CHICAGO | One Bennett Park | 837 FT | 68 FLOORS

[patriotizzy]

The kitchen I share with 2 other people looks better than what they display here, even at night when the roach infestation manifests and they are covering every surface inch xD

[gebs]

I'm just saying, if I were paying upwards of $2M (up to $6M+) for a residence, I would expect that the developer would give me a choice in base finishes for the flooring, kitchens, and bathrooms. They must have a lot of confidence in RAMSA's eye for interiors to assume everyone would be fine with the same product.

[woodrow]

Originally Posted by gebs

I was referring to the condos. I visited their sales center last year and they don't offer customization options for the residences. 4 East Elm, Vista, Belgravia's development in River North, Superior House, 1550 on the Park, the Hayden -- they all offer material options for buyers.

For whatever reason, One Bennett Park doesn't.

There are luxury buildings that do not offer customization by the developer. You buy as is and then you do whatever. I am surprised if they do not offer some sort of offset if you are bringing in your own designer.

I'm pretty sure the pictures shown were for a rental, which would not have the same package as the condos. If those are pics of rental unit, they are offering nice finishes. Standard, but not bad. A little blah, but it is a rental.

[vandelay]

Chicagoans must live in Olympian palaces if that's the standard upper end rental interior.

No proof though.

[woodrow]

Don't get me wrong, they are nice. When I say standard, I mean upper end rental standard.

Also, I bet the "standard" finishes in the condos are nicer than what is in the rental units. And many of those buying will be bringing in their own designers.

[sentinel]

For a luxury high-end building like this, the finishes that the developer offers are more for marketing purposes. Anyone wealthy enough to purchase a home in a building like this AND who is saavy enough, will hire their own architect or interior designer, in order to create a home that is exactly to their tastes/vision. In that type of situation, they'll just be paying for a 'white box' essentially, and their own designer will flesh out the interior as the owner desires.

Case in point: at the beginning of my career, I was working for a high-end residential architect that strictly designed interior buildouts for high net-worth clients. I worked on a couple of projects, most notably one that was a 5,000 sq. ft. condo in a newer, low-rise building in the Gold coast (circa 2003). The clients purchased the space for $3 million, and then our contract was for another $3 million to design the interior....not to mention an additional $2 million that was spent on furnishings and finishes. Alone.

[gebs]

Originally Posted by sentinel

Case in point: at the beginning of my career, I was working for a high-end residential architect that strictly designed interior buildouts for high net-worth clients. I worked on a couple of projects, most notably one that was a 5,000 sq. ft. condo in a newer, low-rise building in the Gold coast (circa 2003). The clients purchased the space for $3 million, and then our contract was for another $3 million to design the interior....not to mention an additional $2 million that was spent on furnishings and finishes. Alone.

Absolutely -- buyers with very high-end tastes will likely bring their own designers to finish out the space as they see fit. But a lot of current multi-family condo developments are hiring recognizable designers (Kara Mann, Gary Lee, Tom Stringer), to assemble standard and upgrade options that all work harmoniously together. It's included in the price of the condo.

I also work in the interior design industry and I've seen how this works. It's still jarring that this building doesn't offer different options because, as you noted above, it basically doubles the price of your unit if you don't like what they're offering. If they were to give you the ability pick and choose from a pre-set list of finishes and materials, you wouldn't have to spend an additional $3M.

[left of center]

The interiors look like they are nice quality, but everything is way too white. Feels like a hospital.

[marothisu]

I'll bite. This is the Chestnut Street Row Homes which are surprisingly rentals. Each unit is 4 bed/4.5 bath and around 5000 sq ft for $15,000 per month. They were completed recently.

https://www.chestnutrowchicago.com/photogallery.aspx

[SteelMonkey]

That kitchen in OBP photos is brutal. Paging Nurse Ratched.....

[BonoboZill4]

I like how the park is turning out

[vandelay]

Originally Posted by marothisu

I'll bite. This is the Chestnut Street Row Homes which are surprisingly rentals. Each unit is 4 bed/4.5 bath and around 5000 sq ft for $15,000 per month. They were completed recently.

https://www.chestnutrowchicago.com/photogallery.aspx

Impressive, but only renderings. Also the heavy crown moulding is a little mcmansiony.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by vandelay

Impressive, but only renderings. Also the heavy crown moulding is a little mcmansiony.

The building is complete. I had real photos a few months ago (how I knew about this one) but forgot where they are.

Regardless, a lot of the luxury high rises in Chicago have decently nice fittings from what I've seen. I don't think those pictures from OBP look very impressive tbh. It's not some new standard or anything. If anything it's basically normal and other buildings have it better.



* No. 9 Walton:
https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...1-92256#photo1

https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...-32103#photo13

* 4 E Elm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ME78K8EfOj0

[vandelay]

Oof, mcmansion overload. Also, renderings, also condos, not rentals. Show some rentals.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by vandelay

Oof, mcmansion overload. Also, renderings, also condos, not rentals. Show some rentals.

One sec...you think that No. 9 Walton and 4 E Elm look like McMansions on the inside? I'll take that any day over OBP from those pictures. 4 E Elm is too modern to look like a McMansion on the inside. Have you actually been inside of a McMansion before? I have..they don't look like that one at least. I guess we can start labeling everything now as McMansion. Not sure how OBP looks any less like a McMansion than No. 9 Walton if you think that's McMansion.

[Investing In Chicago]

Originally Posted by sentinel

For a luxury high-end building like this, the finishes that the developer offers are more for marketing purposes. Anyone wealthy enough to purchase a home in a building like this AND who is saavy enough, will hire their own architect or interior designer, in order to create a home that is exactly to their tastes/vision. In that type of situation, they'll just be paying for a 'white box' essentially, and their own designer will flesh out the interior as the owner desires.

Case in point: at the beginning of my career, I was working for a high-end residential architect that strictly designed interior buildouts for high net-worth clients. I worked on a couple of projects, most notably one that was a 5,000 sq. ft. condo in a newer, low-rise building in the Gold coast (circa 2003). The clients purchased the space for $3 million, and then our contract was for another $3 million to design the interior....not to mention an additional $2 million that was spent on furnishings and finishes. Alone.

Exactly, I'm not sure how this isn't obvious. A friend of mine is under contract for a 2bd/2bth in the building, and he is working with his own designer on finishes, I would wager the vast majority of the buyers will do the same. Also, his closing/move in is scheduled for late February.

As for the the finishes pictured, those are 100% apartment grade finishes, I don't see anything wrong with them for the rentals.

[Investing In Chicago]

Originally Posted by marothisu

One sec...you think that No. 9 Walton and 4 E Elm look like McMansions on the inside? I'll take that any day over OBP from those pictures. 4 E Elm is too modern to look like a McMansion on the inside. Have you actually been inside of a McMansion before? I have..they don't look like that one at least. I guess we can start labeling everything now as McMansion. Not sure how OBP looks any less like a McMansion than No. 9 Walton if you think that's McMansion.

You're comparing apples to oranges - No.9 Walton and 4 E Elm are condo buildings, the pics shown of OBP are rentals. OBP is allowing buyers to bring their own designers to finish the interiors, so whatever finishes end up in the units are on the buyer, not RAMSA.

[the urban politician]

^ Definitely.

Trust me, the moneyed classes with the glasses of cognac laughing from their terraces are for sure going to be choosing their own finishes

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Trust me, the moneyed classes with the glasses of cognac laughing from their terraces are for sure going to be choosing their own finishes

and you don't even wanna know how much they'll spend on their couches.

[Chi-Sky21]

for the rate you are paying there i would hope they would at least assemble the IKEA furniture for me!