LAKEVIEW — Developers broke ground Thursday on a seven-story apartment building just steps from the Sheridan Red Line stop and blocks from Wrigley Field.
The 120-unit building at 949 W. Dakin St. replaces a one-story building that housed Ace Hardware and other retail stores, according to developers Draper and Kramer, Inc.
The hardware store will return, filling a portion of the 13,000 square feet set aside for retail in the building’s first floor, developers said. It will be joined by a coffee shop and two other retailers.
The project should be finished by August of next year.
Todd Bancroft, CEO of Draper and Kramer, said the development “fills a niche in the local apartment market by bringing a boutique rental property to one of the North Side’s most popular neighborhoods.”
The rest of the development includes 108 one-bedroom and 12 two-bedroom units, ranging from 620 to 1,040 square feet, developers said. Rentals start at about $1,900 per month.
Each apartment will have 9-foot-4-inch ceilings and feature exposed structural elements, developers said. They’ll have modern kitchens with stone countertops and stainless steel appliances, washer and dryer units, and walk-in closets.
The development features a rooftop deck with views of Lake Michigan and Wrigley Field, which is just two and a half blocks south. It will have grilling stations, outdoor dining tables, separate lounge chairs, a TV area and several fire pits.
Other amenities include several communal lounging or meeting areas, a private club room with a bar and kitchen, fitness center and heated bike room, developers said.
The building’s exterior will feature dark-red brick and large windows reminiscent to other apartment buildings in the neighborhood, said Ed Polich, executive vice president of real estate for Draper and Kramer.
“The goal was to design a building that is appropriately scaled to the site and seamlessly integrated with the streetscape while delivering modern interiors on par with many of Chicago’s best boutique apartment buildings,” Polich said.
Jake Wittich is a Report for America corps member covering Lakeview, Lincoln Park and LGBTQ communities across the city for Block Club Chicago.
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