How does an up-and-coming developer stand out in a neighborhood filled with new condominiums? For Sunrise Equities, the answer was simple: Choose a building design with clean, modern lines and set out to make homes finished with elegant European materials.
That’s the approach Sunrise has taken with its first major West Loop project, a boutique condominium building called Pure. The 67-unit mid-rise at 24 S Morgan St is still under construction, but its glassy exterior already stands out in a neighborhood that for years was defined by cookie-cutter, red-brick condos.
Architect Steve Weiss, the creator of Crate and Barrel’s distinctive storefront on Michigan Avenue, designed Pure’s translucent glass facade. The result is something that is “a little of Vegas and a little of New York in the Midwest,” says Suzy Grossman, Pure’s director of sales and marketing.
A glassy exterior does two things for a building. Yes, it catches the eyes of West Loop residents as they stroll along Madison or Adams Street on their way to work in the Loop. But it also ensures that every home is filled with natural light and the magnificent vistas of downtown Chicago.
Pure comprises a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom homes with one to 2.5 baths. All residences have exposed concrete ceilings and columns and floor-to-ceiling windows, giving them the feel of airy, spacious lofts. Private balconies are accessible through glass doors that increase visibility and incoming light.
Sunrise didn’t stop with a fancy structural design, however. Every unit is finished with top-of-the-line fixtures and materials, Grossman says. Kitchens will have Poggenpohl cabinets in a variety of colors, stainless-steel Bosch appliances, Grohe faucets, and granite countertops and backsplashes.
Bathrooms will also boast Poggenpohl and Grohe finishes, along with marble or travertine tile and stone countertops.
“Sunrise is playing with the big guys now, so it decided early on to go a little more modern, a little more European than other developers, to give the interiors a very different look than what you’ll find in the neighborhood,” Grossman says.
Homes feature 9-foot ceiling heights, bamboo floors in the foyer, kitchen, living and dining rooms, and carpet in the bedrooms.
Every home has washer and dryer hookups, wiring for phone, cable and high-speed Internet, and individually-controlled heating and cooling systems. Radiant heating is available as an upgrade.
Although Pure’s homeowners will spend a lot of time in the West Loop’s growing number of restaurants and boutique stores, they will have areas within their own building where they can live it up or cool it down. Pure will have two rooftop terraces with city views and a stylish Skai Lounge equipped with a custom-built bar, a fully equipped kitchen, swanky furniture and plasma televisions.
Once deliveries begin this summer, Sunrise will launch the Pure Portal, an online database filled with everything from restaurant menus to up-to-date traffic information. Residents also will be able to contact the building’s door staff through the Portal and access a Pure-centric blog and message board.
Other on-site amenities include a fitness center, digital entry systems for garages and residences and bicycle storage.
Prices at Pure start in the high $200s and reach into the $810s. Approximately 65 percent of the building was sold as of mid-May, but at least one unit in every floor plan is still available, Grossman says.
Parking is available for $35,000 a space.
The Pure sales center, located at 1021 W Adams St, is open from noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays or by appointment.