Lofts Without Remodels: 300 W. Grand in River North
We are so used to the granite, stainless steel and other “modern” interiors we forget that only ten years ago, those weren’t the norm in conversions and new construction in the city.
300 W. Grand in River North is a loft building that was converted in the 1990s. Some of the units have been upgraded since the original conversion. But many still have the original white kitchens and white tiled baths.
How much is space worth to you versus having a new kitchen?
This top floor unit has 20 foot ceilings and roof rights (but I’ve never seen anyone who has bought one of these units with the roof rights actually put a deck on the roof.)
Unit #603: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths
- Sold in June 2003 for $331,000
- Currently listed for $399,900 (parking included)
- Assessments of $498 a month
- Coldwell Banker has the listing
We chattered about Unit #208 in December 2007. It is still on the market and has been reduced. It also has the original white kitchen.
Unit #208: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1200 square feet
- Sold in April 2002 for $299,000
- Sold in February 2006 for $345,000
- Was listed in December 2007 for $386,500 (parking included)
- Now listed at $355,900 (parking included)
- Assessments of $320 a month
- Charles Rutenberg Realty has the listing
So, with roof rights in this sort of building, what are the restrictions on putting a hole in the roof? I can’t imagine being another owner and having one guy cut a hole in the roof and void the warranty (probably lapsed on this buidling, but still).
Yech.
Do those assessments include heat?
I don’t know about value (I’m still along way from worrying about that) The location is pretty good, the argument about heating/cooling costs still probably apply. But if I was buying to live for a while (and I’m not buying until that situation applies) the white kitchen wouldn’t bother me, just wait soon it will be “retro” and then worth more!
SSDD
The white kitchen does not bother me. The green paint does.
The thing about these lofts is that they are right ON the brown and purple line. If you are deaf or don’t mind having that go by you might be okay. Not sure what the 24hour schedules are on the brown or purple lines but I’m sure those that live there know them quite well. I couldn’t live 10 feet from the El personally. These are so close to the El I’d bet they even rattle.
I looked at unit 205 which you reported on in March as being a foreclosure. The unit had been trashed and the white cabinets had been painted with a high gloss black paint. White cabinets would have been infinitely better.
When I was in the building I saw a notice on the bulletin board about a special assessment.
I was also concerned about several vacant storefronts in the building along Grand Avenue.
The white kitchen doesn’t especially bother me, since the coutertops themselves look OK and it would be a fairly easy refacing job (assuming they’re in good shape, which it appears they are.
Roof rights can be strange. I looked at one building where the unit was listing as having a “terrace”. Well, getting to the terrace involved leaving the unit, walking down a hallway and then going up a significant flight of stairs. When you finally got to the roof you were faced with dozens of tiny little individual cattle corrals, not a single one of which had a stick of furniture on it. Clearly no one found scaling the heights to be worth the effort on a regular basis and your food would be cold and drink half-spilled (or consumed, hic) by the time you got up there.
My friend lives in this building – there is a huge highrise going up right behind it (Silver Tower). So depending on which way your apartment faces, you could end up with a beautiful view of a parking podium.
Both of the units in this post are south facing, I believe.
Neither looks into the parking structure of the Silver.
I’ll take an unREMUDDLED condo anyday over a fugly new cherry kitchen with bad granite and Home Depot light fixtures.
Those ventless gas fireplaces are awful. People need to stop installing them immediately.
That suspended sleeping loft looks a little precarious. I wouldn’t want to sit below it or sleep in it.
The neighborhood needs more trees.
With energy prices on the rise, who wants to pay to heat 20 foot ceilings?
Just went under contract today…