Few buildings fit for loft conversions remain in Bucktown, a neighborhood where most available properties have already been gobbled up by hungry loft developers, but Chicago-based Funke Architects and It Development are transforming a vintage-1926 wine storage warehouse at 1927 N. Milwaukee Ave. into the 16-unit Baer Lofts.
“It could be one of the last available loft buildings in Bucktown, so there’s appeal there,” said Jameson Realty Group marketing agent Jeff Ralson. “It seems like there’s not a lot of loft inventory in Bucktown right now, especially in one-bedroom units. We think it’s going to appeal to that young, hip Bucktown crowd.” Young professionals also will appreciate being able to walk across the street to the Blue Line stop at Western Avenue or catch the bus on Milwaukee Avenue, Ralson said.
“It’s like a fortress with solid, thick concrete,” Ralson said of the five-story building, which originally housed the Baer Fireproof Warehouse Company. Funke is opening up the front and rear ends — currently only dotted with small, narrow windows — with floor-to-ceiling glass. “There’s going to be a tremendous amount of lighting coming in,” he said. Newly cleaned and tuckpointed terra cotta will frame the façade, and inset balconies are being built into the center of the building.
Units will have 11- to 13-foot, exposed concrete ceilings and concrete columns. Walls will be finished off with drywall. Other finishes include kitchen cabinets by Hanak, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, slate bathrooms and Grohe plumbing fixtures.
The building also has two ground-floor commercial spaces, one of which Ralson hopes will be filled by a restaurant or café.
One-bedroom units are priced from the $270s, and two-bedroom units start in the $370s. On-site garage parking is available for $30,000. Renovation work has begun, and an on-site sales center and model are due to open in early April.