And unlike in past boomlets, the design concepts behind the buildings themselves show an unusual amount of creativity and originality in a market usually marked by sameness. The traditional 26-story tower designed by Lucien Lagrange is the most expensive of three towers planned by LR Development on a former Northwestern University site. It's on the lake and park, with beautiful views of Navy Pier and the water. The French-influenced boutique building has only 77 units and caters to its well heeled buyers' every whim. We have 25 architects in house for buyers to work with.
Buyers also can purchase space there raw if they want.
But you don't have to be a millionaire to get into a new highrise. Both of the buildings, developed by Smithfield Properties, are heavy on steel and glass, with sharp angles and modern design elements. Erie on the Park is not built on a typical rectangular site but on a parcel with some acute angles, which makes for interesting floor plans. In renderings, the building seems to collapse the barriers between interior and exterior space in grand Miesian style. The common wisdom among real estate types here is that modern architecture does not sell.