The Clare, a luxury, 53 floor high-rise retirement residence located in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood, will begin a multi-million dollar renovation this month.
Opened in 2008, The Clare is the only urban, luxury high-rise fully constructed specifically to serve as a Continuing Care Retirement Community. With occupancy rates steadily increasing, the owners have identified a need to revamp three of its communal areas to better serve residents.
The renovation will focus on reorganizing the main entrance located on the ground level, expanding the 9th floor Bistro Café and leveraging the 53rd floor to take full advantage of the space and its panoramic views.
“Our goal has always been to listen to the needs of The Clare’s residents and many of our renovations incorporate suggestions and ideas from the residents themselves,” says Kyle Exline, Executive Director of The Clare. “Residents at The Clare are full of life and we want all of our space to reflect their busy, active lifestyles.”
With residents constantly coming and going for various activities, the ground floor will be completely renovated for accessibility with an expanded, grand entrance. The main floor will now house the mailroom and full concierge services, which were previously located on the 9th and 17th floors, to provide an extra level of convenience for residents. The new design will reflect the resident’s wishes to provide a welcoming atmosphere for themselves and their guests.
The 9th floor’s Bistro Café will be expanded from a small self-service area to a larger full-service, casual dining experience. To meet the growing demand for additional dining options, the renovation will increase seating from 20 to 50 for lunch and dinner. There will also be a grab-and-go area for general convenience, as well as pre-made sandwiches, salads and more. A new outdoor seating area will allow residents to take in the 9th floor gardens and Chicago skyline views.
Changes to the 53rd floor will include adding a complete kitchen, which will provide a flexible solution for private parties, cocktail hours and resident events. In addition, the space will feature a giant flat screen TV and advanced audio system for all residents to enjoy movies and viewing parties.
“Maximizing the 53rd floor will be a welcomed overhaul for the residents,” says Exline. “Our top floor has always boasted a large event space with spectacular views of the city, but until now has been underused.”
Chef Hagop Hagopian, The Clare’s Executive Chef, will have the opportunity to leverage the space to create unique dining experiences several times a week, with a focus on gourmet food and fine wines. This will offer an entirely new, luxurious dining experience for residents.
“The end result will be a great improvement to our common spaces for everyone to more fully enjoy,” says long-time resident Sheila Rock. “What could be more beautiful than sitting on the 53rd floor, enjoying your morning coffee and looking at that magnificent view?”
Renovations will occur in stages with projected completion dates of fall 2015 and early 2016.