In these times, when the environment has risen to the forefront nationwide, Dynaprop Development has brought the issue home with Eco18, its 93-unit, environmentally responsible building at 1818 S Wabash Ave in the South Loop.
“You can’t pick up the paper today without seeing something about eco-friendly living,” says Dynaprop Vice President Howard Adelstein. “This way of life is not just trendy, it’s an inevitability.”
Knowing this, the developer is taking Eco18 to the limit by fashioning a 12-story building with a number of firsts, not the least of which is the first residential tower in Chicago to employ a large-scale geothermal energy system and the first large-scale condominium development in the city to seek LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
The geothermal energy system uses the constant temperature of the earth to heat and cool the building. In summer, the system taps into the cool ground temperature as an energy source for the air-conditioning system. In winter, the system picks up the warm ground temperature as an energy source for the heating system.
In addition to geothermal technology, Eco18 is incorporating many other eco-friendly systems including a central hot-water system heated with solar panels and an elaborate green rooftop garden.
Eco18 could rest on its eco-laurels alone, but it comes at you with many other outstanding features. Design-wise, it establishes its own architectural aesthetic in a bustling and rapidly changing neighborhood, according to architect Jason Dwyer, a project executive with Wight & Company.
“Eco18 has a nice contemporary, yet classic look,” says Dwyer. “Inside and out, we made use of many locally harvested materials to make this a truly earth-friendly project.”
Clad in a classic stone façade with wrought-iron railings, the building features a fourth-floor fitness room and dog run adjacent to a green roof and an inviting lobby entrance with a secured keyless-entry intercom system. In April, the building was also offering one free parking place in the heated indoor garage to those who purchase a residence, plus $10,000 off the purchase price for the next 10 buyers.
The unit mix consists of one- and two-bedroom residences with and without dens, containing one-, 1.5- and two-baths. They range in size from 808 to 1,583 square feet.
Some of the unit features include generous balconies, bamboo flooring in living areas, choice of stainless, black or white kitchen appliances, granite or limestone countertops, stainless double-bowl sink, subway surround tile in primary bath, Toto dual-flush toilets, granite, marble or limestone bathroom countertops, ceramic bath tile floors, washer/dryer hookups, and multimedia wiring.
“A lot of thought went into the interior design of the residences,” says Adelstein, who says that particular emphasis went into assuring the openness of the living areas and the gourmet look of the kitchen with its breakfast nook.
“While in a way you could describe these homes as traditional, the finishes certainly give the residences a contemporary flair.”
In April, prices ranged from the $270s to the $650s. Approximately 25 percent of the units had been sold, according to Jason O’Beirne, a sales associate with Jameson Realty Group, exclusive marketing agent for the building. He says that the residences will be ready for delivery in the spring of 2010.
“Eco18 really raises the bar and goes far beyond any other development, both environmentally and otherwise,” says O’Beirne, who encourages buyers to come and visit the model designed by the world-famous John Robert Wiltgen design firm.
The sales center and model located at 1830 S Wabash Ave are open from noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays and 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.