Design-driven real estate development firm Optima, Inc. announced today its own construction team broke ground on the six-story, 100-unit Optima Verdana luxury apartment building in downtown Wilmette, Ill., on Chicago’s North Shore. The development is the firm’s second new Chicago-area retail and luxury apartment building to break ground in the last year – the 198-unit Optima Lakeview is scheduled for completion in spring 2022. Optima Verdana plans to welcome its first residents in spring 2023.
Located at the corner of Central Avenue and Green Bay Road, Optima Verdana will bring a new level of rental luxury to the North Shore. Featuring one-, two- and three-bedroom residences with an average size of 1,507 square feet, the boutique building will also feature 8,000 square feet of street-level retail.
True to its name, which is inspired by the word “verdure” meaning lush, green vegetation, Optima Verdana marks the Chicago-area debut of the latest evolution of Optima’s signature vertical landscaping system. Developed at Optima’s Arizona projects, the Verdana landscaping system has been modified to accommodate the Midwest’s four seasons. The plantings on all of Verdana’s private resident terraces will stay green year-round and be maintained by Optima’s property management team. The self-containing irrigation and drainage system promotes evaporative cooling, re-oxygenates the air, reduces dust and smog levels, decreases ambient noise and detains stormwater.
“In designing Optima Verdana, we’ve prioritized biophilic elements in a way that puts outdoor space, natural light and fresh air at the center of residents’ day-to-day lives – from our signature vertical landscaping system to spacious terraces and a landscaped courtyard,” said David Hovey Sr., FAIA, CEO of Optima, Inc. “Residents can not only immerse themselves in the outdoors from their private terrace space, but also reap benefits from its abundant greenery, which offers added privacy and an increased aesthetic value. We’ve even enhanced our commitment to sustainability by reducing our use of gas, opting for electric grills on terraces and induction cooktops in kitchens.”
Hovey noted Optima Verdana represents a 360-degree approach to sustainability. Optima Verdana will be constructed to achieve two Green Globes through the Green Globes® Building Certification, which is an alternative to LEED® certification that promotes lower energy and water bills, reduced emissions, optimized health and wellness benefits for residents, and minimizes waste. Green construction practices Optima will use to build Verdana include green concrete for the superstructure and a super energy efficient VRF heating and cooling system.
The building’s lushly landscaped private terraces will average 193 square feet, with the largest totaling nearly 1,000 square feet. In addition to enjoying a quick-heating electric grill on their terrace, residents in select homes will also have private firepits.
Sweeping views will be available on the building’s common rooftop sky deck where a range of health and wellness amenities will await residents, including: a heated, glass-enclosed lap pool with retractable glass walls that open onto the sundeck; complimentary pool towel service; a spa and sauna; barbecues; firepits and lounge areas; a party room with chef’s kitchen; residents’ club; two game rooms; and three distinct outdoor terraces, including the sundeck, garden lounge and dining area, designed for year-round use.
Indoor amenities will include a fitness center with cardio and strength-training equipment, including free weights and complimentary towel service; yoga room; Pilates studio and massage room; dual basketball/pickleball court; golf simulator and sports lounge with large screen TVs; children’s play area; pet park and spa; library lounge; and multiple work-from-home spaces, including conference rooms and a business center. Wi-Fi will run throughout amenity spaces and residents can choose from multiple data providers. Fitness programming will include yoga and meditation, Pilates, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) classes, water aerobics and personal training.
In 2023, Optima, Inc., a family-owned, vertically integrated and design-driven real estate development firm based in Glencoe, Illinois and Scottsdale, Arizona, realized a multi-family, 100-unit apartment building in downtown Wilmette, Illinois, delivering rental residences and an amenity-rich development to the North Shore market. For the privately-held firm, the residential and commercial project is more than its visual composition of glass and concrete, and contemporary-inspired vernacular rooted in modernist tradition, but also a design and lifestyle solution for those wishing to downsize and remain in the community—and marks the inaugural debut of its proprietary Vertical Landscaping System to the Midwest.
