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Everest Partners along with architect Pappageorge Haymes took on the task of turning the building that once housed Florsheim Shoes into a mixed use development with retail space on the lower level and 212 condos on the remaining floors and additional four stories added to the top of the building. The project, located on 130 South Canal Street and named Metropolitan Place, was completed in 1999 and was actually the first to successfully renovate an office high rise into a residential condominium.

Metropolitan Place has an impressive roster of luxury amenities and services offered to its residents. There are 240 secure, heated indoor parking spaces which are limited common elements. No more worrying about having to find a parking space or cleaning snow off your car in the morning.

The building lobby is elegantly appointed and there is always a door person on site to greet you twenty-four hours a day for security & convenience. Management staff is present on site and ready to address any request or issue that might come up. There are 3 high speed elevators to make getting to and from your condo a quick and easy trip. Plus Metropolitan Place offers security door locks, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and solid core doors

The building features a large sundeck for residents to enjoy. The sundeck has grilling areas that are prefect for entertaining guests on a warm afternoon or weekend or even just for yourself when you get the urge for a steak hot off the grill. Metropolitan Place also has a beautifully landscaped courtyard that can be seen from the sundeck or the private condo terraces.

Another great building feature is the fitness center. The prospect of having to fight traffic to go to a gym makes keeping a regular workout schedule less appealing. But having the equivalent of your own personal gym with the latest cardio equipment and free weights virtually right outside your condo door makes it really simple to stay in shape. Two quick elevator rides will take you to and from your workout without ever having to leave the building.

Ground level is devoted to 22,000 feet of retail space. Businesses located there include Starbucks, Fed/Ex Kinko’s, CVS and H&R Block. Residents are assigned secure storage lockers on the lower levels and there is also valet and dry cleaning service offered.

The Chicago condos at Metropolitan Place have one to three bedrooms and baths and range in size from 850 to 2,150 square feet of living space per unit. Ten foot ceilings and large windows fitted with custom treatments make the condos seem even more roomy. Most units have spacious balconies that can be enjoyed for most of the year. The balconies offer residents for a stunning view of the Chicago skyline and surrounding area. All units offer in-unit laundry room with washer and dryer and the condos are cable, phone and internet ready.

Many units feature hardwood floors that run through the common areas of the condo including kitchen, living room, dining room and hallways. the others offer plus carpeting through out The bedrooms have ample closet space and more bright windows with picturesque views. The baths are made for comfort and relaxation and some homes include separate walk-in shower plus large soaker tub.

The kitchens have an open arrangement with an island for extra counter space or seating room. The appliance package consists of sleek black or stainless steel appliances. Refrigerator, cook range and self cleaning oven, microwave, dish washer and garbage disposal are present in every unit. The cabinets are maple and measure forty-two inches for the top row. Most units have been upgraded with granite counter tops to finish out the details.

Metropolitan Place couldn’t have a better location. With only a short walk to both the El and CTA stops, access to transportation is close by. Union Station is right across the street and the Loop and Expressway are also not far. If you work in the loop you can now “walk to work”. The downtown business district, countless restaurants, shopping and entertainment and education venues is why Metropolitan Place one of the most popular buildings to live in. Combine that with the luxury amenities at hand and you’ll be glad you live in Metropolitan Place!


HISTORY

Florsheim Shoe Factory

In 1892 Milton Florsheim, the son of a Chicago shoemaker, started a small shoe store. Florsheim soon moved into manufacturing, and by 1910 the company had 600 workers at its factory at Adams and Clinton Streets. By the end of the 1920s, when annual sales stood at $3 million, there were five Chicago-area factories, employing a total of 2,500 men and women. Business slowed during the Great Depression, but Florsheim emerged at the end of World War II as one of the top 10 firms in the industry, with nearly $18 million in annual sales. Control of the company left the Chicago area in 1953, when Florsheim was purchased by the International Shoe Co. (later Interco Inc.) of St. Louis. Florsheim became International Shoe’s most profitable unit, leading the market for high-quality men’s shoes. At the beginning of the 1970s, still a subsidiary, the Florsheim division consisted of 14 factories and 500 retail stores nationwide. During the 1980s, many of its manufacturing operations were moved overseas. In 1994, soon after Interco entered bankruptcy, Florsheim was spun off as an independent company with its headquarters in Chicago. By the end of the 1990s, Florsheim Shoe Group Inc. had about 10 percent of the market for men’s dress shoes, making it the leading company in the trade. By that time, when it was doing close to $250 million in annual sales, only about 10 percent of its some 2,000 employees worldwide worked in the Chicago area.