Stewart and Minor

The Kronen Group attended the recent Brokers event for the upcoming Stewart and Minor building. It was geared toward obtaining feedback about the current plans and ideas for the building.

The building is definitely trying something different so it was very interesting to learn about. Their main consideration is price. They want this project to be affordable to people and to do so they have come up with a unique idea. The homes would all have a mezzanine level and therefore 18 foot ceilings. They propose that the units are sold in 3 ways: with the main floor finished out and the mezzanine not finished, the main floor finished out and the mezzanine partially finished to be more of a family room, or the main floor finished and the mezzanine finished as a master suite. The main level will consist of a living space, a bathroom, a kitchen, and bedroom nook (like an open one bedroom). If you choose to create the master upstairs you could have just a powder room and a den on the main level if you wanted. Or you can have a bedroom and full bath on both the main and upper levels. The idea here is to allow people to purchase just the main floor at a reasonable cost to get them into a home with the option for that home owner to finish out the mezzanine level at a later date. The mezzanine floor will exist and be pre-plumbed and wired for the future build out. It is like moving into a bigger space without the moving! The idea came from the fact that most people move because they feel that they are out of space. And that move costs quite a bit of money. In this scenario, you can add the space without moving out. The thought is that the cost of moving will be comparable to the cost of simply building out your mezzanine level and adding the space to your existing home.

The finishes were not released but they are thinking of opting for the more industrial feel with exposed concrete floors and ceilings and exposed ducting and piping. The floorplate will be the same on all of the floors unless someone purchases multiple units and combines them.

These homes will sit atop a boutique hotel and will have the shared amenities on the top floor of the building. That way, everyone has a view! Homes will start in the $400,000s and be completed in 2011.

Stewart and Minor is a building that is thinking outside of the box in order to deliver a more affordable high rise concrete and steel product into the market.