GLENCOE, IL - Design-driven real estate development firm Optima, Inc. announced today its new 198-unit Optima Lakeview luxury apartment community in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood is the first North American residential development to secure a WiredScore Gold rating for digital connectivity.
Optima Lakeview, a seven-story luxury rental apartment building with 14,000 square feet of street-level retail at 3460 N. Broadway, is scheduled to welcome its first residents in early spring 2022. WiredScore, the world’s leading certification company for technology in buildings, recently launched its WiredScore Home global digital connectivity rating system to better inform residents about the level of service they can expect in their home.
“At a time when people are working from home more than ever before, Optima Lakeview is proud to be a leader in ensuring residents can access a fast and reliable wireless connection throughout the building – whether they are in their home or using one of the many amenity areas,” said David Hovey Jr., AIA, president. “People’s reliance on technology has only increased since the pandemic, so we’re excited to show our residents our commitment to meeting their technology needs in their new home. At Optima Lakeview, residents and their guests can confidently use their devices wherever and whenever as they’ll always have strong connectivity.”
WiredScore research shows that 4 out of 5 Americans expect the Internet to work just like any other utility, yet 86% of renters across North America continue to have Wi-Fi connectivity issues and service disruptions. The new certification for recognition for best-in-class digital infrastructure measures a building’s technology against benchmarks, including how connectivity will be delivered and planned utility upgrades as technology evolves.
A strong Wi-Fi connection isn’t the only work-from-home feature Optima Lakeview offers. Its one-, two- and three-bedroom units average 1,053 square feet – significantly larger than what’s currently available in the local market – to accommodate dedicated space for a home office. Optima Lakeview also will include two conference spaces and a business center, as well as several indoor and outdoor seating areas and multiple technology providers from which residents can choose.
Additional benefits to living at Optima Lakeview include 40,000 square feet of amenities across the building, including biophilic design elements such as a rooftop sky deck, pool and spa that will be usable year-round. The sky deck also features grilling stations, outdoor kitchens, fire pits with lounge seating, an outdoor theater and a glass-enclosed party room. A striking atrium runs through the building’s seven-story core and is topped with a skylight to bring in abundant natural light.
Residents of the building will also have access to an indoor basketball/pickleball court; sports lounge; golf simulator and putting green; fitness center with state-of-the-art equipment; yoga/stretching room; sauna; heated dog park and pet spa; children’s play area; residents’ club, game room; and chef’s kitchen.
Beyond state-of-the-art connectivity and amenities, residents at Optima Lakeview can also take advantage of a suite of on-demand services for even more convenience. Optima’s specialized Optimized Service® program provides contactless in-home package delivery, housekeeping services, on-site room service, fitness programming, pet care services, moving assistance, and a virtual personal assistant, while its Optima Connect® customizes exclusive benefits and discounts for residents who patronize local businesses.
Designed by Optima CEO and Founder David Hovey Sr., FAIA, Optima Lakeview features a series of setbacks that provide many residences with private outdoor landscaped terraces that will feature trees, built-in grills and fire pits. Hovey selected an elegant and sophisticated palette of warm-toned exterior materials, including transparent bronze glass and rich, dark brick, to complement the surrounding neighborhood.
Optima Lakeview is a transit-oriented development (TOD), offering quick access to the #36 CTA Broadway bus just steps from its entrance, the CTA Addison and Belmont Red Line stations and the Belmont/Marine Drive bus stop, which offer multiple local and express routes to downtown Chicago. Residents may also use one of the building’s 208 bicycles spaces, or one of the 94 fully enclosed parking spaces at grade level, including electric vehicle charging stations.
For culture and recreational enthusiasts, the building is steps from Lake Michigan and some of the neighborhood’s most popular restaurants, bars, theatres and shopping. Residents can also walk to Wrigley Field; the scenic Sydney R. Marovitz Golf Course; Waveland tennis courts and softball fields; Belmont Harbor; and the Lakefront Trail, which offers miles of jogging and biking along Lake Michigan.
About Optima, Inc. Optima, Inc is a privately held, design-driven real estate development firm with offices in Illinois and Arizona. For more than 40 years, Optima has been developing, designing, building, marketing and managing striking urban and suburban luxury residential communities. From the beginning, Optima aimed to reinvent housing by integrating the functions involved in new construction within one company. Optima controls and executes every aspect of the process in-house – development, design, construction, sales and management – for a dynamic system that offers greater focus and fluidity. Optima is committed to delivering extraordinary living through design, innovation, sustainability and management. The result has been the creation of over 40 communities in Arizona and Illinois, along with being nationally recognized with over 75 prestigious awards. In 2021, Optima was named a Crain's Best Places to Work for the second year in a row, and AIA Chicago Firm of the Year.