Conversion Marketing and Management, Inc. took an unusual approach with its unusually named project, the Edge, at 210 S Desplaines St. The developer constructed a 16-story condominium tower in combination with an existing five-story mid-rise loft conversion in the West Loop.

The loft portion of the project was built in 1913 as home of the Western Newspaper Union and once housed the largest printing plant in Chicago. Architects Pappageorge Haymes designed the unusual project with 12 loft condos per floor in four of the original building’s five floors.

The highrise portion of the structure rises from the hollowed-out core of the mid-rise conversion and is integrated into the old building with a one-inch expansion joint.

“We knew from the initial planning stages that we were embarking on an architectural project unlike anything that had been done before,” said Neil Stenholt, president of Conversion Marketing and Management.

The Edge’s 224 homes range from 575 to 1,520 square feet and include studios and convertibles as well as one- and two-bedroom floor plans with one to two baths. Some plans include a den, and each home has a balcony or terrace. In the summer of 2004, when the building had just been topped off, base prices ranged from the $180s to the $380s, and indoor parking was $32,000 per space.

The development, at 210 S Desplaines St, had only two units remaining for sale in July 2005. Features include 42-inch cabinets, granite countertops, Whirlpool appliances, Moen designer faucets and marble master baths. The loft units have oak floors throughout, while the highrise condos have wall-to-wall carpeting.

More highrises