There are some fine skyscrapers lining the Kennedy Expressway these days. Some people are fond of Arkadia and it’s vaguely Olympic parking podium. Others are partial to Skybridge and its deconstructionist whimsy. There are even those who like Presidential Towers, if only for its pioneering ability to transform a neighborhood.
But the star of the I-90/94 runway show is now 727 West Madison.
727 demonstrates not only the potential of transforming a surface parking lot into something more, but also that it’s OK to put up a building in Chicago that isn’t yet another rectangle on a box.
Sadly, even 727 eventually veered from its original program and gave in to the “maximizing value” cliche with its podium. But if you’re crawling down the Kennedy you can’t see it, and if you’re walking down Halsted, for the most part it’s the same story.
Recently there was a big bash at 727 to officially open the project from Fifield and F&F Realty. The 45-story tower designed by FitzGerald Associates brought 492 new homes to the area, plus 10,000 square feet of retail space.
It has studios, convertibles, 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom units. Prices start at around $2,200 a month and go up to San Francisco Money. But those aren’t firm dollars. 727 has “dynamic pricing,” like an Uber surge, or the minibar at a Vegas casino. So if you don’t like the price you’re quoted today, try tomorrow. You might get lucky.
