand, the length of the sequence of buildings cried out for some interruption, so we created separation by inserting a twin tower-like design that defines each structure.”
Goulette says that the units are constructed with long, deep balconies that, together with a lobby that extends deep into the building, create a buffering effect, separating the living areas from the street and the retail space.
Castlebar chairman Steve Golovan boasts a long history of development in Lake View and the surrounding neighborhoods, and he says Halsted Street affords some distinct advantages over other Lake View locations.
“With first-floor retail frontage and the ability to build to the lot lines, we can offer our buyers considerably more living area in buildings of this type,” says Golovan. This style of development has become more and more popular as buyers realize they are getting much more space for their dollar.
The northernmost and southernmost buildings of the project are complete and occupied, according to David Salyers of Koenig & Strey GMAC Real Estate, the brokerage arm of Castlebar Enterprises. Two units remain in those buildings. The third building will be finished by this summer, and seven of the nine units are still available. A fourth building will follow this fall, and the final building will come online in the spring of 2009.
Building amenities include concrete sound deadening between floors, elevators, and indoor heated parking starting at $30,000. Finishes include large balconies, fireplaces, hardwood floors in living areas, carpeting in bedrooms, stainless-steel kitchen appliances, granite countertops, stone counters and floors in baths, heated floors in master baths and multimedia wiring. Top floor penthouses include steam in the master bath and stairways to private rooftop decks.
The unit mix consists of two- and three-bedroom residences, all with two baths, ranging in size from 1,200 to 1,800 square feet. In March, prices ranged from the $450s to the $710s.
“Halsted Row has all the advantages of a high-rise without the large assessments,” says Salyers. “It’s everything you could ask for in upscale condo living.”
Halsted Row, including a furnished model, is open on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. or by appointment.