It’s suddenly winter out there, so today we chose a perk that will remind you spring is only six months away…
Property Consultants Realty, marketer of the Emerald condo development, 123 S Green St, is still giving prospective buyers electric scooters, but there’s a catch. Sales center visitors must enter a contest to win the eco-friendly vehicles – not everyone is going to zip home in style at 20 mph. Back in June we reported that these suckers go for around $2,500, so this is a notable giveaway, but remember, not very customer receives one. On the upside, you don’t actually have to purchase a home at Emerald to be eligible to win a scooter. And given the problems with the CTA lately, you’re probably better off with an electric scooter, even if it only goes about 20 miles before it needs to be recharged.
You’ll have your chance to win your very own scooter tonight, when Property Consultants Realty hosts a party at the Emerald sales center, 120 S Halsted St, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Attendees can check out the scooters, enter the drawing and while they’re at it, preview the property with a virtual tour.
Emerald is a “green” development, utilizing environmentally responsible building materials, bamboo floors and fabrics made from recycled materials. These units start in the $290s, and 50 percent of the units have been sold. Construction is expected to be completed in 2008.
Know of any great buyer incentives out there – or of some worthless ones? Send one and all to Sarah to have them posted at Yo.
I wish they would build this as a single twenty-four floors building but thanks to the NIMBYs, we get this cheap design. Furthermore, the views are not permanent because on the east side, theres parking lots- future condo projects. So did the company stated on the contract that the view will be preserved or is it a marketing gimmick to sell condos?
Bill Dec (does anyone remember Bill?) once offered a new shared Harley at a condo development on Armitage in DePaul. Certainly an unusual incentive.
I’m confused by the picture of all that green space. I live right by where Emerald is being built and – other than a couple of parking lots – there is no place a park could be located by their building.
Maybe the park is located in the mysterious “new loop” neighborhood the Emerald site boasts about.
Chalen, I asked a salesperson there about those snazzy parking lot views and was told that Walgreens had a 99-year lease and therefore nothing would ever block the view.
Given that most condo buyers were not born yesterday, it’s no surprise they’re still giving away scooters to get people in the door.
I was wondering about that park as well. That is borderline deceptive advertisement.
Chalen, why do so many people complain about NIBY’ers? A home is by far the biggest investment of many peoples lives. Of course people care about what else goes up in the neighborhood, as it will effect their investment. I am a proud NIBYer, and would raise hell if someone tried to build near me a (high rise, a prision, a liquor store, a strip club, etc. etc.). You have to worry when residents stop caring about what is going up in their neighborhood
“Chalen, why do so many people complain about NIBY’ers?”
Because so many NIMBYs are complaining about someone else taking away something that they did not pay for. When you buy a unit in a midrise off of Morgan, you just buy the unit–not the unit PLUS an unobstructed view of downtown. If you don’t want another property owner spoiling your view, you need to consider buying the land between your building and the edge of downtown. Otherwise, you’re getting something for nothing and you shouldn’t complain when someone who has actually paid for that something takes it away from you.
“I am a proud NIBYer, and would raise hell if someone tried to build near me a (high rise, a prision, a liquor store, a strip club, etc. etc.).”
Except for the high rise, those other buildings are a totally different story. They entail significant neighborhood costs (potential for escaping prisoners, seedy customers late at night, etc.), which is why the government regulates where they can operate through zoning (OK, except in Houston). If you buy somewhere that hasn’t been zoned for those types of operations, and then the government changes its zoning regulation, then the government has taken something from you. And while Fifth Amendment jurisprudence typically doesn’t classify that as a taking, you still have a pretty decent opportunity to fight the decision through the political process.
As far as the high rise, though, if the area isn’t zoned against it, that’s a necessary evil of buying in the city. You haven’t paid for the land that the high rise is built on, and you have no right to tell the property owner what they can or can’t do with it.
“I asked a salesperson there about those snazzy parking lot views and was told that Walgreen had a 99-year lease and therefore nothing would ever block the view.” Well, lease can always be bought out. Nothing is forever if its oral agreement (s/he said), get it in writing.
