NOBLE SQUARE — Two new condo buildings are in the works along an ever-changing residential street in Noble Square.
The homes under construction at 1537 and 1541 N. Fry St. will house six condos when they're completed in about six months, said John Grafft, the broker for the properties.
Unit one in each building will get the bottom two floors, unit two will be on the next floor, and the top units will have their own private roof deck as well as a mezzanine level, not pictured in the floor plan below.
The properties' floor plans, which are subject to change, will mirror each other, Grafft said.
The construction will be noticeably taller than the two-story homes that once stood on the properties.
The property at 1537 N. Fry St., which was once a two-story, single-family home before it was demolished, sold for $255,000 in January 2013, according to Cook County records. Next door, 1541 N. Fry St., was a multiunit, two-story home that sold for $315,000 in August.
Both are being developed by KMS Development.
Grafft said prices for the condos have not yet been determined, but according to KMS Development's website plans, the three units at 1537 W. Fry St. would be "ultra-modern and affordable."
With a focus on sustainability, the homes will have a rain collecting system, tankless water heaters, recycled materials and "other responsible attributes," Grafft said.
"There's really nothing else like it in that area," Grafft said.
But the uniqueness of the building compared to the rest of the block is what has some residents worried about the character of the street.
"I think we're going to be overcrowded, it's a small street," said Julie Prieto, who works nearby and whose relatives live close to the development.
The block is lined with a mix of older, smaller homes along with a growing list of new developments, like a recently finished four-unit condo building at 1545 W. Fry St., next to the KMS project but built by a separate developer.
"It took away from the charm of the neighborhood," Prieto said of the building, especially referring to its height.
Prieto said she's also noticed the traffic and parking situation getting worse along the block.
For the KMS development, there's a parking garage in back that will have one space for each unit and include rain catchers, Grafft said. He didn't have the height of the building on hand but said it would likely be similar to the condo building next door.
Resident Rick Werner, 33, who lives in the neighborhood with his girlfriend, sees developments such as this one as "inevitable."
Even if the condos are reasonably priced, he's already resigned to the idea that he probably won't be able to afford to live in the area by next year.
"It's already out of our price range," Werner said.
1537 W. Fry St. Floor Approximate Floor Plan
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