State Place
Cost: $97 million

State Place is a residential and retail project on the storied site of the former Chicago Police Department headquarters at 11th and State streets.

The first level holds the retail space, and the second and third levels incorporate 243 parking spaces. Courtyards are atop the parking garage, and between them are three terrace four-story terrace buildings and the most dramatic element, a 26-story tower on State Street.

The project provides 243 residences, comprising 159 condominiums and 84 houses. Unit prices range between $300,000 and $800,000, and penthouse units could fetch about $2 million apiece.

Amenities include a pool, guest suites, community room and 24-hour security.

Chicago-based Fitness Formula leased some of the retail, giving residents who join the club will access to athletic facilities.

Avoiding the CTA

Crews steered clear of the Chicago Transit Authority properties.

A below-grade CTA tunnel goes through the State Place property, and the passageway allows pedestrians on the transit system to cross between two different train lines.

The subway that carries the Red Line is to the project's west, and the elevated tracks that hold the Green and Orange lines are to its east.

Accommodating these and other CTA structures was critical to ensure against a conflict between State Place and the transit system.

Transfer beams were incorporated to shift pressure to foundations away from those supporting the pedestrian tunnel.

The placement of the transfer beams was a complex issue.

They could not be put below grade nor in the project's first floor because of conflicts, so the second level was selected for the beams' locations.

For the project design, the city wanted a maximum amount of space for trees and grass on the courtyard level because of the city's desire for a "Green Chicago." More important, it might get attract suburban buyers.

Soundproofing was key to allay concerns about traffic and CTA noises.

Above the fourth floor, brick and concrete dress the building, and there is double insulation throughout. Aerated concrete block, a material developed in Europe and used there for 30 years, was used structurally for soundproofing and other issues.

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