Chicago Expensive Homes: 542 W Grant Pl – $9.25 MM

This 9200 square foot home at 542 W Grant Pl in east Lincoln Park has got to be the most unassuming of Chicago’s most expensive homes. From the outside it looks exactly like it once was – a commercial/ industrial space. It just went on the market on Friday, listed at $9.25 MM, making it the 5th most expensive single family home currently on the market in Chicago.
Be sure to check out the slideshow below and notice the vast difference (not to be confused with male anatomy) between the exterior of the structure and the courtyard inside. The building, which was originally a horse barn, was later taken over by the Lake View Dairy and then a wholesale toy business. In 1960 it was bought by John Kearney who established his Contemporary Art Workshop there but finally sold it to John Supera for $2.2 MM in 2008. As a landmark building the facade had to be preserved.
John Supera is apparently a real estate developer and he hired architect John Vinci, who had done work for the Art Institute, to redesign the space. The finishes also seem rather understated for a home of this price but it’s a very simple and clean design and you do get a clear sense that the layout is pretty cool, with the indoor and outdoor spaces well integrated. It seems to have a very light and airy feel to it.
In the courtyard photo you will notice the steel giraffe sculpture. That was created by John Kearney, who founded the Contemporary Art Workshop with his wife, Lynn.
Here are some of the details along with the MLS description.

  • 5 bedrooms
  • 6 full baths, 2 half baths
  • 48 x 125 lot
  • 3 car garage
  • 2 fireplaces (heck…I’ve got 4 in my house)
  • 9200 square feet
  • 3 terraces, one of which is 44 x 15. I wonder if that’s in fact the courtyard.
An understated period façade fronts a spectacular 2012 custom home reno. General contractor rec’d Custom Home Builder of the Year Award for this Vinci Hamp design. Sits on all 4 property lines of this 48×125 lot, w/an incredible floor plan that could only be replicated on parcels of much lrger size. This home features Mahogany windows, heated terrazzo flrs, steel & glass stair, Bulthaup Kitch & beaut built-in cabs…A modern aesthetic that is functional and innovative for the sophisticated buyer.


#realestate #chicagorealestate #ExpensiveHomes
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