RIVER NORTH — The amenities arms race among new Downtown apartment towers just got a little cuddlier.
Tenants moving into the newly-opened Next apartment tower, 345 W. Chestnut St., can play with a "house dog" lounging in the lobby.
Daisy, 9, is a Newfoundland belonging to Next developers Randy and Steve Fifield. She likes treats, her dog bed and walks around the block, said Brittany Farber, the building's leasing manager.
"A lot of people in Chicago don't have time or money for a pet, so we have one," she said.
Developers are building a record number of apartments Downtown, and they're adding all kinds of bells and whistles in a bid to distinguish their shiny new buildings from the others. Though old-fashioned, bringing a dog to Next's lobby is a nice way to make the building feel a little friendlier, Randy Fifield said.
"Daisy the House Dog is one more way that residents will find the building to be a warm, friendly place to call home in the heart of it all," she said in a statement.
Rents at Next range from $1,775 per month for a studio apartment to more than $6,500 for a 1,600-square-foot penthouse, Farber said.
Given her age, Daisy isn't a hyper dog, making her a nice fit for the new 310-unit tower. For now she just hangs in the lobby, but has a caretaker who walks and feeds her, Farber said.
"She's the sweetest little girl," Farber said. "She knows how to read people, I think."
Daisy's glamor shot. [Photos by DNAinfo/David Matthews]
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