That’s a Chicago Transit Authority subway car sitting atop the second-floor amenity deck of the “L” apartments in the city’s Logan Square neighborhood. The six-story complex, designed by Brininstool + Lynch Architects, is two blocks from the CTA’s Blue Line, which can get you to the Loop or O’Hare International in 25-30 minutes.
Developer Property Markets Group wanted “a hub that would pull people together,” says Brian Koles, PMG’s Director of Residential Experience. The CTA car sits in a shallow pool in the 1,200-sf amenity deck, which sports a dog run, barbecue pit, lounge chairs, and space for yoga, mixology classes, and—coming soon!—a bocce tournament. “When the weather warms up, the deck is slammed” with singles, families, and extremely well-behaved canines, says Koles.
L opened a year ago and leased up in four months. In addition to the 110 one- and two-bedroom units, 10 three-bed units are devoted to co-living (average bedroom rental: $1,110/month), making it the largest such space in Chicago. Koles says L’s co-livers are older, make more money, and have better credit scores than other L renters.
The decommissioned CTA car was retrofitted by Chicago Salvage Works. ARCO/Murray Construction Company did the installation.
Catch the video at: vimeo.com/207575664.
Related Stories
Apartments | Jun 4, 2024
Apartment sizes on the rise after decade-long shrinking trend
The average size of new apartments in the U.S. saw substantial growth in 2023, bouncing back to 916 sf after a steep decline the previous year. That is according to a recent RentCafe market insight report released this month.
Multifamily Housing | Jun 3, 2024
Grassroots groups becoming a force in housing advocacy
A growing movement of grassroots organizing to support new housing construction is having an impact in city halls across the country. Fed up with high housing costs and the commonly hostile reception to new housing proposals, advocacy groups have sprung up in many communities to attend public meetings to speak in support of developments.
MFPRO+ News | Jun 3, 2024
New York’s office to residential conversion program draws interest from 64 owners
New York City’s Office Conversion Accelerator Program has been contacted by the owners of 64 commercial buildings interested in converting their properties to residential use.
MFPRO+ News | Jun 3, 2024
Seattle mayor wants to scale back energy code to spur more housing construction
Seattle’s mayor recently proposed that the city scale back a scheduled revamping of its building energy code to help boost housing production. The proposal would halt an update to the city’s multifamily and commercial building energy code that is scheduled to take effect later this year.
Resiliency | Jun 3, 2024
Houston’s buyout program has prevented flood damage but many more homes at risk
Recent flooding in Houston has increased focus on a 30-year-old program to buy out some of the area’s most vulnerable homes. Storms dropped 23 inches of rain on parts of southeast Texas, leading to thousands of homes being flooded in low-lying neighborhoods around Houston.
MFPRO+ New Projects | May 29, 2024
Two San Francisco multifamily high rises install onsite water recycling systems
Two high-rise apartment buildings in San Francisco have installed onsite water recycling systems that will reuse a total of 3.9 million gallons of wastewater annually. The recycled water will be used for toilet flushing, cooling towers, and landscape irrigation to significantly reduce water usage in both buildings.
MFPRO+ News | May 28, 2024
ENERGY STAR NextGen Certification for New Homes and Apartments launched
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently launched ENERGY STAR NextGen Certified Homes and Apartments, a voluntary certification program for new residential buildings. The program will increase national energy and emissions savings by accelerating the building industry’s adoption of advanced, energy-efficient technologies, according to an EPA news release.
MFPRO+ News | May 24, 2024
Austin, Texas, outlaws windowless bedrooms
Austin, Texas will no longer allow developers to build windowless bedrooms. For at least two decades, the city had permitted developers to build thousands of windowless bedrooms.
Mass Timber | May 22, 2024
3 mass timber architecture innovations
As mass timber construction evolves from the first decade of projects, we're finding an increasing variety of mass timber solutions. Here are three primary examples.
Mixed-Use | May 22, 2024
Multifamily properties above ground-floor grocers continue to see positive rental premiums
Optimizing land usage is becoming an even bigger priority for developers. In some city centers, many large grocery stores sprawl across valuable land.