The best place to buy a condo is when they build one on Walgreen’s parking lot because with the expressway next to it, the view to the east will be preserved forever.
Beside when can you trust a salesperson, are they not the same as used car dealers? You know, say anything in order to get the commission?
As to the quote of “people care about what else goes up in the neighborhood, as it will affect their investment.” How does a brand new skyscraper affects the value of the homes?
Anyway why did Nimbys move to Chicago if they fear skyscrapers- I’m shocked that they didn’t bring the cows, chickens and hogs with them. Thanks to those that took the time to answer my questions.
Why aren’t the NIMBYs protesting the destruction of the Christian Industrial League homeless shelter? I thought you didn’t want your neighborhood to change?
Oh, and by the way Chalen… have you read the Chicago Central Area Plan? It calls for decking the Kennedy downtown.
Given that anti-high-rise protesting has worked fairly well in the west loop and that buildable plots east of Halsted and west of the river are getting more and more scarce, it’s only a matter of time before a developer comes up with a plan to build a high-rise on top of the Kennedy. I’m sure the city would be happy to let them do it in exchange for decking the rest of that block.
Simply put, if you want your view to be preserved forever, you better buy the air rights next door. That’s the way GOOD developments do it, BTW. Emerald is not a good development.
I heard plans to “deck the Kennedy downtown” with parklands, but not with buildings because the cost of building supports would be too costly for them and they wouldn’t be able to make a decent profit. So I cannot see that taking place.
Side I do want to see high rises west of Halstead and in the future there will be. And I do agree with your conclusion that buying the air rights would be the only way to preserve the view.
I would like to just say the following:
I hate Emerald. I hate everything about that building. It’s cheap, it’s ugly, it unnecessarily destroys historic buildings, it spoils Halsted with its ugly auto-oriented strip mall (replacing an otherwise PERFECT streetscape), and I have to say that the developers of this obscene project deserve to be put in prison for vandalism.
Secondly, to Garrett: get a clue. You live in Chicago–if you can’t handle living near a highrise then beat it. NIMBY’s take advantage of weak and wobbly Aldermen, but they also take things too far. I will enjoy watching the opposition to you selfish-types mount over time as land and development prices continue to rise.
“I asked a salesperson there about those snazzy parking lot views and was told that Walgreen had a 99-year lease and therefore nothing would ever block the view.” Well, lease can always be bought out. Nothing is forever if its oral agreement (s/he said), get it in writing”
^ I wouldn’t believe that hogwash for a second. Even if they did have such a lease, it could be broken for the right price. That Walgreens with its parking lot is another anti-urban eyesore from an era in which developers drew plans while blindfolded and standing next to a traffic engineer from Schaumburg. If anything, I hope to see that parking lot developed into a tall building as payback for Emerald’s unjust existence.
WAH! WAH!
You guys need to look at the positive this will do for your neighborhood and stop crying already!
Look at the tax revenue that will come into the area instead of the tax free place now.
Also, have you people ever thought if there were no condos built in the neighborhood it would still be skid row!
You guys are right. Keep the condos and the people with money to spend at your area businesses out and put it back to crime and more crime like it was.
And I bet none of you are complaining about your home values.
I’m waiting for your crybaby emotional replies. There will probably be plenty.
Get a life and stop complaining!
Life’s too short.
Find a way to have a terrific day folks.
Hey Bob, who ever said we’re against condos (except WLCO)?
I just think Emerald was horribly designed.
Have you looked at Skybridge? That is the poster child for ugliness and poor design. I don’t understand what looks so bad about Emerald. It is Eco Friendly. And you would prefer to leave the awful and ugly buildings that are on that land now? In time you will see Emerald set a new standard. How many Eco Freindly buildings do you know?
“Bill Dec (does anyone remember Bill?)”, Bill is still around, here is his website: http://www.wwreinvest.com/aboutus.html