Coast to Offer Chicago Renters a Place on the Lake

As any weather-wise Chicagoan knows, the mantra this time of year is “cooler by the lake.” Magellan Development Group may be hoping that with the anticipated arrival of the sleekly designed Coast at Lakeshore East high-rise apartment tower, the phrase becomes as much figurative as it is literal.

Bearing a nautically themed moniker like most of its seven predecessors in the 28-acre lakefront development, the stylish 45-story structure will rise at the northwest corner of Lakeshore East, directly east of the Swissotel.

Designed by the renowned architectural firm of Brininstool Kerwin and Lynch (BKL), the 499-unit apartment tower is to have as its general contractor McHugh Construction Company, builder of six other Lakeshore East buildings.

Residents moving to Coast upon its February 2013 opening are promised some of the headiest views in the City of Broad Shoulders. “Facing north, there’s no private property between us and the river,” Magellan President David Carlins tells MHN. “It faces Navy Pier and the lake. South views will look into our neighborhood park and catch some lake views. There are some east and west views as you get higher in the building. We’re next to the Swissotel, an angled building, so that preserves a lot of the west view. In the east direction, the nearest building is hundreds of feet away, allowing a lot of lake views.”

As for interiors, units in Coast will boast higher ceilings than in other Lakeshore East buildings, and common areas will be more club-like, with more open designs in the lobby, party rooms, suites and amenity areas, Carlins says.

Overall, the tower will be notable for the same high-quality design that distinguishes other Lakeshore East buildings. “A lot of renters . . . care more about architecture than we sometimes give them credit for,” Carlins adds. “We learned in Aqua, which became internationally recognized for design, that once you get them in, you have to deliver the product. People want to walk in the door and be proud.” Aqua mixes rental, for-sale and hotel components, he says.

Coast will offer a 272-car parking facility and 18,000 square feet of retail space. An outdoor pool, landscaped deck, fitness center, resident lounge, business center, media room, indoor spa area and other as-yet-unannounced extras will be featured in its 18,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor amenities.

Like its exclusively luxury rental predecessors, The Shoreham at Lakeshore East and The Tides at Lakeshore East, Coast at Lakeshore East is expected to attract a wide variety of renters but be characterized by a younger resident demographic. “There’s a slight majority of women, because of the security, the doorman and the services provided in high-rise living,” Carlins says.