Hidden Within This Suburban Mansion is the Ultimate Car Lover's Garage

CONSTRUCTION WATCH

Construction on Curvy 29 Story West Loop Tower Kicks Off

ESTATE OF THE ARTS

MCA Makeover To Include New Gallery, Restaurant and Logo

SILVER SCREEN

Oscar-nominated production designer Adam Stockhausen has established himself as a medium for the art-house crowd.He's converted a century-old department store into a magnificent Old World hotel for Wes Anderson's "The Grand Budapest Hotel," designed gloomy plantation houses for Steve McQueen's "12 Years a Slave," and even built a model of the Berlin Wall for Steven Spielberg's upcoming Cold War thriller. Curbed National recently sat down with the Brooklyn-based designer, and learned all about the challenges of creating period trains, miniature funiculars, and elaborate Art Nouveau film sets.

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ON THE MARKET

Hidden Within This Suburban Mansion is the Ultimate Car Lover's Garage

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Car collecting is a very expensive hobby, and those who are serious about it need plenty of space to stash their prized possessions. There's a couple of sweet hidden garages in the city, but this 15+ car garage way out in suburban Inverness may take the cake. The home itself? Quite large at 10,000 square feet. It also kind of sort of has an old world Europe meets aughts era McMansion craze vibe with its sloping slate roof and its custom stone and millwork on the interior. But once you hit the basement, it's all Americana baby. There's an old fashioned kitchen and bar, a jukebox and pool table. But wait, that's not all! Once you step into the garage, you've transcended into a space that only motorheads and speed freaks can appreciate. It can be all yours for just $1.595 million.

Prepare to get your hands dirty >>

SUBURBS

2 COMMENTS

8 HOURS AGO

FUN WITH PUBLIC WORKS

Will The Loop Connector Proposal Come Back From the Dead?

[photo via Tripp/Creative Commons]

A new report being compiled by the University of Illinois at Chicagoand the Chicago Central Area Committee seeks to resurrect a long sought-after, never-built downtown infrastructure project, according to DNAinfo. The Loop Connector, an east-west downtown train line that would connect Union Station and Ogilvie with Navy Pier and the Museum Campus, was first proposed in the '70s. But with a downtown building boom and no simple way to ferry suburban workers taking Amtrak around the Loop, the plan is as relevant as its ever been, according to supporters.

Supporters are lining up for the connector >>

THE LOOP

1 COMMENT

9 HOURS AGO

SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION

Curbed Chicago is your go-to place for all things real estate and neighborhood news, but did you know we also have a glorious Facebook page and Twitter feed? Head on over to the Curbed Chicago Facebookand Twitter pages to give them a "like" and your social media feeds will magically become filled with awesome Curbed content.

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CONSTRUCTION WATCH

Construction on Curvy 29 Story West Loop Tower Kicks Off

Chicago can add one more highrise project to the respectable list of towers that are currently under construction in the Windy City, with 18 highrises 200 feet or taller officially underway. This week, the city issued a construction permit to begin work on a new tower planned for Halsted and Lake (formally addressed as 730 W Couch Place) and developer Jeff Shapack of Shapack Partners has confirmed that crews indeed broke ground on the project today. The 29 story tower joins a slew of other residential projects moving forward in the West Loop, and the developers anticipate a summer 2016 delivery on its 227 apartment units. Designed by Booth Hansen architects, the tower's curving shape certainly looks a lot different than the other projects coming up in the neighborhood that is quickly becoming known for the adaptive reuse of aging industrial buildings. In addition to apartments, the building will include 162 parking spaces, 9,700 square feet of ground level retail space and a large amenity deck with an outdoor pool.

A better look at what's to come >>

WEST LOOP

8 COMMENTS

9 HOURS AGO

EATER TASTINGS

Stephanie Izard's New Restaurant; The Hottest Bars in Chicago; More

This week's top dish from Eater Chicago, Curbed's restaurant, bar, and nightlife blog...

FULTON MARKET—Girl & the Goat chef/owner and celebrity chef Stephanie Izard is opening a Chinese restaurant soon. Duck Duck Goat, her third restaurant, is heading to Fulton Market this summer.

AROUND TOWN—The latest incarnation of the Eater Chicago Cocktail Heatmap, showing the 18 bars in town, came out this week. The Betty and Commons Club are among the additions.

More Eater Tastings >>

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10 HOURS AGO

CH-CH-CH-CHANGES

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A vintage Class C office building on LaSalle Street has recently changed hands, leading Crain's to wonder what might come next for the 115 year old building. If it is converted into a hotel or residences, it will cut down on the already slim Class C office space available in the Loop. [Crain's]

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ESTATE OF THE ARTS

MCA Makeover To Include New Gallery, Restaurant and Logo

[photo via Bentley Smith/Creative Commons]

After the record-setting Bowie exhibit showcased the career of the shape-shifting rock star, the Museum of Contemporary Art is planning its own ch-ch-ch-changes. This morning, the museum announced a series of key updates and renovations, including a new restaurant, gallery and logo. It's all part of the institution's Vision Campaign, which has now raised $60 million toward its $64 million goal. The museum also announced that the fourth-floor galleries will be renamed The Griffin Galleries of Contemporary Art after Citadel hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin, a long-time trustee who donated $10 million to the cause. Griffin has no passing interest in art; pieces from his collection are often on loan to the museum, and he spent $46.4 million on a 10-foot-tall Gerhard Richter painting.

