5/27/03 - New Townhomes Good Match for Kilbourn Park Neighborhood

Tuesday, May 27, 2003
New Townhomes Good Match For Kilbourn Park Neighborhood
Pre-construction prices at Kilbourn Court begin in mid-$200,000s

People say Chicago is a city of neighborhoods, and by “neighborhoods,” they don’t mean Chicago’s forest of downtown skyscrapers or the Magnificent Mile. Instead, they mean the city’s dozens of established communities that are anchored by a strong core of committed homeowners. Prime examples include Beverly, Pilsen and Edgebrook, plus lesser-known areas like Kilbourn Park on the Northwest Side.

“These are neighborhoods where it’s normal to see your neighbor at the local park with their children and often the grandparents too,” said David Dubin, president of Chicago-based real estate developer Dubin Residential. “They’re places where homeowners can put down roots and confidently plan for the future.”

According to Dubin, it was exactly these qualities that attracted him to the Kilbourn Park neighborhood for his company’s new townhome development. Located at 4500 W. Belmont, Kilbourn Court will offer 116 three-story townhomes with two to three bedrooms, two to three baths, balconies, decks and attached two-car garages. Eight floor plans range in size from 1,673 to 2,394 square feet. Pre-construction base prices range from $259,900 to $334,900.

“A townhome is one step removed from a single-family home; therefore, townhome buyers often judge the quality of life and long-term sustainability of a community more closely than would a renter or condo buyer,” Dubin said. “Important factors in their evaluations are the presence of quality parks, convenient local stores, and good schools – all of which Kilbourn Park enjoys.”

Kilbourn Park is bordered by Addison Street to the north, Pulaski Avenue to the east, Belmont Avenue to the south and Cicero Avenue to the west. The community consists largely of single-family bungalows; Kolmar Avenue, for example, features a tree-lined center parkway with single-family homes on both sides.

The neighborhood takes its name from the city park located one block north of Kilbourn Court. The park offers three city blocks of recreation, including ball fields, tennis courts, a running track, inline hockey court, greenhouse, field house and playgrounds.

“You can tell a lot about a community from how nicely its local park is kept,” Dubin said. “Kilbourn Park is always clean and well-maintained. It’s rare to find any broken glass or trash laying around, which tells you the residents take as much pride in the park as they do in their own homes.”

The neighborhood is also home to many local stores and groceries, including a family-owned meat and grocery store located across the street from Kilbourn Court. Tony’s Finer Foods, an independent supermarket, is a block west along Belmont, just past an Ace Hardware/Shannon Lumber outlet.

Area public schools include Scammon Elementary and Carl Schurz High School, the latter a landmarked building designed in the Prairie School style of architecture made famous by Frank Lloyd Wright. Local students also attend St. Viator, St. Ladislaus and St. Bartholomew elementary schools and St. Patrick and Gordon Tech high schools.

Dubin said Kilbourn Court will complement the surrounding community. Designed by award-winning, Chicago-based Hartshorne + Plunkard Architecture, the development will occupy nearly an entire city block and comprises three U-shaped buildings of 32 townhomes each, plus two smaller rows of 16 homes and four homes, respectively. The buildings will feature front and side masonry facades with metal bays projecting from each home.

All garages will be hidden along private interior drives. Sidewalks landscaped with lawns, trees and shrubs will run the length between each building. The community’s north end will include additional green space.

“Kilbourn Court is unusual for a full-block city development because it is not split by an alley,” Dubin said. “This feature and the development’s overall design will add some nice variety to the neighborhood, and since every townhome has its own two-car attached garage, street parking will be as plentiful as before.”

First floors include a den, coat closet, closet for mechanicals and garage. Second floors are dedicated to an open kitchen/living/dining room layout with front bay windows and a deck off the kitchen. All plans also have a full bath on either the first or second floors.

Third floors feature two- and three-bedroom layouts, with separate closets suitable for linens and a washer/dryer. Corner homes include a side balcony, and all other plans have a rear third-floor balcony that runs the width of the home.

Standard features include hardwood flooring in living areas and luxury carpet and padding in bedrooms, dens, hallways and stairways. Kitchens feature oak cabinetry; a stainless steel, double-bowl sink with pullout spray; and a Whirlpool appliance package. Baths come standard with oak cabinetry and ceramic tile flooring and tub surrounds.

Homes have individual gas forced-air heat, central air conditioning, and pre-wiring for cable TV and telephone in multiple rooms.

Sales center hours are Saturday through Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., or by appointment. To reach the sales center from the Kennedy Interstate 90/94 Expressway, exit at Belmont Avenue and drive west 1 1/2 miles to the northwest corner of Kilbourn and Belmont avenues.

For more information, contact (773) 777-7558 or visit www.dubinresidential.com.

Building condominiums and townhomes in Chicago since the early 1990s, Dubin Residential has earned a reputation for quality and value. The company is currently developing more than 400 homes at communities such as Ainslie Row in Albany Park, Arcadia Place in the West Loop, Emerson Point in Rogers Park, Welbourn Row in Lakeview, and The Courts of Evanston.

Prices subject to change.