The Chicago chapter of the American Institute of Architects will host a series of free public seminars for homeowners or buyers who are thinking about working with an architect in a construction or remodeling project.
The seminar, called “Working with an Architect,” will be presented in downtown Chicago, on the North Side, in Hyde Park, Waukegan, Wilmette, Riverside and Crystal Lake. Noted residential architects will lead each session.
Workshop leaders will provide information and answer questions on the role of the owner in the design and building process, the roles of the architect and builder, the phases of a project from drawing to construction, and tips on choosing an architect.
In addition, seminar participants will view the AIA video “Investing in a Dream: A Guide to Getting the Home You Really Want” and will receive a packet of free reference material. Citibank, a sponsor, will have a banker available to answer financial questions.
The seminars, all held on Saturdays, are free, but preregistration is required. For more information or to register, call 312-670-7770.
Here is a listing of the dates and locations:
March 7, 1 to 3 p.m. at the College of Lake County, Lake Shore Campus, Room N119, 330 Genesee St., Waukegan.
March 7, 2 to 4 p.m., at the Hyde Park Co-op, Meeting Room, 1526 E. 55th St., Chicago. The program features a special emphasis on “Renovations: Same House, New Home.”
March 14, 2 to 4 p.m., at the Sulzer Regional Library, 4455 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago.
March 14, 1 to 3 p.m., at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St., Chicago.
March 14, 2 to 4 p.m. at the Riverside Public Library, 1 Burling Rd., Riverside.
March 14, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the McHenry County College Conference Center, Room B-166-67, 8900 U.S. Highway 14, Crystal Lake.
March 21, 2 to 4 p.m., Wilmette Public Library, 1242 Wilmette Ave., Wilmette. The program has a special epmphasis on “House Additions That Work.”
Project with fizz
Fall River Brewing Co. will construct a brewery and retail/office facility in Libertyville following completion of a deal for a six-acre site in the north suburb put together by Paine/Wetzel Associates Inc.
The 31,500-square-foot building will have 24,000 square feet of space devoted to the brewing operation, which will produce ales and lagers under the Mickey Finn label. A small restaurant will serve as a beer tasting area for tours and offer a limited take-out menu.
The state-of-the-art building will be constructed on a site between Harris Road and the Wisconsin Central rail line. Groundbreaking is set for spring, with an opening planned for the fourth quarter of this year.
Robert Guarnaccio, president of Stout Development Services Inc., a consultant on the project, said the operation will create 20 jobs.
Industrial power
Wispark Corp., the successful developer of a Pleasant Prairie, Wis., business park, has joined in its second Chicago-area project as a mortgage lender for a 12-acre speculative industrial campus at Illinois Highway 53 and Crossroads Parkway in Bolingbrook.
Two buildings of 105,000 square feet each will be constructed on the site. DSI Interest LLC is the owner and Development Solutions Inc. is the design/build contractor for the project. Archideas is the architect.
Groundbreaking on the first building is set for spring, with completion scheduled for the fall.
Read all about it
McClier Corp. has been awarded the contract to design and build a new $100 million, 300,000-square-foot printing and production facility on the Near South Side for the Chicago Sun-Times.
The facility will merge the newspaper’s printing, inserting, distribution and fleet maintenance operations, currently housed in three locations. The building’s more than 500-foot-long press hall will feature six state-of-the-art Goss Graphic Systems’ “Global Newsliner” presses.
The project is in the design phase, and ground is expected to be broken shortly.
Buyer incentives
Suburban Federal Savings, headquartered in Flossmoor, has joined the list of financial institutions offering special mortgage incentives for first-time buyers.
The program features 100 percent financing to first-time buyers of owner-occupied, single-family homes, townhouses and condominiums. There are no income ceilings and no private mortgage insurance is required. The maximum loan amount is $227,150.
For more information on how to qualify for loans, including rates and requirements, call 800-973-EASY.
Deal of the week
CB Commercial Real Estate Group has arranged the investment sale of 300 S. Wacker Drive in Chicago. The buyer of the 35-story, 512,400-square-foot property was an affiliate of the Whitehall Funds, a New York City-based realty investor.
It was the fund’s first acquisition in the Chicago market. No sale price was disclosed.
The seller was Canadian-based Cambridge Shopping Centres Ltd., which acquired the property as part of its purchase of Markborough Inc. Markborough renovated the 27-year-old building in 1991. It is 97 percent leased.
Indicative of the rebound in the downtown office market, Cambridge officials said the disposition of the property generated 18 offers.
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Chicago Tribune real estate editor Steve Kerch reviews realty news and answers your questions on housing and other topics on The Real Estate Show every Friday from 9:40 to 10 a.m. on Channel 26-WCIU.