More details, and a look at the new logo >>

MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART

220 E Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60611

STREETERVILLE

3 COMMENTS

11 HOURS AGO

SOLD STUFF

Citadel Boss Ken Griffin Unloads Mag Mile Condo for $1.3M

After only a few short months, billionaire hedge fund manager Ken Griffin has sold his three bedroom, three bathroom Mag Mile condo. The Citadel boss listed the unit last November for $1.4 million and sold it a week ago for $1.325 million, the Tribune reports. While there's no listing photos floating around out on the public MLS, what we do know about the unit is... well, not a whole lot actually. However, there is a floor plan of the unit. According to the Tribune's Bob Goldsborough, Griffin hardly used the condo in the Four Seasons building. Considering that Illinois' richest man dropped $13.3 million for the entire 37th floor of the Waldorf Astoria building last summer, it's easy to understand why the smaller space went unoccupied.

Here's the floor plan >>

MAGNIFICIENT MILE

STREETERVILLE

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12 HOURS AGO

POPULAR

THE CITY THAT WORKS

Yelp recently expanded its lease at the Merchandise Mart, adding an additional 10,000 square feet as part of a rapid expansion meant to grow the user review site's Chicago workforce to 375. This comes on the heels of the opening of the MATTER healthcare incubator and the expansion of 1871, both also in the Mart. [Crain's]

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LINKAGE

Peninsula Hotel Makeover; Obama Library Hearing; More

[photo via the Curbed Chicago Flickr pool/Kevin Irvine]

·Rahm's parking meter reforms [Chicago Reader]
·Gentrification is real, but the least of Chicago's problems [Grist]
·Peninsula Chicago to get a makeover [Hotel Chatter]
·Colorful Italiante homes at Damen and 33rd [Chicago Patterns]
·Jon Stewart's memorable Daily Show architectural moments[Architect]
·Public getting one more hearing to talk Obama Library sites [DNAinfo]
·The discreet rehab of the Chicago Athletic Association building[Chicago Architecture Blog]
·Chicago's history of museums in its parks [Chicago Tribune]
·Fundraiser for new industrial art & design space in Rogers Park[Indiegogo]

AM LINKAGE

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14 HOURS AGO

LOFTY LIVING

This Printer's Row Loft Would Make a Solid Live/Work Space

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Although this loft is only listed as one bedroom, one bathroom unit, it's plenty spacious at 1,550 square feet. The unit has an office area and an extra den, begging its future owner to transform it into a sweet live/work space. Located in the Donahue Building annex, the large windows and brick walls certainly add to the classic industrial loft vibe. It can be had for $424,900.

Your next live/work space? >>

PRINTER'S ROW

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A DAY AGO

CURBED CHICAGO FLICKR POOL

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CHICAGO 2.0

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The upcoming Chicago Industrial Arts and Design Center is well on its way to Rogers Park. The old three story building will soon house $300,000 worth of gear, which makers will be able to use for their projects. Makers and hackers interested in the space will pay a annual membership fee of $160 for access. [DNAinfo]

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Micro Week is Coming! Tell Curbed Your Tiny Home Stories!

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[photo via the New York Times]

Chicago may be known as the Windy City and the City of Big Shoulders, but that doesn't mean that everyone in the Second City lives large. Many folks in Chicago live in micro-apartments, studios or vintage worker cottages and have embraced the lifestyle of living small. For the first time ever, the Curbed Network will be dedicating a week to all things tiny living with Micro Week. Ever wonder how folks manage to live in a 300 square foot apartment? Do you have an interesting story about a tiny living situation? We're all ears and want to share your story on Curbed Chicago. Micro Week begins soon, so if you've got a tiny tale to tell, head on over to the tip line.

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A DAY AGO

NEW TO MARKET

Large Four Bedroom Unit in Lincoln Park's Historic Shakespeare Building Lists for $975K

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The stately mansions along Fullerton Parkway are a commanding presence in Lincoln Park, but there's more to the neighborhood than the large historic single family homes. There's also large historic courtyard buildings, and perhaps one of the grandest in the neighborhood is The Shakespeare along Lincoln Park West. Designed by Dwight Perkins and built in 1910, the building is located right across the street from the Lincoln Park Zoo and only steps away from the Francis Parker School. And at 2,700 square feet, this four bedroom, two bathroom unit can hold its own against many single family homes. The building also has a large, shared yard for the sunnier days. It hits the market with an asking price of $975,000.

The location is pretty spectacular >>