UPTOWN — FLATS Chicago and its sister company Cedar Street have investments all over the North Side, but one of their most unique projects is finally complete.
The Firehouse FLATS, a long-vacant, red brick firehouse at 1217 W. Gunnison St., has been completely renovated and is now available to rent. One of the two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartments has already been rented, which is surprising since there's "usually very little activity in January and February," said Mark Heffron, a spokesman for FLATS.
"We love the building and it's right next to Lawrence and Broadway. It was an opportunity to try out new finishes and it fit a need at the time. It's definitely the smallest [project] we've done and there's nothing in the pipeline quite this small," Heffron said.
While the project itself was small, the units themselves are bigger than normally offered in a FLATS building and offer a more "boutique style." For the apartments, developers "switched up the feel from normal FLATS" projects "playing off the character and architecture of the original building," Heffron said.
"Each unit comes with in-unit laundry, brand new appliances, granite countertops, custom soft-close cabinetry, subway tile backsplash, walk-in closet and a glass enclosed shower," according to the FLATS Chicago website.
The apartments are listed on Craigslist at $2,400 per month.
Back in December 2014, the late Jay Michaels presented plans to the North Uptown Neighbors block club asking for a zoning change to rehab the firehouse, which has sat on Gunnison Street since in the 1920s.
“There was little to no objection at all from neighbors,” said Lindsay Huge, an officer of the block club, back in 2014. “Everyone just seems glad that something is being done with a long vacant building."
Take a peek at the new Firehouse FLATS building below:
Interior of the Firehouse FLATS, at 1217 W. Gunnison St. [Courtesy of FLATS Chicago]
Before:
After:
[DNAinfo/Josh McGhee]
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