Ascend’s Niche 905 Unveiled in Chicago
The 18-story, 202-unit luxury tower featuring an array of lifestyle amenities is located on Near North Side.
Ascend Real Estate Group and Intercontinental Real Estate Corporation recently hosted a grand opening celebration for Niche 905, an 18-story, 202-residence luxury apartment tower featuring an array of lifestyle amenities on Chicago’s Near North Side.
Niche 905 was designed by Chicago-based FitzGerald Associates Architects. Anticipated to achieve LEED certification, the boutique tower features roomy convertible, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments ranging from 576 to 1,518 square feet and ranging from $2,000 per month for the convertibles to $6,000 for three-bedroom apartments.
“Residents want to live in this desirable Near North location but the area was underserved in terms of luxury apartment developments,” Ascend President Bill Wolk told MHN.
“The Near North location at the tri-section of the Gold Coast, Old Town and River North was a plus, as was the location near the Chicago [Avenue] Brown [and] Purple Line ‘L’ station. We were also able to maximize views of the downtown skyline and Lake Michigan . . . There were no other bidders for the site.”
Niche 905 apartments offer nine-foot ceilings, plank flooring in bedrooms and living areas, in-unit laundries and porcelain-tiled baths. Gourmet kitchens feature European-style cabinetry, quartz countertops, glass tile backsplashes, stainless steel appliances and built-in wine racks.
Residences are equipped with USB ports and fiber-optic Internet service able to reach speeds of 1 gigabyte per second, making them perfect for work-from-home professionals. Some floor plans also offer private balconies. In addition, residences serve up dramatic perspectives of the Loop and North Michigan Avenue skyline and of Lake Michigan to the east.
Common-area amenities at Niche 905 are spread across the tower’s ground and penthouse levels and are available to all residents. On the penthouse floor, amenities include an outdoor pool and spa, skydeck lounge with fire pit and adjacent outdoor bar, community garden, state-of-the-art fitness center and yoga studio, grilling area and entertainment suite with kitchen, bar and big-screen TVs. On the ground level, Niche 905 offers an expansive lobby with workstations and sitting areas, fully-equipped business center with adjacent conference room, coffee bar, craft room, dog run, pet-wash station and workshop with 110-bicycle storage.
“Chicago has emerged as one of the fastest-growing tech cities in the country, and Niche 905’s location near innovation hubs like River North, Goose Island and the West Loop influenced our approach with this project,” Wolk said.
“Today’s residents desire 24-7 lifestyle-oriented communities that are conducive to and reflective of their around-the-clock schedules, so residences and amenity spaces at Niche 905 were designed to accommodate both work and play.”
Location is one of the top selling points of Niche 905. The structure is within walking distance to the CTA’s Brown, Purple and Red Lines, conveniently located to the Kennedy Expressway and less than one mile north of the Merchandise Mart, which houses startup incubator 1871 and an array of technology-sector employers. It’s also just steps from Michigan Avenue and River North, two of the more popular enclaves in the downtown Chicago area.
