While some developers are copying the Art Deco style of the early 20th century in new-construction buildings, Absolute Builders has the real McCoy at its new condo conversion, Grand Briar, located at 433 West Briar Place in Lake View.
The 11-story building has had only two owners, said Millie Rosenbloom, marketing agent for Habitat Brokerage. It was built in 1920 by the Wertz family and subsequently passed through four generations of the Rosenberg family, she said. In its renovation, Absolute Builders hopes to preserve the aura of the period.
“The building absolutely evokes the old Art Deco era,” said Rosenbloom. “It still has all the beautiful picture mouldings and wood detailing throughout the hallways.” Absolute will tuckpoint the exterior brick and add a new awning to the entrance, and the wood-paneled lobby will be refurbished with new marble and carpeting.
Grand Briar’s 34 condos have two or three bedrooms, two or 2.5 bathrooms and formal dining rooms, which Rosenbloom said lends the residences a certain opulence. “The units are grand,” she said. “They’re your typical grand Victorian units, but new.”
All units have refinished hardwood floors, rehabbed kitchens with new European cabinets and high-end appliances, new solid-core doors, new individual heating and air conditioning, new electric wiring, and in-unit laundry. Master bathrooms have whirlpool tubs, separate showers with body sprays, Grohe plumbing fixtures, Toto toilets, and natural stone floors and walls available in three different designs during preconstruction.
Three-bedroom units have over 2,500 square feet, decorative fireplaces and, Rosenbloom added, a unique semi-private elevator that opens directly into a private foyer. Two-bedroom units have 1,600 square feet, and the four first-floor units range from 850 to 1,100 square feet. The building will also have a lower-level bike room, storage cages and a common laundry room. Prices range from the $500s to the $820s.
Limited garage parking, located off-site at 450 W Briar Pl, is available for $45,000.
Absolute closed on the building in June, and construction is already underway. The sales center is located on-site, and Rosenbloom expected first occupancy would start in spring 2007.
Is the Wertz family any relation to the Wirtz family that owns the Blackhawks, etc?
Same Wirtz Family owns a bunch of apts. and the Blackhawks. Glad to see this building will not be turned into the cookie cutter condos typical for this hood.
Sorry:
That building is not Art Deco. It lacks verticality, geometric incised ornamentation and a “moderne’look.
Don’t buy the parking they are over priced. They bought them for less than 30k less than a year ago….
There is nothing “deco” about this building- it is a typical, beautiful 1920s vintage classical revival. That doesn’t make it any less beautiful than a true “deco” building.
This is my fave building in the city, has been for 20 years.
I’m glad so many of these great building were built and have lived a few as a renter. These are incomparably beautiful and comfortable buildings and I wish I could afford one of these places.
Now that this place is being auctioned in a “silent bid” auction, it will be interesting to see what the units actually sell for. Some folks will get great deals on this ravishing place.
I was one of the last renters to move out of this building. I’d always wanted to live in a early 20th century luxury building and this was one. Sadly, the developers have no idea about style, class, or history. First of all, they made life next to impossible for those of us who chose or needed to stay until the legal time for us to move out. The boiler “broke down” and they refused to fix it, the demolition crews were using power hammers all day long, making it impossible to hear someone in the same room even if they were working floors away. The stairway was clogged with dust and debris. The contractors were a mix of friendly Latinos and very scary Russians. The Russian owners were Mob-like! When we finally got the inspectors out there, the head of the office told me “We know her. We’ll make her cry!”.
What they’ve done to the place is a shame. They ripped out the original interior doors. They made the opened up the kitchen so you now have one huge room. Granted the kitchens were not the open plan people like today, they were good sized and made it so that you didn’t have to stare at the fridge all the time. Oh, did I mention they destroyed all the original pantries with their built in hutches and chests?
The bathrooms for the most part had been updated sometime ago, but they did have their original tile which they don’t now. I don’t know if they retained the linen cupboards in the hallway but they did convert the walk in cedar closets to half baths which I guess was needed. What had been a entrance hall closet is now the washer/dryer room for the 2 bed apartments. There had been a laundry room in the basement.
Those of us living there when they purchased the building were offered the units at crazy high prices either renovated or not. The price difference was, if I remember correctly, only $50 per unit, no matter what size. Doesn’t that sound a little fishy? At the time the building was all but full, yet maybe one renter took up the offer. Some had been there over 25 years. I think that says something about the situation.
From what I see now, not many people are taking up the offer. The top floor is sold out, but I believe some may be for the developer and her friends/family. 11A is the show unit, 11C was the original owners apartment so had a few special features which was worth keeping (if they did).
Well, farewell 433 W. Briar, you were a great building, now you’re only a shell of what you were.
We are relocating to Chicago and have viewed some units at 433 Briar Place. Certainly the “market” makes a difficult time to be selling these units.
What were the specifics of the “Silent Auction”
referred to.
Ron