It took eight months to land the necessary permits, but work is finally underway on the Andersonville Guesthouse expansion. Owner Dave Krug and GM Rick Verkler led Curbed through the rapid-fire construction, beginning its second story after breaking ground less than three weeks ago. It helps that Krug and the crew laid foundations for three adjoining buildings of identical appearance several years ago, only building two. The central building, 4866 N Clark, is the only one functioning as an apartment-style guesthouse and offers 10 suites for minimum 4-day bookings. A more "efficient" size and layout will lead to 15 suites in the new structure, according to Krug.
Krug took a shot in the dark with Andersonville Guesthouse, as an adventurous solution to the condo crash. The three buildings were meant to be condos, and, had they been built all at once, Krug is pretty certain he'd have performed the classic switch to conventional rentals. However, with only 10 units to worry about initially, the guesthouse experiment was launched solely on Krug's own interest in family travels and alternative lodging. Verkler added that after the first or second visit to Chicago, visitors crave something more local and home-like than a Loop hotel. The formula seems to be working: the guesthouse remains at least 80% full during the high season.
The expansion looks to build on the successes of apartment-style accommodation while adding a few more boutique hotel amenities (meeting room, lobby, on-site laundry). Like the older building there will be a mix of 2- and 3-bed suites, each with a balcony. The extra-deep lot (225') allows for 15 units on just three floors, as well as a 17-car parking garage. We'll have to get used to a new name pretty soon— the property is being rebranded "The Guesthouse Hotel-Andersonville" for long-term expansionary purposes.
·Andersonville Guesthouse {official]
·Andersonville Guesthouse Embarks on Expansion [Curbed Chicago]
·The Hotel 38 [Curbed Chicago]
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