“Each one of our developments is distinctive and customized to its physical location with shared signature aesthetics, including strong geometric shapes, inherently beautiful building materials, and open, flexible floor plans. Optima Verdana is no different—it is a 21st century design with vibrant, sustainable architecture, high-quality construction, and extensive amenities and services,” said David Hovey Jr., AIA, president and chief operating officer at Optima, Inc.
“One of the most exciting parts of Optima Verdana has been bringing the Vertical Landscaping System we developed in Arizona to Illinois’ four-season climate. We planted test beds and evaluated different plant material for over two years to ensure the plants would thrive during all four seasons, stay green all year round, and create the cascading motif we sought,” Hovey added.
Featuring 100 units of one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments and more than 8,000 square feet of street-level retail and commercial space along Green Bay Road in Wilmette’s Village Center, Optima Verdana is the latest in the firm’s portfolio of work spanning multi-family condominiums, townhouse developments, and single-family homes across locations like Illinois, Arizona, and New Zealand. Founded in 1978, Optima, Inc. is the creative brainchild of the husband-and-wife team of David C. Hovey Sr., FAIA, and Eileen Sheehan Hovey, repositioning architecture and design as a business model in which they contained control of the entire process as owner, architect, developer, and general contractor.
“When my father, [David C. Hovey Sr.], was an architecture student at Illinois Institute of Technology, he envisioned an approach that enabled the architect to have greater control of design by vertically integrating the different functions of the real estate development process. By acting as the architect, developer, general contractor, and sales and property manager, Optima can ensure the architecture process is unaffected by the traditional developer-architect-general contractor relationship,” Hovey said.
Hovey Sr., who studied under a program built by Mies van der Rohe and then mentored with Arthur Shigeo Takeuchi—a pioneering architect and tenured faculty member at Illinois Institute of Technology College of Architecture—served as both architect and developer in the firm’s early years. Eileen Hovey, meanwhile, ran both the sales and marketing departments, and ultimately served as chief executive officer of its brokerage entities, Optima Real Estate Inc. and Optima Realty Inc. By 2000, the firm expanded outside of Chicago to its secondary market of Arizona, and more recently, the firm has transitioned to its next generation of leadership with David Hovey Jr. serving as president, chief operating officer, and principal architect; and Tara Hovey as president. Hovey Jr. also founded Optima DCHGlobal Inc. after patenting a modular, prefabricated building system that utilizes connector plate technology for quick, efficient, and sustainable construction. In 2021, Optima Inc. was also recognized as Firm of the Year by the American Institute of Architects Chicago.
“My father’s design philosophy has been that architecture is about structural expression, technology, material honesty, and function. His favorite quote about architecture is Vitruvius’ ‘firmness,’ or structure, ‘commodity,’ or function, and ‘delight,’ or beauty. Our design-build philosophy is to continually improve all aspects of our vertically integrated system to design and build each project with the highest-quality materials, systems, and techniques,” Hovey said.
“Some key principles that are important to us are that we believe great architecture and design inspires people and improves their lives and that our projects continue to progress architecturally and programmatically with continued attention to sustainability and the connection with nature. Also, we believe we are providing vibrancy to ever-evolving communities as well as meaningful economic impacts and job creation,” Hovey added.
Photography: Michael Duerinckx, Courtesy of Optima, Inc. | Pictured: Optima Verdana Model UnitPhotography: Michael Duerinckx, Courtesy of Optima, Inc. | Pictured: Optima Verdana Lobby Lounge and CourtyardPhotography: Michael Duerinckx, Courtesy of Optima, Inc. | Pictured: Optima Verdana Party Room with Chef’s KitchenPhotography: Michael Duerinckx, Courtesy of Optima, Inc. | Pictured: Optima Verdana Sky Deck and Outdoor Lounge
In Wilmette, Optima Verdana also builds on the firm’s presence in the Chicago North Shore region, which as Hovey noted began in the early 1980s and in the 1990s for Wilmette, specifically. When the firm found the site for the now existing development, Hovey said it was ideal within the thriving downtown of Wilmette due to its walkability, proximity to shopping, dining, and entertainment, and access to rail transportation to downtown Chicago and the lakefront.
