Bluewater 5440
Architect: F451 Arquitectura and Pappageorge Haymes
Client: Bluewater Alliance
Location: Chicago
Completion: 2014

A high-rise condo development approved in 2009 for Chicago’s far North Side went the way of many such developments after the real estate bubble burst. Now retooled as a rental apartment building, it is expected to break ground this Fall.

Designers F451 Arquitectura and Pappageorge Haymes capped the four-floor podium with an almost 18,000-square-foot green roof. Facing east, the terrace reaches out toward nearby Lake Michigan, with a rooftop pool and space for gardening. The tower continues up to 19 stories with 190 housing units; the bulk are one-bedroom units. Ground-floor parking and retail open on to Catalpa Avenue and Sheridan Road.

The new configuration no longer offers condos, but the upscale amenities—a “spa area” and “party room” accompany the plush rooftop pool and garden—could make this modularly constructed high-rise one of Edgewater’s fancier addresses. Sunbathers will be advised to seek their views of the lake before the late afternoon, however, to avoid shadows from nearby towers.

Bluewater 5440, as it is known, treads lightly on the coveted lakefront airspace, at least in renderings. A clean stroke of glassy blue and white, it’s a tasteful addition to the high-rise corridor along Sheridan.