The Last Frontier
Sierra Lofts offers 1 of the last chances for the true loft living
by Dan Schuyler

Frankel & Giles Real Estate was a pioneer in Chicago’s booming ‘90s loft market, the force behind some of the South Loop’s most notable loft buildings. So why does partner Robbie Frankel get a bit wistful talking about Sierra Lofts, the new project his company is marketing for the developer? Because Sierra Lofts, www.SierraLofts.com, is the last of a dying breed, according to Frankel, a classic product type grown nearly extinct because of its own popularity and limited supply.

“There simply is no true loft product left,” Frankel says. “The demand is there, but the inventory has run out, especially if you’re talking heavy timber lofts. So now, believe it or not, people are building ‘new’ loft buildings.”

Take a quick look at Sierra Lofts, and it’s easy to understand why developers and buyers have snapped up so many true lofts during the last decade. The original structure was built around 1900 as either a glove factory or a printing company (the history is a little vague on that point). Whatever it’s original use, the building, like other industrial plants of its time, was massively built, with heavy timber beams, high ceilings and large windows – features that make for bright, open, highly livable dwellings.

“Sierra Lofts really can’t be classified style-wise,” says John Schiess, whose firm John Conrad Schiess Architects designed the final product. “Buildings of this type were constructed with minimal architectural drawings. The craftsmen who occupied them provided most of the details and defined the character of the building. Today they have come to be known as craftsmen buildings.”

Schiess translated the integrity of that original structure into residential use, adding new sections for a total of 40 loft condos.

“The project started with a four-story building,” says Frankel. “A new component was added, widening the structure by approximately one-third, and then two additional floors were built over both the new and the old.”

The result is a six-story structure with an exterior of brick, limestone, glass and steel, all done in a style consistent with the original building. The top four floors contain the residences. The second floor is occupied by commercial space, and the first floor contains the lobby and part of a heated indoor garage that extends down to a lower level.

“The name Sierra comes from the western mountain ranges where one can find heavy timbered ski lodges and chalets,” says Schiess. “The residences at Sierra Lofts have that same feeling. The timbers are almost two feet square, and the columns are at least 16 inches. When you blend this with 12-foot ceilings, partial walls, large windows and an open-floor look, you get a truly unique, genuine loft.”

The homes in both the original and new sections have a lofty feel, with heavy timber and concrete construction, ceiling heights of 10 to 12 feet, exposed spiral ductwork, large Thermopane windows and hardwood floors in living areas. Other features include bedroom carpeting, designer lighting throughout, large steel balconies and terraces, granite countertops, stainless steel kitchen appliances, islands per plan, a choice of 42-inch upper kitchen cabinets and individual washer and dryer hookups.

“I really enjoy showing these units,” says Kimberly Oehmke, a sales agent for Frankel & Giles. “Because of the way the building was redesigned, there is something unique about each residence. These aren’t cookie-cutter units by any means. I always have something different to point out in each unit I show.”

The condos have one or two bedrooms (some also include dens) and one to two baths. Prices range from the low to mid-$200s for one-bedrooms, and two-bedrooms are priced from the low to mid-$300s. Deeded parking is available for $25,000 per spot. At press time about 50 percent of the units had been sold, with first delivery scheduled for this spring.

Building features include a grand lobby accessible from either Green or Superior streets with two state-of-the-art elevators, secured heated indoor parking, and private storage and bicycle space in the garage area.

“I’m not surprised at the great response we’re getting,” says Oehmke. “This is a terrific building, and the River West neighborhood is really coming into its own.”

Oehmke points out that the building is just a block from Chicago and Halsted and has access to two blue-line stops as well as to the Halsted and Navy Pier bus lines.

“These units are really cool for a lot of reasons,” says Frankel. “They have lots and lots of exposed wood and brick. The ceilings go as high as 18 feet in some spots. The top two floors have huge terraces because they are set back on the roof of the original building. There are two elevators, which is unusual for a building of this size. I could go on and on…”