Is This a Perfect Triplex Brick and Timber Loft? 711 S. Dearborn in Printers Row
This 3-bedroom triplex loft in the Donohue Lofts at 711 S. Dearborn in Printers Row just came on the market.
The Donohue Lofts were one of the first loft conversions in the Printers Row neighborhood.
It consists of two buildings, one with concrete ceilings and this one, at 711 S. Dearborn, which has timber ceilings and exposed brick walls.
Most of the units have the big industrial windows loft lovers dream about.
This triplex looks to be made up of 3 separate “F” units which face west.
The top floor, which is the third floor, has arched windows and exposed brick walls along with the kitchen, living and dining rooms along with a half bath.
The kitchen has dark cabinets and stainless steel appliances.
There’s also a butler’s pantry in the dining room.
It looks like the main floor has the original hardwood floors throughout.
There are spiral staircases connecting each floor.
The second, or middle floor, has two bedrooms and a shared guest bathroom along with a laundry room.
The first floor, or main floor, has a big master suite with a walk-in closet and a “new” huge bathroom with a copper free standing soaker tub.
The listing says it has zoned A/C, washer/dryer in the unit and parking is available for $35,000 extra.
The building has no parking with it but some buy parking at 801 S. Plymouth. In the 2013 sale, deeded parking was sold with this unit.
Is this the perfect loft for loft lovers?
Janis Northon at @Properties has the listing. See the pictures and floor plan here.
Unit #808: 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 2420 square feet, triplex
- Original owner in 1987
- Sold in June 2013 for $525,000 (included the parking)
- Currently listed for $690,000 (parking is $35,000 extra– at 801 S. Plymouth?)
- Assessments of $1543 a month (includes heat, cable, Internet, exterior maintenance, scavenger, snow removal)
- Taxes of $9190
- Zoned A/C
- Washer/dryer in the unit
- Bedroom #1: 27×15 (first floor)
- Bedroom #2: 15×15 (second floor)
- Bedroom #3: 15×14 (second floor)
- Laundry room: 8×7 (second floor)
Nice place, the are some layout/design changes that should be expected at this price point – Not having the MBR open to the house, the exit doors on every level provides a potential problem for families, the counter top overhang past the sink, etc
They need to find someone that really wants a loft
NICE!!!
Obviously not suitable for families with little children, but finally a really cool & reasonably priced place in a good area.
I wonder were there originally 3 1-bedrooms stacked on top of each other or what?
This place is dope. The reverse floor plan with bedrooms on lower levels feels weird to me but this is a solid example of a “real loft”
The wood floors are in some rough shape. I’m all for keeping original but with all the patching and wear and tear they need to be replaced.
Agree on the floors plus that kitchen makes me sad.
Looks good until you get to the assessments, which are quite high.
“bedrooms on lower levels feels weird to me”
But in a loft they are a huge bonus. No one (other than your own guests) will be walking above your sleeping area at night. In some buildings that is what drives loft owners crazy. That noise transfer can be a real pain.
One friend lived below a commercial space. The first one into the office each day walked around and turned on all the copiers, coffee makers, and other machines. She wore high heels and drove our friends nuts. Did I mention that individual usually arrived by 5:30am? Ouch!
Interesting place, definitely a loft, loft.
It’s actually nice that the (large) bedrooms are on the lower floors as you can get some more natural light in (appears to barely clear buildings across the street).
Overall the assessments are quite high and it may take a while to find someone that wants this style and needs all that space / those rooms.
Side note–this owner appears to reach a lot!
I like it a lot. I think if you stained the floors a darker color it would hide some of the “patchwork”.
Not sure who the market is for this, though. As mentioned, the layout doesn’t really work for a family and it’s a LOT of space for someone who doesn’t have a family.
Maybe a live/work space? That middle level could be an office + guest room. It even has a separate entrance.
Nice place, but living right by Kasey’s sounds like a bad idea in terms of noise and the clouds of smoke that blanket the area just outside of Kasey’s.
Kasey’s also stopped allowing dogs inside about a year and a half ago. Sad.
I know a family that might have considered buying this a few years ago: two teenagers going the Jones College Prep, two parents both working in the loop. They moved to the south loop from west Andersonville to be closer their kid’s school. They sold a SFH for about the same price.
But I don’t know if any family would like this inverted layout. It would not be my preference. The high assessment, without any corresponding amenities, is a big downside. Also, they would have been going from SFH garage parking to paying $35,000 extra and not even parking in the same building, but a block away.
The assessments are not that high – it includes heat.
What would the assessment in a building be for a 1 bdrm and then multiple up…
it will never cease to amaze me that there’s always a comment about whether it’s suitable for children or not. 😀
Not a loft fan myself, but I can see why someone might like this place. Lots of cool period touches. I happen to be a big fan of views, and all the views are right into other buildings. But maybe that wouldn’t bother some.
I’ve lived vertically like this and it was awful. I was up and down the stairs constantly. Getting up, going for a coffee, back up the stairs for a shower, back down the stairs to grab my phone, up the stairs to finish getting ready, down to get another coffee, up to finish getting ready, down to leave, back up because I forgot my phone, back down to leave, forgot something else, back up. Maybe I’m disorganized but it was awful. On the bright side, you get some good excercise. As far assessments, I think they are on par. That building is very ornate and needs a lot of upkeep.
“I happen to be a big fan of views, and all the views are right into other buildings.”
Dearborn is a wide street at this location. No natural light is blocked.
But yeah- you’re not in a “view” building in any midrise downtown.