Buyers with a thing for exposed concrete should take a look at the renderings for 235 Van Buren, a 46-story high-rise planned at 235 W. Van Buren St in the Loop. Upon completion next year, the building’s 714 units will be packed with the gray stuff: ceilings, pillars and even walls.
I’ll drop by the sales center next week to get an update on this development.
Do buyers get an allowance to finish the unit? Dreadful interiors. These units are a half step above delivering the space raw. Is the conduit on the ceiling going to be exposed?
If I were buying a new construction condo, I would actually prefer the space raw, much like commercial buildings. I’d rather put in my own interior rather than the builder’s pre-fab design. Of course I’d expect either a corresponding price drop or finishing credit. There has to be some demand for this type of unit.
I tried to buy a new construction condo with the space partially raw (I wanted to put my own kitchen and baths in) but was told it would be really hard to get a mortgage.
Kyle,
Count on it being impossible to get a mortgage in a straight-up deal.
Some lenders do combination “acquisition and rehab” loans on resale properties. Depending on your experience and financial strength there’s an outside chance you could get a lender to treat your deal under an acquisition and rehab program. It’s a long long shot, however.
Patrick Rollens is correct walk thru any of the condos they have for sale at 1720 S. Michigan as I unfortunately am a owner. The exposed concrete they leave you is AWFUL!! If it was just raw and smooth that would be one thing but the lines,divits, patch work is not appealling for a parking garage wall less alone a unit you would like to live in. They are not going to give you credit nor will they fix it. As in my case and many other upset condo owners they say it’s “AS-Is” then you have to spend thousands of dollars to try to make it look like a living space. The renderings actually look nice compared to what you really get. In their Models at 1720 they smooth the concrete out and make it look much better than what they actually deliver. So future buyers BEWARE!! Also 235 Van Buren has much more exposed concrete than their previous buildings 1620 S. Michigan and 1720 S. Michigan. Much better quality out there for a few bucks more especially in this market. Save yourself the headaches! I know I wish I did…..
Unless you’re Helmet Jahn (600 North Fairbanks), it’s hard to claim that all that exposed concrete is a fashion statement. It’s just being cheap! But taste is personal and some people must like the look.
I don’t think the concrete ceilings should be a problem. Nearly all the new high-end poured-in-place concrete buildings have concrete ceilings – they just put on a skim coat of plaster and paint them white.
But covering walls is another thing. If you put up drywall it will not only be expensive but you’ll lose livable space!
Exposed concrete can be a wonderful element, if the contractor has the skill to finish it properly. In the instances above mentioned by 1720 Condo Owner, the developer sold nice renderings, but the owner wakes up staring at the ceiling of a prison cell every morning.
One more example of the developer doing less work, cheapening the finishes and leading people to think it is an amenity.
paulj,
Do you have some factual basis for what you’re saying or is this just one more example of the developer delivering what he promised and buyers wanting more than what they paid for?
Joe,
Why are you such an asshole to the people who comment here? Yes, he does have a “factual basis”: claims from buyers in those projects that they were misled about the quality of the units they were being sold, and in particular that they were promised a uniform surface that in reality is full of “lines, divits, patch work.” Do you have any “factual basis” for belittling anybody who ever complains about the well-known shady business practices of real estate developers, or is this just another case of one asshole covering for another?
Abner,
I have no idea who’s commenting here. I don’t know whether they’re people with a legitimate beef or chronic complainers or lying competitors or jilted lovers. You apparently know much more about our commenters than I do.
There are too many commenters – you’ve clearly stated you’re among them – who assume that the developer is presumptively wrong when they have no concrete evidence (ouch!) for assuming it.
We have an open platform here, and it’s necessary that everyone recognize that some people, for whatever reason, are going to say things that are simply not true.
We allow people to take shots at developers – and we take shots from them in return for that. How many places do you see that allow this kind of freewheeling talk?
As for the name-calling, well, you’ve told us a lot about yourself.
I’ve seen some of the units they have done and the concrete actually looks really nice, if you have decorated in modern/minimalist style.
If you don’t like the ceilings, paint them white. I’ve seen a few owners do that and it changes the look completely. That is a very cheap and easy way to solve your problem.
First off I am not a chronic complainer,jilted lover, or a lying competitor. I like the look of exposed concrete and was one of the reasons why I bought in this building. I am a single female and know about asthetics and dressing up a unit.
If you go to CMK website they have a picture of a unit in paticular with a exposed concrete pillar that is very smooth and appealling. I by no means want to sabotoge CMK but the honest truths should be told about their upcoming project at 235 Van Buren.
If you walk in to the model at 1720 S. Michigan unit #918 and were to look at the concrete ceilings and walls they were worked on and given a smooth finish and look. Then I ask you to see a sales agent and have them walk you into a unit on a different floor that is not a model and take a look at the walls and ceilings. You will see circles,lines, divits, cracks with pebbles of rocks put in them (just like my 1 bedroom unit) that is just AWFUL.
I am not asking you to believe me but go take a look yourself before you buy into 235 Van Buren and see the beautiful renderings they have on their website of smooth grey concrete and it is far from what you recieve once your unit is done and they have 10% of your money plus half of the upgrade dollars and they tell you it will be fixed and Bovis construction tells you that is the way it is.
I also got a painter to paint over it and he refused casue it is not smooth and would only make it look worse. The comment about the “Jail Ceiling” could not be more spot on. I just wanted delievered to me what I was shown in the renderings and that was far from that.
So I am just letting people know do their due dilegince more before it’s to late and are very disappointed like myself. I just wish somebody would of heeded me this same advice I would spent my hard earned money else where.
1720 Condo Owner
You do, indeed, sound very credible.
When judging your credibility I note the fact that you linked your screen name to a Web site featuring links for “Tranny Movies” and “Wives Get Naked.” The URL included the address of where you purportedly bought.
I’ve removed the link because it’s not office-friendly.
Your agenda appears to be to damage rather than to inform, and you have no credibility with me. One person’s opinion.
ADDED:
The domain name in question is registered as follows:
Metrotech Realty Inc.
Mark Johnston
1410 W Belmont
Chicago Illinois,60657
Curious, no – the domain name for a high-rise currently being marketed is owned by a real estate agent and points at porn sites. The most charitable interpretation is that the domain is currently “parked” and its owner doesn’t have the brain-power to notice that.
When all is said and done, I repeat my caution to be extremely skeptical of anything said on this site about a real estate development or developer by anyone who chooses to remain anonymous.
Actually, you don’t have to go on site. Unit 3008 is for sale at 1720 S Michigan and you can find pictures on MLS (ID# 06797010). The finish of the ceiling, especially in the kitchen, is pretty bad I would say…
Well….it’s a look. A lot of look for not a lot of money. This is NOT subjective. The price per sq foot is very reasonable for the areas they build in. Can’t have your cake and eat it too kids. They won’t be perfect units. Get over it. Buy a drywalled unit. Add your own drywall. Stop complaining. Do your own due diligence. If you want gold leafed ceilings and herringbone floors….I bet they’d do it for you….but you will need to bring your checkbook.