The New River View

by Dan Krumm

As anyone who’s had the pleasure of a river tour through Chicago’s Loop can attest, it is an invigorating and intoxicating experience.  More akin to browsing a fine museum than taking a tour, the hour and a half journey surrounds viewers with one of the most awe-inspiring facets of Chicago - its world-class collection of riverfront architecture.

From Howells & Hood’s Tribune Tower to Mies van der Rohe’s IBM Center, this stretch of water is home to an incredible variety of structures and styles. The newest addition to this impressive collection, the Residences of River Bend, will be located at the confluence of the North, South and Main branches of the river at Canal and Fulton streets, just west of the Loop.

Strauss had the Danube, Monet the Seine and Twain, of course, the Mississippi.  Architect Greg DeStefano, of DeStefano & Partners, drew his inspiration for the design of River Bend from the Chicago River.

“It’s primarily a rectangle with a soft curve on the front face,” says DeStefano, who designed the project for Bejco Development Corp.  “The site is strange, and the river actually bends along the Canal Street side.  Because of the location and the angle of the river, we wanted the building to be as parallel to the river as possible.”

Maximizing that riverfront location, also should maximize sales, according to B.J. Spathies, president of Bejco Development Corp.

“River Bend will be the most unique condominium and luxury townhome development Chicago has ever seen,” Spathies says “All of the residences will feature breathtaking eastern views of the Loop and the river through floor-to-ceiling glass walls.”  According to Spathies, residents will have unobstructed views that trace the river north, south and east.  “When the bridges on the Chicago River are up , residents will have a picture-postcard view,” say Spathies.

The river was not the only source for River Bend’s design, which took cues from the surrounding architecture as well.       

“It’s more contemporary...” DeStefano says. “It’s primarily glass with a concrete frame. There are several different exterior wall components - floor-to-ceiling glass, which is 10 feet on the unit faces, and a corridor on the west side. One side is glass, the other has unit entries because it’s a single-loaded corridor.”

That layout, unusual in a highrise, has definite advantages, according to Garry Benson, president of Garrison Partners, which is marketing the development.

“Residents will step off elevators to a single, west-facing hallway that during the day will be flooded with light from clerestory windows,” Benson says.

Located in what’s being touted as the new “Fulton River District,” at 327 N. Canal, River Bend’s 150 luxury condos are priced from about $300,000 to more than $1 million.  This $100 million, 38-story highrise has been designed with only five or six units per floor.  A  row of luxury townhouses will occupy the “promenade level,” four stories above the 300-foot-long river walk.  Two massive 3,635-square-foot penthouse homes will occupy the topmost section of the development with plans also calling for 11 levels of parking under the  residential levels.                                

Every condominium home will have a private balcony, with the tier of wrap-around residences on the southeast corner having especially good access to light and views.  The building will include a 24-hour doorman, valet parking, a corporate center and a European-style spa and health club.  Adjacent to the East Bank Club, in close proximity to Loop offices and River North restaurants and galleries, the location has appealed to urban buyers who are interested in being part of a growing neighborhood.

But Spathies says there is more to the project than simply a hot location or an interesting structure. “River Bend is more than a new landmark on Chicago’s skyline,” she says.  “It sets a new benchmark for the potential of luxury living.”

Part of that claim is based on the buyers’ option to choose between two kinds of product “traditional” and “loft-like.” The traditional condos will have10-foot high, drywall-finished ceilings, recessed lighting, classically cased windows and doors. as well as custom milled base and crown moldings. The loft-like units will feature hardwood floors, exposed heating ducts and 11-foot, textured concrete ceilings.

“The key here is the extra high ceilings, from 10 feet up to 11-foot-4,” says DeStefano.  When coupled with 18-by-10-foot windows and loft-style partition walls, the “loft-like” condos, the team believes, will receive copious light throughout the residence.

On top of basic style choice, buyers have more than a dozen distinct floor plans from which to choose, with the possibility of further customization available through combination.

“River Bend has been designed to offer an unusual degree of flexibility in the size and layout of individual residences,” Spathies says.  The design of “Residence F,” the project’s top-of-the-line condominium, she believes, epitomizes luxury.

“Residence F” is a 3,698-square-foot, southeast facing corner unit.  These condos offer three bedrooms and 2.5 baths and feature two balconies.  Available on floors 12 through 29, they range from the $960s to more than $1 million.  These homes will have gallery-style foyers and 18-by-19.5-foot, family rooms with fireplaces.  Off the family room, the owner will have a private 7.5-by -4.5-foot, east-facing balcony, overlooking the Loop and the river.

The kitchens for these units are planed in a U-shaped, galley design, with a separate breakfast room set off to the west of the family room.  The kitchen will be  trimmed out with granite counter tops, double-bowl cast-iron sinks with Kohler faucets, a complete Kitchen Aid or GE appliance package and 42-inch, European-style, custom cabinetry.

The master bedroom suite, located in its own wing, will have a separate, 5-by-18-foot balcony and double walk-in closets.   The suite’s master bath will feature a Whirlpool tub, a glass-enclosed shower stall, marble flooring / surrounds and a 36-inch double vanity.

“Preview Sales for river Bend are now underway from an expansive, state-of-the-art sales center on the site,” says sales and marketing consultant, Garry Benson.  Comprised of a full-size, two-unit mock-up, weather permitting, the sales center eventually will be relocated to a barge actually floating on the Chicago River. 

At press time, 25 percent of the project’s presale quota had been met and construction was slated to begin in late summer of 1999.  Buyers can expect early delivery to begin sometime in the first quarter of 2001.