November 27, 2007 - What’s in a name? Shakespeare may have posed the question first, but marketing agency Torque gave it some serious consideration before they came up with 33Six. Torque used a method called Tribal Intelligence to determine what would grab the attention of the twenty and thirty-something year-olds that developer Irongate Land Company planned on marketing this development to and selling condos. The concept of incorporating a mix of numbers and letters is based on that age group’s fascination with and dependence upon technology-based gadgets like cell phones, BlackBerry and Internet connections. It’s all about marketing, branding and gaining an edge in sales.

33Six launched sales in July. The eleven story West Loop tower will contain 70 loft-style condos with from one to two bedrooms plus optional den, priced from around $230,000 to the mid $400,000 range. Besides the extra attention to giving the building a savvy name, the developer also tailored the amenities to fit that generation’s lifestyle. Instead of focusing on traditional luxury building features like a pool, doorman or party and movie rooms, 33Six will concentrate on personal technology features. The condos will come wired for MP3 docking, have two built-in speakers, high speed Internet and telephone connection, be cable-ready plus have a spot in place for residents to securely mount a flat screen television. The entire building will also have Wi-Fi access available.

The location of 33Six is just as hip as the name and the finishes. Greektown, Randolph Street and the UIC are all nearby, feeding into the image that the building wants to project. In the end though, only the sales figures will say whether or not the marketing campaign for these Chicago Loft style condos worked.

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November 26, 2007 - Scott Greenberg’s development company ECD is currently working on theWit, a $100 million dollar condo hotel project on the corner of Lake and State Streets. Foundation work began on the 26 story tower in July and with the construction crane in place this month the building should start rising.

Greenberg, age 48, is no stranger to development. Following in his father’s foot steps he obtained his real estate license at age 18 and has been making deals ever since. After theWit, his next projects include two more hotels in Lincolnshire and the South Loop, which will operate under the Aloft name. TheWit will be run by the Doubletree chain of hotels.

There will be what the developer calls 238 “standard” hotel rooms on floors 6 through 20. A combination of 48 studio, one and two bedroom hotel condo units will be offered for sale on floors 21 through 26. Hotel amenities will include a private spa for residents and guests, roof top lounge, large movie screening room that can be booked and at least one if not two gourmet restaurants.

TheWit is expected to be completed in early 2009 and will join a growing number of hotels and Pre Construction Condos in Chicago in that area. But it may have an edge with it’s location just two blocks from Millennium Park and right next to the Chicago River. It is also just a short distance from the ongoing Block 37 development project and all of the retail sites there.

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November 24, 2007 - The Home Builders Association of Chicago named Jazz on the Boulevard their 2007 Crystal Key award winner. The award goes to multi-family unit developments that show exceptional design creativity and originality. George Thrush is the developer of this project that combines a mix of townhomes and condos on Drexel Boulevard.

The development gets its name from the 1920’s jazz history associated with neighborhood. The homes range from condos, flats, duplexes, rowhomes and townhomes, all with a Victorian style of architecture that blends in well with the area. The homes come with model names that pay tribute to some of the past jazz legends. The Regal Theater condos and duplexes have a model called the Ellington, The Midway Flats have the Goodman, and The Dreamland Homes have the Armstrong. Other models include The Grand Terrace Townhomes and The Elite Club Homes.

Jazz on the Boulevard incorporates a large green space into the development, complete with mature plantings as well as a courtyard. Nine foot ceilings, balconies, hardwood flooring and carpeting as well as washer and dryer hook-ups are standard. The homes also come pre-wired for phone, cable television and carbon and smoke detectors are hard wired.

This development has homes designed to fit almost any family size or individual and prices that are affordable to a variety of income levels. It is also nearly sold out, so if you can’t find a unit there you might try looking at the Rent to own condos in Chicago until something becomes available.

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