Cutting-edge 550 St. Clair nears completion

Construction is nearing completion and deliveries are under way at 550 St. Clair, a modern, cutting-edge 26-story condominium tower in Streeterville only a few steps from Michigan Avenue's Magnificent Mile.

"The completion of 550 St. Clair brings together the building's stunning architecture and sleek interiors in a great location to offer future residents the best in city living," said developer Mark Sutherland, principal of Sutherland Pearsall Development.

"Sales are on the rise now that buyers have had a chance to walk through the building and see for themselves how well designed our interiors are," Sutherland said. "Buyers are responding to our superior design and great location."

"Another reason that recent sales have been so strong is the building's relative value to other high-end projects in the city," said Ron Ruby, managing broker for Weichert Realtors First Chicago, the exclusive marketing and sales agent.

The 112-unit high-rise, located on the southwest corner of St. Clair and Ohio streets, was designed by David Brininstool, an architect at the prominent Chicago-based firm, Brininstool + Lynch. The firm is known for bringing a modern clarity to structures like the Racine Art Museum, Perimeter Gallery and a number of residential projects nationwide.

The reinforced-concrete, steel-and-glass-curtain-wall high-rise was built on a 10,300-square-foot site.

Only 17 luxury contemporary condominium choices remain available for purchase at 550 St. Clair, including a selection of elegant penthouses. Prices of available units range from $288,500 for the most affordable studio to $1,963,500 for the top-of-the-line three-bedroom luxury penthouse, Ruby said.

As of a couple of weeks ago, only 17 luxury contemporary condominium choices were available for purchase at 550 St. Clair, including a selection of elegant penthouses, said Jerry Houlihan, director of marketing for Sutherland Pearsall Development Corp.

The following choice residences are still available -- studios with 550 square feet of living space one-bedroom units with 800 to 1,000 square feet, two-bedroom residences with 1,200 to 1,225 square feet of living space and three-bedroom and luxury penthouse residences with 1,675 to 3,075 square feet of living space.

Located on the top four floors of the building, available penthouses offer three bedrooms, three or four baths, amazing views and outdoor space, both balconies and terraces.

"Sleek interiors with minimalist urban finishes showcase the open floor plans and spectacular views from the floor-to-ceiling windows," Sutherland said. "We have a very high level of standard finishes, which means most people will not need to spend more on upgrades as they likely will in most competing buildings."

The two fully decorated vignette condominium models are on display with lighted city panoramas as a backdrop.

Imported European designer kitchen cabinets are the showstoppers. The units feature modular kitchen cabinets from Alno, topped with matte-finish black granite countertops and backsplash. Upper cabinetry is equipped with frosted-glass doors.

Premium appliances including Sub-Zero refrigerators with built-in icemakers and Bosch built-in ovens and cook tops, microwaves with exhaust hoods, multicycle dishwashers, Grohe single-lever chrome faucets with pullout sprayers and continuous feed undersink garbage disposals.

Additional standards include a choice of Brazilian cherry or maple hardwood flooring throughout, an in-unit washer/dryer, 10-foot or 11-foot exposed concrete ceilings per plan, 8-foot-high solid core doors and floor-to-ceiling windows with , Lo-E thermal pane glass.

Additional building amenities include a 24-hour doorman and security desk, two high-speed elevators, a lap pool and a fully equipped fitness room with men's and women's saunas.

Storage lockers are included with each residence, along with bike storage and a total of 129 heated, ventilated indoor parking spaces planned for floors two through seven.

The sales gallery and model center for 550 St. Clair is located on the ground floor at 552 N. St. Clair. Sales gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. For more information, call (312) 222-0550 or visit www.550StClair.com.