“There was also a need in Wilmette for a city-level luxury community for those seeking to sell their homes and downsize, but wishing to remain in the community,” Hovey said. “The building provides commercial space along Green Bay Road, which activates the streetscape and further enhances the vitality of the Village Center. Optima Verdana provides high-end rental residences for those seeking an exceptional North Shore location.”
In addition to its 100 units and street-level retail space, Optima Verdana has 173 parking spaces and 28 parking spaces for public use, electric vehicle charging stations, 1,500-square-foot residential courtyard, a rooftop sky deck and pool, private terraces in select units, and a suite of other amenities like executive conference rooms, spa and sauna, garden lounge, fitness center, library lounge, children’s playroom, business center, golf simulator, and an indoor pickleball and basketball court—and a custom, eight-foot-tall sculpture by David Hovey Sr. titled “Curves and Voids” near the entrance. But it also has green features, sustainable technology, and biophilic thinking, and while the driving idea behind its interior program was to build high-quality residential living units, there was also an intentionality in its relationship to nature.
“One of our main design principles is the importance of connecting the interior with nature,” Hovey said. “We also wanted to set new standards when it came to green features and biophilic thinking—making Optima Verdana our most sustainable Chicago project to date. We built Optima Verdana to achieve two Green Globes, which we were recently awarded. Green Globes is a comprehensive, science-based certification system that is an alternative to LEED. It evaluates the environmental sustainability, health and wellness, and resilience of all types of commercial real estate.”
Hovey noted some of its green features comprise bird-friendly glass on the first three floors of the structure and its participation in “Lights Out Chicago” in an effort to protect birds during migratory periods and reduce bird collisions with glass. The building also uses green concrete that is manufactured using residual materials requiring less energy for production while providing equal durability and lifespan to its more traditional counterpart. There are also pre-installed EV chargers in the parking garage, a high-efficiency VRF heating and cooling system, large balconies, floor-to-ceiling glass curtain wall to allow natural light to flood the interior layout—and Optima’s signature Vertical Landscaping System that features coniferous plantings along private terraces to provide cascading, year-round exterior greenery on the façade.
“We have been incorporating biophilic elements since our inception through green roofs, courtyards, and, beginning in the early 2000s, with our signature Vertical Landscaping System. The floor-to-ceiling glass curtain wall is draped in a veil of indigenous plantings that fall gently over it. These coniferous plants provide year-round greenery, a haven for urban wildlife, promote evaporative cooling, re-oxygenate the air, reduce dust and smog and ambient noise, detain stormwater, and thermally insulate and shield residents from the sun,” Hovey said.
Optima’s Vertical Landscaping System emerged in response to how the natural land influences, affects, and works in tandem with the built environment. The system has been integrated in many of its Arizona-based projects, such as Optima Kierland Center and Optima Camelview Village, and is intended to serve as more than an aesthetic feature, and also as a functional solution that continually engages human interaction with the natural world. The landscaping system has also been proposed for its potential adjacent development known as Optima Lumina, on a former Imperial Motors site. The project has undergone six significant design revisions since September 2023, and now features 128 residential units planned as condominiums, roughly 5,700 square feet of designated commercial and retail space, and about 6,275 square feet of open and plaza space. Now considered a standalone building, Optima Lumina lends a stepped terrace impression as it ascends vertically and incorporates terracotta on its façade in its latest proposal.
“We initially designed the adjacent project, known as Optima Lumina, as a second phase to Optima Verdana with the same architecture that was a complement to Optima Verdana. The feedback from the Village and the neighborhood was that they desired a standalone building that had its own character and was contextually different than Optima Verdana. While Optima Verdana is designed with an all-glass curtain wall system, Optima Lumina is designed with an infill window wall system with almost 40 percent less glass on the exterior wall with the addition of terracotta panels,” Hovey said. “Private terraces, strategically located within the undulating façade, create shadows and provide visual interest on all sides of the building. As the building extends north along Green Bay to Washington Avenue, additional step-backs at levels four and five occur in response to its context.”
Photography: Michael Duerinckx, Courtesy of Optima, Inc. | Pictured: Optima Verdana Indoor Pool and Spa
Since Optima’s founding, we have thoughtfully developed environments where nature and architecture coexist. Optima Lakeview and Optima Verdana are great representations of how we create this harmony in a multi-seasonal environment. Optima Lakeview recently had its grand opening and is now taking in-person tours of four floors of amenities, including the sky deck, and three new model residences. Optima Verdana is scheduled for completion in spring of 2023.
