It’s not unusual to have people with some interest in real estate call or e-mail expressing their doubts that the area south of Chicago’s Loop is really enjoying the explosive growth that they keep reading and hearing about.
Indeed it is.
Whether it’s called Dearborn Park, Printers Row, the South Loop or even Prairie Shores, the territory west of Lake Shore Drive, the Museum Campus, Soldier Field and McCormick Place and south of the Congress Expressway is bustling with construction activity. But, within this broad area are strips and pockets that border viaducts and tracks, that are filled with warehouses, parking lots, vacant lots, small businesses. These are the properties–south of Roosevelt Road, along Wabash Avenue, State and Dearborn Streets, in particular–that are being transformed into residential communities.
One of the newer developments–the model debuted about two weeks ago–is Central Park Townhomes at 26 E. 14th Place. Though that’s the official address (not to be confused with 14th Street, a block to the north), all the residences will face Wabash.
Walk into the model and while checking out the rooms, the space, the flow, look out the windows at the front and at the rear for a sense of what’s happening nearby. There are townhouses, condo mid-rises, some almost high-rises going up. Brick, stone, concrete block. But, here’s another take on the views: Not too uplifting is the proximity of the CTA elevated tracks to the townhouses at the west end of the property. Looking out the kitchen windows at the back of the model reveals the metal structure for the trains that rumble not too far from those windows. Though the builders have used some means to curtail noise levels, according to sales associate Telisha Farrow, additional sound installation is an option — and, in my opinion, essential.
There are two plans for 14 of the townhouses in the first building phase: The A is the furnished model with 2,913 square feet; the B has 2,775 square feet. They are very similar, and nearly identical in location of rooms. The main differences include the A’s two-car garage versus the B’s 1 1/2-car, the configuration of the kitchens, plus smaller closets and an assortment of sliced-off inches or feet.
Entry is into a ground-levelfamily room. The garage is at the opposite end of the unit. Stairways from ground level are via a central well, which nicely divides each floor in half. This eliminates long hallways as well as the more standard long, narrow floor plans with side-placed stairways.
These center stairs lead to the living level’s powder room, between the living room at the front and the kitchen/dining area at the rear. On the two-bedroom second floor, the bath and laundry are centered between the front and back bedrooms. The entire third floor is the master suite with bedroom in front, large bath and two walk-in closets at the rear. The fourth level has a small study, storage and deck.
The decorating in the furnished model is quite formal and some rooms are busy with multiple patterns and extra-large furniture, which make certain spaces seem crowded and small. Shoppers might want to tour the next-door unit, an A just like the model, which serves as the sales center. Take a good look at the kitchen/dining rooms in both. Minus the flourishes and large furniture, this kitchen appears larger than the furnished model. It’s not. It’s just tamed down.
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There is a C plan that applies only to the two townhouses at the north and south ends of the complex. With 5,833 square feet and base-priced at $999,900, this plan would have a rather limited audience. Though contracts have been signed for several townhouses, I’m rather amazed that the response here hasn’t been far more limited. The residences are fine — not fabulous, not awful. But, to me, a house that’s practically flush with in-use tracks, that’s tucked in behind a row of future houses and is base-priced at more than half a million dollars is mind-boggling. Half that? I’d still think “maybe.”
Phase two — six duplexes with 2,520 square feet and 18 simplexes with 1,075 and 1,215 square feet — are slated for delivery a year from now. The townhouses now under construction will face the backs of the duplexes, which will have decks and exterior metal stairways. At least the townhouses at the rear of the development won’t have to face a row of garages (duplex/simplex parking will be adjacent to the development). The space between front and back rows of units will be landscaped. Life has its little blesssings.
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Contact Genevieve Buck at the baiduhai, 435 N. Michi-gan Ave., Chicago 60611; or e-mail [email protected].