Chicago Mag's Dennis Rodkin is mulling the survival prospects for two very different North Shore properties of equal architectural merit. We've dealt with both before, and they are: Keck + Keck's Lake Bluff modernist mansion on 27 acres, and a Wilmette cottage linked to Frank Lloyd Wright, Rudolph Schindler, and John Van Bergen. Both are on the market, though each is threatened by different outcomes. Should the cottage fail to sell, it will likely be demolished by (a reluctant) George Hausen, developer and current owner, to make way for a more marketable product. On the other hand, the Keck + Keck estate may fall prey to a buyer who prefers a newer and less challenging structure. The home is incredible, but its "severe brick walls" might be too institutional for a mainstream audience. Not that the $10M buyer's club is particularly 'mainstream', but you see the problem. The icing on the cake? Neither has meaningful landmark protection. [Deal Estate, photo: Keck + Keck interior via Proximity Partners]
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