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Daily
Herald
May 13
"Boutique building finds niche market" |
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Chicago is a city that does things big. It has the tallest
building, the largest convention facility, the largest
public library, even the biggest collection of French
impressionist paintings outside of the Louvre.
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So it may come as a surprise to learn that when it comes
to residential development in the city, some Chicago developers
are thinking small. Specifically, they're thinking "boutique."
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While a boutique is usually thought of as a small business
offering specialized products and services, the term can
be applied to buildings as well. A boutique building usually
has fewer residences than a building of a comparable type;
it might offer residents special services; and it has
an atmosphere created by unique themes or finishes that
gives the feeling of being in a special building.
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Although this certain je ne sais quoi is impossible
to capture on a floor plan or list of features, it is
nonetheless attractive to many home buyers.
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"People who buy a home in a boutique building are
like people who shop in boutique stores, they're looking
for something different, something not everyone else has,"
says Bob Horner, co-principal of Winthrop Properties.
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In the case of Printers Corner, a 17-story by Winthrop
Properties at Printers Row, that "something different"
can be found in both its special features and its size.
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"While other mid-rises in Printers Row have 150 units
or more, Printers Corner, with only 88 homes, certainly
is more intimate by comparison," says Horner. "But
Printers Corner is also a boutique building because of
the features and finishes we have incorporated into each
home." One of the most notable features is that each
home has floor-to-ceiling corner windows. Because there
are only eight homes per floor, the building's faceted
design allows for each to have a corner view. Italian
cabinets and a 42-inch plasma TV are also part of each
home at Printers Corner. Printers Corner is located at
the corner of Polk and Wells in the South Loop. Homes
measure 743 to 2,290 square feet and offer one to three
bedrooms plus den, one to three baths, and balconies.
Base prices range from the $275,000s to the $840,000s.
Deeded garage parking is available from $36,000.
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"With Printers Corner, I am very proud that we were
able to creatively utilize a small site to create a unique,
attractive and functional building," he says. The
boutique building offers 88 condominiums and features
a faceted architectural design allowing each condominium
to be a corner unit.
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To learn more about Printers Corner, call (312)880-1234.
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