Chicago Real Estate News & Neighborhood Notes

It’s been nearly 5 months since plans for No. 9 Walton were first introduced, and now, it appears construction is ready to begin on what will essentially be one of Chicago’s priciest and most exclusive condo developments once completed. Being developed by JDL, reports are now surfacing about construction permits finally being issued for the lavish new condo tower in the Gold Coast, which was designed by Chicago’s very own Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture (HPA).

When finished No. 9 Walton, located at 9 W. Walton in the heart of the city, will stand 35 stories high but only house 66 individual units. According to the developers, the average unit size will be right around 4,000 square feet, providing more than enough space for potential home buyers looking

An update on a luxury single-family home project caught our eye today in Chicago Magazine, which when completed will bring six incredible new single-family homes to a plot of land that was once the home of DePaul University’s vacant Theater School on Kenmore Avenue, just south of Webster Avenue.

As noted, the new homes will range from 5,700 to 9,500 square feet in size, and offer attached two- to four-car garages, top-of-the-line finishes, and even some pretty amazing add-on features like a basketball court or indoor lap pool should the eventual buyer choose. But with all that extra living space and all those lavish interior and exterior finishes, these home in particular come at a premium, with prices anywhere between $3.6 and $6.2 million, or about $2

The Ambassador, located at 1300 N. State Parkway in the heart of the Gold Coast, is one of Chicago’s most elite condominium buildings, even despite not getting the same kind of press as buildings like Trump Tower, the Ritz Carlton Residences, or any number of other luxury high-rises. Regardless of how few people are talking about The Ambassador, its status as an elite building was once again solidified recently, as one of its units has reportedly sold for almost $7 million.

According to Crain’s, the sold unit, which features 6,800 square feet with an additional 1,400 square foot terrace with a private dog run, now holds the crown for being Chicago’s second-highest sale price this year, and the fifth listed property to sell for over $6 million in 2015

With plans for the massive re-development of the old Lincoln Park Hospital having first been proposed nearly five years ago, many of us may have forgotten about this dynamic new Sanz Development project, even despite the rental portion of it well underway from from a leasing standpoint.

But now, after years of planning and with construction still on-going, pre-sales are about to start over at Lincoln Park’s new Webster Square—a development that will ultimately house 95 new luxury condos once completed.

As reported, buyers can expect quite a range of pricing and interior options, with floor plans offering between one and four bedrooms and prices set between $459,000 and all the way up to $2.3 million.

Inside, potential buyers will be presented with

Back in November 2012, reports surfaced about McDonald’s Corp. chief executive Don Thompson buying a 3-bedroom, 3100 square foot unit inside Trump Tower for $3.3 million.

Now, nearly 3 years later, more news has been reported that’s linking McDonald’s and Trump Tower, only this time the company’s retired president and his wife have unloaded their 49th floor unit, which was originally purchased back in 2011 for $1.5 million.

According to Crain’s, Jeff and Karen Stratton listed the 2,700 square foot condo back in March for $2.8 million, and as of July 22nd, the unit has officially closed at $2.5 million.

As mentioned, this particular unit has three full baths, a den attached to the kitchen, and 11-12 foot high ceilings throughout. And although market

Despite being in the middle of a development boom unlike anything we’ve seen since prior to the recession, not every project that’s being proposed comes to fruition, believe it or not. According to a recent report from Curbed, plans for a new 17-story condo tower over on Diversey Parkway have been shot down by the Park West Community Association and local neighbors in the Lincoln Park area due to their concerns over the building’s height and unit count.

The plan for the sleek new Pappageorge Haymes Partners-designed tower called for 78 condos, parking for 81 vehicles, a green roof deck, and as mentioned above a height of 17 stories, however after requests were made to lower the height and reduce the number of living spaces, developers have apparently

This weekend there is no excuse to stay indoors as Chicago becomes more alive as multiple street festivals begin their two day run. If you are not into antique shops and have gotten enough local and non-local food (but really, what is enough?) then Wicker Park Fest is for you. Starting today, Saturday July 25 and going to Sunday July 26, the sounds, smells and sights of live bands and street vendors will wash over Milwaukee Avenue between North Ave. and Paulina St. 

Chicagoans of all ages gather in Wicker Park during this festival to indulge in music, food and merchandise not heard, seen or tasted in other parts of the city and country. As with most street fairs, a kid's festival is included for families and all proceeds benefit Berr

Chicago’s most expensive listing on the market appears to have finally sold, as its status has recently been updated to “Contingent.” A massive, 6-bedroom, 10.5 bathroom home that features a mind-blowing 20,000 square feet of living space, the residence at 1955 N. Burling Street in Lincoln Park has been one of the city’s priciest since it hit the market all the back back in June 2014.

Now over a year later, it appears a buyer seems to be in place for this immaculate Lincoln Park estate, which has acted as Illinois’ most expensive listing since a $20 million home listing in the Barrington area expired earlier this the year.

As Curbed pointed out, more expensive “pocket listings” have actually been available while 1955 N. Burling sat on the market, but of

In the midst of the luxury apartment boom that’s taking the downtown Chicago real estate market by storm, it’s nice to finally see a condominium project come through the pipeline, especially one as nice as the recently announced Strata, located at 861 N. Larrabee.

Being developed by the Domus Group, the Strata residences will feature 27 ultra stylish units that range from a $799,000 three-bedroom unit to a lavish $2.1 million full-floor unit with right around 3,500 square feet of living space. Those behind the project describe its design as modern European, while the site itself actually consists of three separate, already-existing structures that are currently being re-worked to appear as one cohesive building.

Inside, potential buyers can of course

You may have gotten a Taste of Chicago and River North, but those are just appetizers for all the summer food festivals in the city. Next on on the menu is the Taste of Lincoln Park, taking place July 25 through July 26 from noon - 10 p.m. at North Lincoln Avenue between Fullerton & Wrightwood. Enjoy more than 100 food vendors from across the city and country while listening to live music all weekend. If you're coming with kids, don't worry, the Kid's Carnival takes place within the festival so Chicagoans of all ages can enjoy the event.