A Simple Workers Cottage is Now a Mansion in the Gold Coast: 1241 N. State Parkway
This 6-bedroom French limestone mansion at 1241 N. State Parkway in the Gold Coast recently came on the market.
This is a rare new construction home on a street that has historic designation in the heart of the Gold Coast.
If you recall, there used to be a 2-bedroom workers cottage on this lot that did not have historic protection even though it was the last of the workers cottage in the Gold Coast.
Over 9,000 workers cottages were built around the city after the Great Fire. They housed workers who were rebuilding the city. This one was built in 1872.
The exterior was also shown in at least one movie, The Lake House with Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock.
In July 2016, the estate of the long term owners sold the house to a developer.
It went before the preservation committee but was not saved.
See our July 2016 chatter here.
A new construction mansion now stands in its place.
The listing says it’s on an “oversized 150 deep parcel” but it’s also on a narrower than standard, Chicago lot of 22.5×150.
There aren’t many pictures with the listing as it appears to still be under construction, but it has the finishes you would expect from a mansion in this location.
It has 3 fireplaces and a mudroom.
There’s a 5-stop elevator.
The house still has a 2-car garage.
The master suite, which is on the second floor, has a separate sitting area with a fireplace. There are 3 fireplaces in total in the house.
3 more bedrooms are on the third floor and one is in the lower level.
The listing says there is a rooftop terrace and a rear garden.
Listed at $7.25 million, it is the 12th most expensive single family home listed in the city.
There are 25 single family homes priced at $5 million or above in the city.
This is a rare group. And not many are completely brand new construction.
How long will it take to sell this house?
Timothy Salm at Jameson Sotheby’s has the listing. See the pictures here.
1241 N. State Parkway: 6 bedrooms, 7 baths, 7,430 square feet, 2 car garage
- There’s no original sales price. It was put into a Trust in 1994
- There was no mortgage on the property
- Originally listed on June 2, 2016 for $1.495 million
- Sold on June 30, 2016 for $1.5 million
- Torn down
- Now listed as a new construction home for $7.25 million
- Taxes are now “new” (they used to be $5088 in 2016)
- Central Air
- 3 fireplaces
- Bedroom #1: 15×14 (second floor)
- Bedroom #2: 19×12 (second floor)
- Bedroom #3: 14×11 (third floor)
- Bedroom #4: 13×11 (third floor)
- Bedroom #5: 16×11 (third floor)
- Bedroom #6: 12×11 (lower level)
- Recreation room: 17×23 (lower level)
Another lazy agent who can only be bothered to post a couple of pictures…
Another house that looks the same as every other house…
Why not buy this place instead? The interior looks the same as every other house, but at least the exterior is pretty and it’s $2.5 million less than this place.
https://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/1337-N-Dearborn-St-60610/home/14112879
The new home looks nice and fits the character of the surrounding homes. I think demolishing that ugly workers cottage was definitely the right choice. The old house stuck out like a sore thumb next to nice historic mansions.
$7M does seem to be the going rate for new construction in the gold coast. Here is another 1-2 year old home a few blocks over selling for $6.9 M
https://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/25-E-Cedar-St-60611/home/14123733
Agree with b, the cottage was an eyesore and a proper rehab for it was most likely too cost prohibitive. Better to get 6x the property taxes from new construction; the city desperately needs it.
I’m not saying worker cottages don’t have their place (I own one, built 137 years ago), but I am learning fast that they are a PITA and total money pit to bring up to modern standards.
I hope whoever did the knockdown of the original worker cottage here salvaged the 2x4s and timber support beams; you can’t get wood that strong anymore.
Maybe the cottage didn’t belong there any more, as some say. But does that really mean we need another trophy mansion eyesore in its place?
what the hell else are you going to build there? Its the best use of the land IMO
Sonies, I have nothing against mansions. The site is perfect for one. But not this one. Looks like too many of the phony facades I see in Lincoln Park that try to look like something they’re not and end up simply looking arrogant.
I loved that little workers cottage. I never understood why it wasn’t dolled up and rented. However, this was probably the case of an adult child selling everything after the parents passed. AS for the mansion, surprised it’s not contingent. That is a fair price and the buyer gets to choose finishes.