Bejco's latest project, Prairie House, is no exception, Benson says. With 14 stories and 187 units, the building will be much larger than earlier offerings at Central Station, the large mixed-use development on former railroad land south of the Loop. But, as the project name implies, Bejco designed Prairie House to blend into its natural surroundings, at the northeast corner of 15th and Prairie. Fourteen stories is, technically, a highrise, but Bejco softened the building in a number of ways to make it blend with the surrounding architecture. Every balcony has planters on it, and the terraces will be extensively planted so we can maintain a green band around the structure.
Parking is located on the first three floors.
Developer B.J. Spathies, CEO of Bejco Development, says, however, that the project is not a strictly Prairie design, though it does contain some elements, such as the tall windows, strongly articulated rooflines and wide terraces, drawn from a Prairie School approach. They will have one to three bedrooms, one to three baths and 800 to 3,000 square feet of living area. Each residence will feature nine-foot ceilings and one or two balconies. Plans call for 22 special terrace residences on the north end of the building. The four-story townhouses will have about 3,000 square feet of living space.