Brighton brings modern
European flair to Lakeview East
by Dan Schuyler

The Brighton, a new nine-story condo building underway at 550 W. Wellington, in some ways offers a sharp contrast to the graystones and Victorians that will be its neighbors on this leafy street in Lakeview East.

The development’s clean lines and cool steel and glass construction are more reminiscent of modernist Mies van der Rohe than of the historic European influences that dominate here. A closer look at the project, however, reveals a strong European bent as well, in everything from the elegant lobby to the condos’ German cabinetry and Italian flooring. In some ways, the Brighton is the careful marriage of a modernist aesthetic with European warmth and comfort.

That’s no surprise, given the planning process undertaken by developer JP Stellas Properties, www.jpstellas.com, a firm with nearly half a century of experience building in Chicago.

“We spent close to three years designing and developing this building,” says JPSP project manager Steve Bauman. “There’s nothing like it in the city. Everything about it is top quality and cutting-edge contemporary. We didn’t leave anything out.”

The nine-story building of glass, steel and concrete will replace an old apartment building with 16 new luxury condos. The Brighton is decidedly modern, and its overall theme is one of simplicity, according to architect Garet Stefanowski, of Pappageorge Haymes.

“The style of the building is kind of Miesian in the sense that it is very simple with clean sleek lines,” says Stefanowski. “But contextually it has more of a European look. The building panels and much of the exterior and interior materials are all imported. Some of these materials have never been used in this country until now.”

The ground level contains the small intimate lobby, appointed in imported honed granite, wood-paneled walls and stainless steel details, complemented by fine Italian furnishings.

“The crisp lineal European look of the building interior is immediately apparent when you enter the lobby,” says Bauman. “And it extends into the elegantly finished extra tall high-speed elevator, right on into the residences.”

The first floor also houses the heated garage, which has direct secured access to the residences and 14-foot ceiling heights that can accommodate hydraulic car-lift stacking devices. Other building features include an intercom entry and closed circuit television security system, generator backup for common areas and elevator, individual storage lockers, garage-accessible bicycle storage and a common rooftop terrace with city views.

“The Brighton is the tallest building in the immediate area,” says Stefanowski. “And we definitely considered that when we designed the building, in order to take maximun advantage of the views.”

The building is basically rectangular, but a center cutout in front affords all units north and south views in addition to an east or west exposure.

The condos are nearly identical, with three bedrooms, two baths and around 2,037 square feet. Prices range from the mid-$700s on the lower floors to the low $900s for the top floor penthouses. At press time, seven of the units were sold, and the building was scheduled for completion late in 2004.

Bauman expects the Brighton to sell rapidly, especially once JP Stellas Properties opens a model on site, at 550 W. Wellington, in early August. “When people can get a good look at the interiors, I expect our sales effort will be very successful,” Bauman says.

Features include ceiling heights of 9.5 feet (12 feet in penthouses), Italian hardwood floors in living areas, inlaid stone floors in foyers, solid-core doors, chrome hardware, “Smart Home” multi-media wiring, individual security systems, stereo pre-wiring and recessed lighting. In addition to the common roof deck, residents will have private balconies and covered terraces off of master bedrooms.

“It is really difficult to describe the quality of the amenities that we are offering,” Bauman says. “Most of them are imported, and they are far and away superior to what are available even as upgrades in other new buildings.”

The contemporary kitchens include Bulthaup cabinetry from Germany, granite or marble countertops, Sub-Zero refrigerators, KitchenAid dishwashers, disposals and microwaves, Franke double sinks, Grohe faucets, Italian porcelain tile, and Miele stainless steel stoves, ovens and hoods. Master baths have Bulthaup cabinetry, granite or marble vanity tops, porcelain sinks with Grohe fixtures, six-foot Whirpool tubs, oversized tiled showers, imported stone flooring and designer lighting.

“The simple truth is that the Brighton is a top-of-the-line product right in the heart of the phenomenal East Lakeview neighborhood,” Bauman says. “The location is just two blocks from the lake and less than a stone’s throw from the stores and restaurants on Broadway.”

The project has attracted a wide variety of buyers, according to Bauman, including both city dwellers and suburbanites moving back to Chicago.

“We are attracting buyers from all of the categories that we had in mind,” Bauman says. “The size of the building, its simplicity and intimacy, and its outstanding features and location make it very attractive to a broad spectrum of the buying market.”