Developers William Patrun and William Walsh, who have a contract to buy the vacant land with 281 feet on Howard Street just south of a Chicago Transit Authority rail yard, plan a building with parking on the first four floors as well as a first floor that includes a management office, health club and hospitality room for the exclusive use of renters of their 220,000-sf building, more than twice allowed in the city's B3 zoning code.

At 170 feet, the building's height is twice the maximum under the city's B3 zoning. Meanwhile, the 221 studio, one- and two-bedroom units are triple the number allowed in the zoning code, while the 245-space parking garage falls short by 44 slots.

The suburb's B3 zoning also mandates first-floor retail space in an attempt to create pedestrian traffic. However, the developers argue retail vacancy in the area is 18%, and a location 600 feet from the CTA's Howard Street station, which serves riders on the Red, Purple and Yellow Skokie Swift lines, will create foot traffic.

"There's a lot of retail already in the area—a lot of it on the Chicago side," Patrun says. "With that being the case, this development stands the chance of not having retail there."

Bristol Chicago Development LLC plans to buy the land from Peter Palivos, who bought the rectangular lot for $550,000 in 1999, nearly double the price Benefit Trust Life Insurance got for it a year earlier.

Although financial details were not disclosed, the project would be the first in a newly created tax increment financing district.

The building, which the developers hope to start construction in September 2004, will likely cater to single professionals, empty nesters and couples, Patrun says. Architect James Curtin of Solomon Cordwell Buenz & Associates suggests at least one attraction of the units, most designed with recessed balconies. "The views are fantastic in all directions," he says.