Located on Chicago’s North Shore, the Optima Verdana apartment community has rooftop bocce ball courts. Permission granted by Optima Inc.
As the Fourth of July holiday nears and temperatures soar across the country, apartment residents look for opportunities to stay cool while enjoying the outdoors.
To meet this demand, designers, owners and operators are expanding the possibilities of the exterior. These include making improvements to staples like the pool and lounge area, adding unique attractions, bringing traditionally indoor amenities outside or creating indoor-outdoor spaces that residents can enjoy year-round.
One major design choice facing properties that choose to incorporate a pool is where to put it — with the most common choices being in a central courtyard or on a rooftop deck.
Designed by HLW, the Beach apartments from Newport Rentals in Jersey City, New Jersey, offer an extensive waterfront green space with multiple seating areas and landscaping.
Permission granted by HLW
“When designing an outdoor pool, a developer needs to consider the accessibility of the pool, what the view will be and the ambiance of the site,” Diana Pittro, executive vice president at Chicago-based RMK Management Corp., told Multifamily Dive
Edward Stand, principal and director of quality management at New York City-based design firm HLW, notes that a property’s pool placement can depend on the demographics of its tenants and the intended purpose of the pool.
“If an owner is angling for families, amenities will be tailored toward children,” Stand said. “If the building is 20-plus stories high, parents might not want their children throwing a beach ball around on the roof.”
Fun and games
Active programming that promotes social interaction through entertainment and gaming options — such as bocce, cornhole, volleyball and movie nights on a lawn or rooftop space — continue to be very popular during the summertime, according to Mary Cook, founder and president of Chicago-based design firm Mary Cook Associates.
Outdoor amenities at Optima Kierland in Scottsdale, Arizona, include a rooftop running track.
Permission granted by Optima Inc.
Those activities could be paired with opportunities to kick back and relax. For instance, an upcoming $100 million apartment complex on Purdue University’s Fort Wayne, Indiana, campus, developed in a public-private partnership with Providence, Rhode Island-based builder and developer Gilbane, is set to start construction in October and open by June 2026. In addition to green spaces, grilling stations, fire pits and sand volleyball and basketball courts, the property’s 600 future residents will also have access to a “hammock farm” for outdoor relaxation.
For serious workouts, one of the most popular new amenity moves is the extension of the indoor fitness center into an outdoor space, often taking the form of a multipurpose lawn specifically for exercise. “We’re seeing fitness centers with dedicated outdoor space — gym equipment and turf areas on covered outdoor terraces,” Alan Barker, principal and residential market leader at Chicago-based design firm Lamar Johnson Collaborative, told Multifamily Dive.
Optima, Inc. said Thursday its construction team has topped off Optima Verdana, a new luxury six-story, 100-unit rental apartment building at 1210 Central Ave. in Wilmette, IL, on Chicago’s North Shore. Pre-leasing will begin in early May with move-ins starting in July.
Optima Verdana will feature one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments with an average size of 1,499 square feet. The boutique building will also feature 8,000 square feet of street-level retail space, as well as a publicly accessible plaza with an original eight-foot sculpture by Optima CEO and co-founder David Hovey Sr..
“Every detail at Optima Verdana has been carefully curated – from using green concrete in the construction process to the signature vertical landscaping system,” said Hovey. “We are excited to move into the next phase of interior construction and begin pre-leasing this spring, as we’ve experienced unprecedented interest from residents on the North Shore and across the country.”
Multifamily real estate is at a turning point. After a decade-long bull run of increasing rent growth and compressing cap rates, things have started to slow down. The demand for multifamily housing remains high due to the ongoing housing shortage, but the slowing economy is making renters more price-sensitive. In fact, almost half of U.S. markets saw multifamily rental prices drop over the last year. At the same time, inflation has made it much harder for multifamily owners. The cost of running a building continues to increase, and interest rates are higher than they have been in nearly half a century. Even if inflation cools and rates decrease, the sector will remain competitive. More investors are pouring into the space, many from other property sectors, and more new apartments are coming on the market in 2024 than in any year since Richard Nixon was president.
