Sutherland Pearsall Development Corporation has had success building condos and townhomes in the North Kenwood and Oakland neighborhoods, but when principal Mark Sutherland saw people looking for larger single-family homes in the area, he decided to build Kenwood Mansions on the Boulevard.
The five homes sit on the cul-de-sac of the 3900 block of South Drexel Boulevard, where Sutherland’s eight-unit Boulevard Townhomes and new condo buildings at 3986 and 4010 S. Drexel join vintage greystones, some of which have been converted to condos.
The Kenwood Mansions site, which starts with the depth of a common city lot and tapers off to a point north of the cul-de-sac, presented Sutherland and architect Brent Norsman with the opportunity to break from the standard single-family formula. “I think it was an opportunity to build stately homes that are all unique instead of the typical Chicago cookie-cutter,” said Sutherland. “In some cases, you’d need a 100-foot lot to be able to build a house like that.”
Rather than try to imitate the style of the surrounding historic homes, Norsman designed what he called a “contemporary interpretation of a turn-of-the-century building.” The 3.5-story homes have Romanesque arches, varying roof lines, renaissance stone and limestone façades, and brick on the sides and rear. Each home has multiple outdoor spaces, including a terrace off the fourth-floor “observatory room,” and the northernmost home has a rooftop gazebo in a distinctive, vintage-style turret. Interior features include a two-story living room, a media room, hardwood floors, Canac cabinetry and fireplaces with stone surrounds.
“They have a grand scale,” Sutherland said. “In fact, we were commended by the City of Chicago Department of Planning for coming up with a design that really complements and fits in well with the big, original mansions on Drexel.”
Many people find those original mansions attractive, Sutherland said, but don’t want to deal with the work involved in restoring them. “Some of those greystones have gone for big money,” he said, “and by the time people rehab them, they’re in for a lot more money than we’re asking. Here, you get all the conveniences and features of new construction, yet you have the feel of a big, historic mansion.”
And the feel of living in a neighborhood that is growing “by leaps and bounds,” Sutherland said. “It’s close to the lake and five or 10 minutes from downtown,” he said. “North Side locations that are close to the lake and five or 10 minutes from downtown are astronomically priced now, and I think people see all the pretty new buildings being built on Drexel and decide that’s a place they can get a lot of bang for their buck.”
The Kenwood Mansions on the Boulevard range from $1.25 million to $1.35 million. Sutherland said he hopes to break ground this spring and begin deliveries by the end of the year.