JUST RENTED! Great 1Bed+Den on South Michigan Avenue in South Loop

Just helped my @properties renter find this 1Bed+den gem in the South Loop, located at 1430 S. Michigan Avenue…AND signed a 2 year lease.  These renters were great and I definitely think they picked a good place.  This apartment comes with lots of storage space, a nice sized balcony off the living room, and includes a parking space.  Even the living space is a really good size with the perfect space for an office.

Check out the full virtual tour HERE!

If you’re ready to buy a home, sell your current place, find a rental apartment, or rent you home in Chicago, contact me and we can get started!  jeffstewart@atproperties.com.

The Archdiocese of Chicago planning a new Catholic school in Chicago’s South Loop.

New Catholic school building slated for South Loop

A rendering of the planned Old St. Mary’s school building

By: Todd J. Behme Jan. 28, 2010

(Crain’s) — The Archdiocese of Chicago plans to start work in June on a new school building on a South Loop site purchased from a venture including restaurateur Matthew O’Malley.

The 33,000-square-foot elementary school building is to be completed in 2011 next to Old St. Mary’s, 1500 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago’s oldest parish that has seen its school’s enrollment grow amid the housing boom on the Near South Side. The school is currently located in a 12,000-square-foot former warehouse.

The archdiocese bought property for the school in 2008 from a venture managed by Matthew O’Malley, whose Mainstay Hospitality LLC runs well-known Chicago Firehouse restaurant, Grace O’Malley’s Restaurant & Pub and Wabash Tap, all near the church, according to the Cook County Recorder.

Mr. O’Malley’s venture sold for $2.4 million, after paying $1.35 million for it in 2005, property records.

Mr. O’Malley has a daughter at the school and is also donating to the building project. He was at the center of a controversy several years ago over an agreement with Chicago Park District to operate the Park Grill restaurant in Millennium Park. He could not be reached for comment.

The school, which opened in 2004, offers pre-kindergarten through fourth grade and now has about 170 students. A grade is being added each year, with some 215 students expected to be enrolled next school year, says the principal, Mary Lee Calihan. The school is getting many more applications than it can accept, she says.

The new building will be primarily a school, with some meeting space for parish use, says the Rev. Mike Kallock, Old St. Mary’s pastor. Newman Architecture of Naperville designed the building.

The school is proposed for a site that includes some land that the archdiocese already owned. The archdiocese has requested a zoning amendment for the property, and is represented by attorney Thomas S. Moore of Chicago law firm Anderson & Moore.

The parish is also growing, with more than 1,200 people at Masses on Sundays, up from about 500 when the church moved to its current site in 2002, says Rev. Kallock, who has been pastor since 2006.

The archdiocese is financing the $6-million construction project without loans, and the parish will have to pay back the money. The project has been scaled back from original plans that were too costly, Rev. Kallock says.

Read the full Crain’s Chicago Business article by clicking HERE!

Epic Burger expanding to North Avenue! I LOVE Epic Burger!

Ever been to Epic Burger’s original location in the South Loop/Printers Row neighborhood?  Well, Epic Burger, located at 517 S. State Street in the mega-dorm has become so successful that they’re planning on expanding to the North Avenue retail area at 1000 W. North Avenue. 

Epic Burger goes with the whole sustainable and going green route and their food is, for the most part, all natural.  Plus, Epic was pretty smart to open up their restaurant on the ground floor because I would think almost any good restaurant would do well when there’s a couple thousand hungry college kids around.

Chicago Gourmet Burger Brand Expands

[2009-12-18]   Epic Burger is set to open its second location in Spring 2010 at 1000 West North Avenue in the former Transitions Bookplace in Lincoln Park. The first location launched in Chicago’s South Loop neighborhood in May 2008 and introduced Chicago to “a more mindful burger”.

In a time when authenticity and value is top of mind, Epic Burger offers its customers a better burger experience. The new location will introduce Lincoln Park customers to a mindful menu that features 100 percent all natural, never frozen, hand-packed beef and turkey burgers, all-natural chicken breasts and portabella mushroom sandwiches, all cooked fresh to order. Customers can also choose from unique flavor additions like: cage-free organic fried egg, nitrate free bacon, and all natural cheeses. Epic Burger buns are baked fresh daily and have no preservatives or artificial ingredients. Fries are made with fresh, hand cut potatoes cooked with zero trans fats and seasoned with pure sea salt. The menu also features shakes and smoothies made with all natural ice cream and fat free frozen yogurt….

Check out the full QSR Magazine article HERE!

Photo courtesy of Epic Burger.

The Roosevelt Collection hit hard…switching from condos to apartments!

Word broke around a week ago that The Lofts at Roosevelt Collection, located around 150 W. Roosevelt Road in Chicago’s South Loop.  Developed by Centrum Properties, The Lofts at Roosevelt Collection was set to include 342 loft condominiums in addition to a 300,000 square-feet of retail space.  With around 60% of the homes under contract, this is a hard hit…but at least these homeowners received their earnest money back.  According to this ChicagoRealEstateDaily.com article, the development will be anchored by a 16 screen Kerasotes Showplace movie theater and a David Barton gym with the remaining retail space at about 50% leased.  Centrum is in “serious negotiations” with tenants for another 40% of the space which is great news.  So if you’re in the market for a brand spankin’ new loft apartment, check out their website or give the leasing office at call at 312-588-1688.  Rents start at $1,375/month for a one-bedroom and $2,300 for two bedrooms.

Check out the full article by clicking HERE!

Sales and lease figures not so hot for South Loop condos and apartments…

Crain’s Chicago Business released a pretty cool map of Chicago’s South Loop neighborhood showing the percentage sold and leased homes for many of the South Loop’s newest projects like Roosevelt Collection and 1600 Museum Park.  The numbers don’t look good so check them out for yourselves.  If you’re in the market for a new home, there are plenty of homes available in the South Loop, just be a bit cautious on if it’s the right choice in the short and long term.  A big thank you goes out to Crain’s Chicago Business for the map.

Chicago’s newest wall of skyscrapers in the South Loop’s Central Station.

Just below are the plans for three out of the four high rises, centered at Roosevelt Road and Indiana Avenue, in the South Loop’s Central Station masterplan.  The building at the far left, One Museum Park East, is now complete and rises 65 floors above Grant Park and the museum campus.  The building left of center, One Museum Park West, is currently under construction and will rise 54 floors when complete.  The two buildings to the right are current proposals that may eventually start construction but as of yet, there is no set date.  I am glad these Central Station buildings were able to start construction before the whole dramatic downturn in real estate because the two buildings create a nice wall surrounding the Southern end of Grant Park.  Plus, the buildings aren’t too shabby looking either…