These factors have forced the multifamily industry to innovate, and it has innovated. Developers are finding new ways to fit more units into less space, engineers are working to make buildings as efficient as possible, and owners are introducing new services and adding impressive amenities.
To showcase the innovation happening in multifamily right now, we have put together a showcase of innovative multifamily properties. Each property has been selected from a long list of great candidates for its uniqueness and ability to solve some of the problems currently facing the industry.
Solara in Rotterdam, New York
Solara is the largest apartment community in the U.S. to achieve net zero distinction (Credit: Solara)
Most multifamily properties strive to be more sustainable, but few achieve “net zero” status. Solara, an 11-building, 340,000-square-foot property in Rotterdam, New York, has managed to do so. The developer, Bruns Realty Group, previously completed New York’s first-ever net zero multifamily development, netZero Village, and applied their learnings to this three-phase project.
Solara features an efficient design that leverages renewable energy sources in multiple ways. The entire carport is covered with solar panels, producing 153,000 kilowatts per year, enough to power the entire property. Each building has its own solar-powered direct hot water system, supplemented by air-to-water heat pumps. The property also includes a solar-heated pool and 36 EV charging stations.
While Solara’s on-site energy generation is impressive, its methods for reducing consumption are even more noteworthy. The development, a two-time winner of NYSERDA’s Buildings of Excellence award, is incredibly well-insulated with a thick layer of foam on the roof and walls, as well as a vented “mini-attic.” The design team used the Passive House Planning Package to model energy consumption and incorporated several passive solar strategies, such as orienting buildings to maximize daylight in the winter and adding exterior shading to block the sun during peak heat hours in the summer. To dispel the myth that net zero buildings require expensive, state-of-the-art materials, Bruns Realty intentionally used cost-effective, commonly available materials and traditional construction techniques.
Vero offers urban living in Tempe with compact units and a focus on walkability. (Credit: Vero)
Walkability and a car-free lifestyle used to be achievable only in dense urban areas, but buildings like Vero in Tempe, Arizona, are challenging that notion. Built within Arizona State University’s Novus Innovation Corridor, the 200-unit, seven-story development offers an urban lifestyle in an area known for its sprawling suburbs. The large student population in the area meant that rents needed to be kept as low as possible. Vero achieved this by shrinking rooms to as small as 360 square feet. Many units are rented furnished and include space-saving furniture like Murphy beds.
Proximity to nearby transit stations and the mixed-use nature of the surrounding innovation park allowed developers to reduce parking significantly compared to typical Sunbelt markets. Parking is not included in the rent, so many residents prefer to forgo a spot. This has helped Vero achieve a parking ratio of 0.7 spaces per unit, compared to the area average of around 1.15. This innovative approach not only reduces costs but also encourages a more sustainable lifestyle among residents.
Despite the focus on affordability, Vero offers several high-end amenities, including a fitness center, co-working space, and a dog wash station. Forty of the units are studios that still provide space for full-sized appliances, storage, and bathtubs. The property also includes communal spaces that foster a sense of community among residents, such as shared lounges and outdoor seating areas. Vero’s connection to surrounding offices and school facilities makes it attractive to both students and young professionals. The building’s design echoes this youthful yet sophisticated vibe with bold yet elegant accents and fixtures, creating a stylish and inviting living environment.
Optima Verdana in Wilmette, Illinois
Optima Verdana’s biophilic design features self-watering plant curtains that enhance air quality and insulation. (Credit: Bill Timmerman)
“Biophilic” is a word frequently used in the architecture and design worlds, often implying little more than an abundance of indoor plants. However, the Optima Verdana building stands out for its truly biophilic design, using plants not only to enhance the local ecosystem but also to provide the building with added functionality. This 100-unit building features self-watering troughs on each balcony, growing cascading plants that hang like curtains once fully grown. According to David Hovey Jr., president and COO at Optima Inc., these plant curtains “promote evaporative cooling, re-oxygenate the air, reduce dust, smog levels, and ambient noise, detain stormwater, help insulate the building, and shield residents from the sun’s rays.” Hovey and his team tested different bed designs and evaluated various types of plants to ensure a suitable option that looks good year-round.
