When you see a gorgeous view like the one above of the salt-water pool on the top of The Orion, you might have a hard time reconciling what the site looked like 6 years ago. Last year I was invited to take a hard-hat tour of the 177-unit apartment building at the corner of Euclid Avenue and West Pine Boulevard with developer Bruce Mills of Mills Properties and Construction Manager Ron Silverman when the building was under construction (photos here).
Since then construction has been completed and the first tenants started moving in last spring. When I revisited The Orion last month, Leasing Manager Steve Krajczar reported that they are already 94.3% leased. The building is divided into two sections by a 7-story garage. There are 66 units in the east building, 111 in the west building. Residents can drive up to their floor in the garage and park on the same level as their unit. Residents include empty nesters, singles, young couples, graduate students, and a 90 year-old.
The second level features an enclosed courtyard with a fire pit, life-size chess set, and fountain.
All 71 one-bedroom units were leased right away, and at the time of my visit Krajczar said there are 13 people on a waiting list. There are 96 two-bedroom units, which range in price from $2,151-$3,500, and 10 three-bedroom units, $4,150-$5,165. The 1,543 s.f. 2-bedroom penthouse leases for $4,425-$4,565 per month. The photographs above and the two following feature a 2-bedroom, 2-bath display unit.
This unit includes a balcony which is accessible from the second bedroom, above, and the living area.
The entertainment area, above and below, is off the courtyard on the second level. It features a chef’s kitchen that can be reserved for private parties on Saturdays. The espresso machine shown on the counter, right, gets a real workout. Krazczar says residents go thru a 5# bag of coffee every day.
The view above shows more of the entertainment area adjacent to the kitchen. There is a 24-hour workout room on this same level, a 24-hour concierge on duty, and package delivery service too. With Whole Foods on the first floor, one resident said she has hardly cooked a meal since she moved in. “It’s too easy,” she said, “to just take the elevator downstairs and pick up dinner to go.” City living!
The Orion, 4567 West Pine, (314) 367-6700.