In spring of 2005, the first residents began moving into State Place a mixed-use development that spans a full block on State Street between 11th Street and Roosevelt Road, on the former site of Chicago Police Department headquarters.

The large project by State Street Associates, LLC comprises four adjacent buildings - three mid-rises housing "terrace residences" and a 24-story highrise containing "tower residences." The spaces between the four structures form landscaped terraces – three-quarters of an acre of gardens, according to the developers – over a three-story base.

An exceptional site

The size of the site – a full city block – on the edge of the Loop presented a rare opportunity, according to James Loewenberg, one of the developers and president of Loewenberg & Associates, the project architect.

“It gave us a lot of opportunity to do some very interesting things and to introduce a housing product you couldn’t build without that kind of site,” Loewenberg said. “About 50 percent of the space is open area. On a deck of about 70,000 square feet, a little over half of it is open space.”

The development, which includes 243 residential condos, also is bringing 61,500 square feet of much needed retail space to the South Loop. State Place includes a Walgreen's, a 26,000-square-foot Multiplex Clubs health club with spa services and a Charter One Bank.

Sales started in 2001

The developers, a partnership of Mesirow Stein Real Estate, Inc., Near North Properties, Inc., Northern Realty Group, Ltd. and the Canyon Johnson Urban Fund, LP opened the project in September 2001 – a difficult time to launch a development.

Three years later, they reported sales of 65 percent, and in spring of 2005 a variety of units were still for sale in the 28-unit mid-rises and in the 159-unit tower, according to Melissa Welke, a sales associate with sales and marketing agent Rubloff Residential Properties.

At that time, the terrace residences, which have two or three bedrooms, two baths and 1,361 to 1,946 square feet, were priced from the $380s to the $670s. The highrise condos, which have one to three bedrooms and one or two baths, were priced from the $280s to the $440s.

Rubloff took over sales on the project from the original marketing team in June 2004. Amenities include an outdoor pool and sundeck, valet dry cleaning, 24-hour door staff, a guest suite for overnight visitors, a receiving room, a business center and a hospitality room. The homes have granite countertops and back splashes, oak or maple cabinets, luxury appliance packages and hardwood floors living areas. A sales center is open at 1140 S Wabash Ave.

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