CHICAGO, IL - Draper and Kramer, Incorporated, announces it has welcomed first move-ins at Aspire Residences, a new 24-story, 275-unit apartment tower at 2111 S. Wabash Ave. in Chicago’s South Loop. The building is currently 28% leased, and 95 residents have moved in since it opened its doors in August. Additionally, Draper and Kramer has leased 2,965 square feet of the building’s first-floor retail space to GeeFit Boot Camp, operated by Chicago trainer Garfield Green.
Located at the northeast corner of Wabash Avenue and Cermak Road, less than a block from the CTA’s Cermak/McCormick Place Green Line station, Aspire is a transit-oriented development offering renters a walkable lifestyle and a commute of less than 15 minutes to the Loop.
“This part of the South Loop has not had a new residential property of this size open in a number of years, so it has been an exciting process to have renters move into the building over the last couple months and usher in a new generation of apartment living in this area,” said Todd Bancroft, president and CEO of Chicago-based Draper and Kramer. “We’re already hearing from residents how much they enjoy the surrounding neighborhood and their proximity to the lakefront, as well as convenience to transit options that put other parts of the city in easy reach.”
The GeeFit Boot Camp location, which will fill approximately half of the first-floor retail space at Aspire, is expected to begin construction later this year, with an anticipated opening in spring 2021. “We’re pleased to bring a tenant on board that will be a great lifestyle offering for our residents as well as the neighborhood at large,” noted Bancroft.
Designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz, Aspire features an asymmetric base and glass tower with a “sawtooth” facade that creates a prismatic effect, altering the color of the building as the sun changes position throughout the day. The building includes a fourth-floor amenity suite with both indoor and outdoor space.
“The amenity level was ready as soon as we opened the building, and from day one, our residents have been using the space – following social distancing guidelines, of course – as a place to work from home or simply relax and unwind in the evening and on weekends,” said Bancroft.
The amenity level includes a pub lounge and adjacent game room with sports simulator, state-of-the-art fitness center and yoga studio, and work areas for telecommuting. Additionally, the fourth floor offers access to a lushly landscaped, resort-style roof terrace with a sun deck, cabanas, grilling stations, swimming pool, lounge seating and city views. A dog park is located on the north end of the outdoor space.
Aspire includes a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom plans ranging in size from 529 to 1,411 square feet and priced from $1,800 per month. Apartments feature open layouts, wide-plank flooring, floor-to-ceiling windows, loft-like exposed concrete ceilings and modern kitchens with European two-tone cabinetry, designer backsplashes, stone countertops and stainless steel appliances. Bathrooms include porcelain tile flooring, frameless glass shower doors and contemporary plumbing fixtures. Units also come with a full-size stacked washer and dryer, and keyless entry doors.
Among the first residents to move in at Aspire was the building’s artist in residence, Canary Garcia. Over the course of a year-long residency, Garcia, a 2020 graduate of the American Academy of Art in Chicago, is commissioned to create several original pieces, the first of which will be a sculpture to serve as the centerpiece of the building’s lobby. She will also create artwork for Aspire’s amenity spaces, mailroom, elevators and elevator lobbies, and corridors. Garcia is currently working in a vacant apartment before moving to a studio located in Aspire’s first-floor retail space when it is completed, allowing residents to observe her works in progress.
“The character and flavor of any brand-new building begins to develop organically from the time its doors first open to residents,” said Bancroft. “Having Canary creating artwork for Aspire as she experiences living in the building and the surrounding neighborhood will be a unique way to capture the property’s personality and express it through the pieces we ultimately display in the amenity areas and common spaces.”
In addition to enjoying proximity to the Green Line and being two blocks from the Red Line, residents of Aspire will have convenient access to Lake Shore Drive and the Dan Ryan, Stevenson and Eisenhower expressways. Other cultural, recreational and entertainment destinations along the lakefront, including Soldier Field, the Museum Campus, Lakefront Trail and Northerly Island, are also nearby.
Prospective residents can schedule an in-person or personalized virtual property tour with the Aspire leasing team or view property photos, floor plans and a 3D tour online at www.rentataspire.com. For more information, email aspire@draperandkramer.com.