'Gold Coast' Opulence

What: Six bedrooms, 6½ baths in 9,000 square feet

Where: Chicago's "Gold Coast," north of downtown, about two blocks from Lake Michigan and four blocks south of Lincoln Park

Amenities: Three-story red brick Georgian Revival. High arched windows overlooking a private walled-in garden, second floor home/office complex with kitchen and bath. Two-car garage, eight fireplaces, powder room, butler's pantry and eat-in kitchen.

Asking Price: $13.5 million

Opening Bid*: $11.5 million

Agents: Thomas Gorman and Heather Bilandic, (312) 981-2395

Due Diligence: This home stands on tree-lined Astor Street, well-known for its 19th-century mansions. It was built in 1912 by architect Arthur Heun, a member of the Prairie School of design pioneered by Frank Lloyd Wright. The home was owned for the last 25 years by Jack Gray, chairman emeritus of apparel maker Hartmarx Corp., and his late wife Anne, an interior designer. (Mrs. Gray designed interiors for several area landmarks including the Tremont Hotel.) A two-story wing consisting of a coach house and a studio was added in the late 1970s.

The property underwent extensive renovations in the 1980s, plumbing and electrical systems updated. The living room has a wood-burning fireplace and high arched windows overlooking Astor Street and a private garden. Tall French doors lead to the foyer and library. The master-bedroom suite spans the entire front of the house facing Astor Street with additional views of the garden. The suite also has a wood-burning fireplace, two marble bathrooms, a walk-in closet and adjacent dressing room with its own fireplace and bay area overlooking the garden.

Additional Photos

*The opening bid is Weekend Journal's estimate of a reasonable starting point for negotiations to buy the property, based on past sales, prevailing market conditions and interviews with local real-estate experts.

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