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Building
from the inside out |
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“Not only is
this building the first of its kind in Streeterville, but it’s the
first of its kind in the entire city,” says Mark Sutherland, whose
enthusiasm for the project is, to say the least, unfettered. Sutherland is not
alone. The glass and steel structure was designed by architects Brininstool
& Lynch, and David Brininstool has been itching to create this type
of building for quite a while. “Urban projects
today are so sensitive to such things as density, parking, and other factors
that figure in the overall economics,” laments Brininstool. “For
a long time I have been trying to promote the idea of designing a building
from the inside out. Let the lifestyle and the unit layouts dictate what
we end up designing. This building gave me that opportunity, and I was
able to create a fluid, flowing structure that engages the outside world
but still provides intimacy and privacy.” And that in itself
is perhaps sufficient to make 550 St. Clair the first of its kind in Streeterville,
but Sutherland says there is more. “You go into
most sales offices and look at the models, and everything is really nice,
but then you find out you’re looking at a lot of upgrades. At 550
the level of finishes and the inclusions are so high that there is no
need for upgrades. The only building whose standard finishes might exceed
ours is Trump Tower, and you can imagine what you might pay for the Donald’s
handiwork.” Buyers, however, are
the final judges, and Jerry Houlihan, director of marketing for Sutherland
Pearsall, recently announced that more than 50 percent of the residences
were sold within two weeks of the project’s grand opening. “We are certainly
pleased with the sales progress,” Houlihan says. “But there
are a number of units of every type still remaining.” Progressive design
and a high level of standards are playing a big role in the swift sales
pace, Houlihan says, but he thinks there is more at work here. “Five-fifty St.
Clair is unique compared to much of our competition,” he says. “The
size of the building makes it more intimate than many larger highrises.
The floor plans are just plain better, and no one has a better location.” The building begins
with a ground-floor lobby whose glass and metallic design, coupled with
water elements, conveys an air of simplicity and serenity. Two high-speed
elevators service the building, and a 24-hour doorman is on duty. “We are still
in the process of finalizing the lobby décor,” says Ron Ruby,
managing broker at First Chicago Realty Corp., exclusive marketing agent
for the development. “But it will be in keeping with the tranquil
atmosphere that the lobby is designed to create.” The first floor also
contains 4,500 square feet of upscale retail space that will be leased
with an eye toward accommodating the needs and tastes of the residents. “The retail space
faces Ohio and continues a look that is already there,” says Brininstool.
“And the carriage-like resident entryway on St. Clair likewise is
contextually compatible. So even though we are bringing in a completely
new design, it is still possible to pay attention to context from a historical
perspective.” A ventilated, heated
parking garage occupies floors two through seven, and parking spaces are
available from $40,000, depending on location. The eighth floor houses
amenities, including a two-lane indoor lap pool, a fully-equipped fitness
center, his and hers saunas and locker rooms, an urban garden, storage
lockers for each condo and a bicycle storeroom. The residences are
on floors nine through 26. The mix comprises studios, and units with one,
two or three bedrooms, with penthouses on the top two floors. Some of the many unit amenities include private balconies or oversized terraces; floor-to-ceiling windows; exposed concrete ceilings that are 10 to 11 feet high; Brazilian Cherry or Maple hardwood flooring; walk-in closets per plan; multimedia pre-wiring; stainless Bosch kitchen appliances; European designer kitchen cabinets; granite kitchen countertops; marble bath flooring in master baths; separate glass enclosed showers; Grohe bathroom appliances;
and Bosch washers and dryers. Prospective buyers
were particularly impressed with the high-end Alno German kitchen cabinetry
and the use of hardwood flooring in the bedrooms, according to Sutherland.
“It’s these added touches that give the building an edge,”
he says. “When you include more amenities and higher quality amenities
as standard, it leaves fewer decisions for the buyers and they like that.” Studios are priced
in the $200s, and one-bedroom one-bath condos start in the mid-$300s.
Two-bedroom two-bath units begin in the upper $400s, and the three-bedrooms,
which have two or three baths, are priced from the mid-$700s. Penthouses
range from $1.1 million to $1.6 million. Construction is scheduled
to commence early in 2006 with delivery beginning in late 2007. “We
are presently offering the residences at pre-construction prices,”
says Houlihan. “But we cannot guarantee that these prices will hold
after construction is started.” The sales gallery
for 550 St. Clair, www.550StClair.com,
is located on the fourth floor of 201 E. Ohio St. |
Streeterville
has waited a long time for a taste of progressive architecture, and Sutherland
Pearsall Development Company is obliging with the introduction of 550
St. Clair, a 26-story, 112-unit condominium tower located just a half-block
east of the Magnificent Mile.