Want a Million Dollar Project? A Row House at 855 N. Dearborn in the Gold Coast
This 3-bedroom row house at 855 N. Dearborn in the Gold Coast just came on the market.
It’s the row house on the far right in the picture above.
If you remember, we chattered about a 3-bedroom triplex in one of these row houses in May 2019.
We concluded that this wasn’t a former mansion, even though the 2019 listing said it was.
Instead, it appears to be 3 row homes built in 1928.
You can see our 2019 chatter here.
The current listing calls this a “Hale Row House.” Anyone know what that means? Google has nothing.
It is on a 20×60 lot.
This row house is bank owned.
There are 20 foot ceilings on the main floor along with a fireplace and wood floors.
The kitchen has been torn out, as well as some of the walls so there is exposed brick, although there appears to be a bunch of luxury stainless steel appliances sitting there.
This is the first time in a bank owned property that the cabinets are missing but the appliances are there. Usually it’s the other way around.
There are 3 fireplaces in all.
One bedroom is on the second floor, two are on the third floor.
There’s also a rooftop deck.
The lower level has a finished basement that the listing says is a “true in-law apartment.” It appears to have a partial kitchen.
If you recall, the 2019 property was just the top floors of the row house. There was a separate lower level apartment.
It has central air but there doesn’t appear to be any parking.
Listed at $1.05 million, the listing says there is “tons of upside for equity growth.”
Is this a deal for those who want to rehab?
Ryan Smith at Re/Max Properties has the listing. See the pictures here.
855 N. Dearborn: 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, no square footage listed, row house
- Sold in June 1995 for $252,500
- Sold in November 1996 for $710,000
- Sold in June 2001 for $1.25 million
- Lis pendens foreclosure filed in November 2015
- Bank owned in September 2019
- Currently listed at $1.05 million
- Taxes of $24,207
- Central Air
- 3 fireplaces
- Roof top deck
- Bedroom #1: 11×17 (second floor)
- Bedroom #2: 17×11 (third floor)
- Bedroom #3: 12×16 (third floor)
- Living room: 15×25 (main floor)
- Dining room: 13×15 (main floor)
- Kitchen: 11×14 (main floor)
- Second kitchen: 12×16 (lower level)
- Family room: 14×18 (lower level)
At least the pics are professional and don’t hide any of the work!
“The current listing calls this a “Hale Row House.” Anyone know what that means? Google has nothing.”
Your google-fu is weak. I cannot believe that you gthooi, much less gtfooi.
Hale Row Houses mentioned on pages 29 and 34 of this city preservation doc:
https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/zlup/Historic_Preservation/Publications/Near_North_Side_MPD_Prelim_Sum.pdf
Also not sure how you concluded that the row was built in 1928. I cited evidence that they existed in 1886. Article in the Trib from a 2015 listing of this very property says 1886 was construction year, but that might be based only on the same info I found–confirming that it was not later than 1886.
Who painted all that woodwork white?! UGH. If it was whomever got in over their head “renovating” this property then F them.
I am afraid of any foreclosure where the appliances are still there and would want to replace the appliances out of an abundance of caution but this really looks like someone was in the middle of a rehab versus the typical foreclosure where the former “owner” tries to abscond with anything of value, no? It does seem like it has a lot of potential but it is also on a busy street and a block and a half from the crack-donalds. A little give and take I suppose.
How big is this entire place? About 3k square feet you think?
The floors and staircase look to be intact. If the basement unit is indeed a separate apartment but included in the sale, I imagine to do all the gut rehab work, the kitchen, bathrooms, drywall etc + new lighting and all that glitzy stuff, and then make the separate apartment into a basement or something would cost what, around 500k?
1.5 for what would end up being a ‘new’ row home in Gold Coast would be a pretty dang good deal right?
the basement pix pretty much scream “flood”. So you’d have to understand completely what happened there, and any lingering issues.
@ anon
so of course we harp on floor plans (at least I do)
How does one GTHOOI for ceiling heights? I would want to know the ceiling heights and guess that the majority of the time the basement ceiling heights are for 5’9″ people?
Agree with anon – this is a far older home than 1928. The construction date of 1886 makes sense, from my POV.
“It does seem like it has a lot of potential but it is also on a busy street and a block and a half from the crack-donalds.”
It’s not a block and a half from that McDonald’s.
This was brought up last May when we talked about these row homes.
It’s a block and a half to Chicago. The McDonald’s is another block east from there. So 2 1/2 blocks.
Additionally, the 75+ story mega high rise and 50+ second high rises are now above ground (foundations are in) nearly across the street from the McDonald’s itself. The largest Whole Foods in the city will be in the base. And the condos will start at a million dollars and go up.
It’s going to be a big game changer for the area.
I think someone can manage to live 2.5 blocks from that McDonald’s in a million dollar condo and be perfectly fine.
“Also not sure how you concluded that the row was built in 1928.”
I don’t “conclude” anything. I take all the information from the listing.
Bank owned listings aren’t known for their accuracy.
“I don’t “conclude” anything.”
Uhhhhhhhhhh….????
“We concluded that this wasn’t a former mansion, even though the 2019 listing said it was.
Instead, it appears to be 3 row homes built in 1928.”
“How does one GTHOOI for ceiling heights? I would want to know the ceiling heights and guess that the majority of the time the basement ceiling heights are for 5’9? people?”
use a point of reference in listing photos. the ceilings in this basement look to be about 8′ tall unfinished. Just basing that on the refrigerator and the cinder block.
Also enjoy:
“the main level offers high 20 foot ceilings”
Which is such a complete lie that it really should be sanctionable.
Of course, as we’ve learned here, Realtors think that is “just a number” and including blatant untruths in a listing isn’t a big deal.
“use a point of reference in listing photos. the ceilings in this basement look to be about 8? tall unfinished.”
Think they may be a bit more than 8′ in the main room–8′ to the bulkhead around the edge probably. These basement pix aren’t very descriptive, tho.
“the main level offers high 20 foot ceilings”
“Which is such a complete lie that it really should be sanctionable.”
they must only be considering the floor to the top of the stairwell? *pic 8 for reference. still a joke.
“I don’t “conclude” anything.”
“Uhhhhhhhhhh….????”
Yeah- in the old listing it wasn’t very clear if it was a mansion or separate row homes. I went with what the listing said. Someone investigated it further and we concluded that it had to be separate row homes.
Has nothing to do with this listing. This listing didn’t say anything other than it was a Hale Row House.
Yeah, someone. I wonder who the fuck that was.
I visited this house. Not for me, it’s a trap.. the place was totally flooded and all the plumbing is dead. Electrics to be remade and foundations as well.
This property is now pending. Properties in this area seem to go quick. 26 W Chestnut, 859, 857 and now 855 N Dearborn all sold within 2 weeks.