Optima Verdana was designed to be Two Green Globes Certified, a designation given by the Green Building Initiative. This certification considers sustainability, occupant health, and building resiliency. Low-carbon concrete was used in the construction, and all windows are made with bird-friendly glass on the first three stories. To foster community, the property offers numerous amenities, including a recreation center with a wood court for basketball or pickleball, a golf simulator, and a game room. The rooftop features perhaps Optima Verdana’s most impressive amenity: an indoor/outdoor pool encased in retractable glass for year-round use.
Optima Verdana demonstrates that sustainable design does not have to impede resident comfort; it can, in fact, enhance it. Extras like complimentary coffee and towel service are ecological ways the building provides a better experience for residents.
Integrated architecture and real estate development firm Optima, Inc. has announced its construction team has topped off Optima Verdana, a new luxury six-story, 100-unit rental apartment building at 1210 Central in Wilmette. Located across Green Bay Road from the Wilmette Metra commuter train station, Optima Verdana is ideally positioned for North Shore commuters, featuring 176 parking spaces, as well as electric vehicle charging stations.
With the concrete structure complete, Optima has installed the glass exterior panels on the first, second and third floors, with façade work continuing to move up the building. Aligning with Optima’s commitment to sustainability and the natural environment, the glass on the first three floors is bird-friendly, featuring a subtle pattern to help birds avoid the glass.
Optima Verdana will feature one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments with an average size of 1,499 square feet to give residents more flex space for ever-changing lifestyles. The boutique building will also feature 8,000 square feet of street-level retail space, as well as a publicly accessible plaza with an original 8-foot sculpture by Optima CEO and co-founder David Hovey Sr., FAIA.
“Every detail at Optima Verdana has been carefully curated – from using green concrete in the construction process to the signature vertical landscaping system,” said Hovey. “We are excited to move into the next phase of interior construction and begin pre-leasing this spring, as we’ve experienced unprecedented interest from residents on the North Shore and across the country.”
Inspired by the word “verdure” – meaning lush, green vegetation – Optima Verdana marks the Chicago-area debut of the latest evolution of Optima’s signature vertical landscaping system, which was developed in Arizona but modified to accommodate the Midwest’s four seasons. In what will be a first for the developer in the Chicago area, Optima Verdana plants will stay green year-round and be maintained by Optima’s property management team. The self-containing irrigation and drainage system promotes evaporative cooling, re-oxygenates the air, reduces dust and smog levels, decreases ambient noise and detains stormwater.
A massive residential development in Wilmette is nearly move-in ready.
Construction is in the final phases at Optima Verdana, a six-story, 100-unit apartment building at 1210 Central Ave. — corner of Central Avenue and Green Bay Road — and residents will begin moving in in July, according to Ali Burnham, Optima Inc.’s marketing director.
Optima Verdana is Wilmette’s tallest residential building west of Sheridan Road, and of its 100 units, 35 are two-bedroom, 35 are three-bedroom and 30 are one-bedroom apartments.
They range from 660 (1-bed) to 2,256 square feet (3-bedroom) at $2,956 to more than $12,000 (2 penthouse units, already rented) per month. Multiple variations of apartments are available within each bedroom level. Burnham said that a third of the units are already leased, leaving 77 available to prospective renters beginning on May 17.
As a condition of the project’s approval, Optima Inc. agreed to pay the Village of Wilmette $1.6 million to support affordable-housing initiatives villagewide — a payment that was executed in the fall of 2021. The funds, according to previous Record reporting, were granted to Community Partners for Affordable Housing, which believes it can turn the support into at least 15 affordable units.
Other stipulations for approval, which occurred in October 2020, included Optima’s funding of certain streetscape improvements, and its inclusion of a public plaza and public parking on site of Optima Verdana. Burnham said 29 public spaces are available near the entrance of the development’s parking garage, which also features two levels of underground tenant parking.
The building features a signature glass exterior — which uses bird-friendly, patterned glass — that will be complemented with vertical greenery as evergreen plants such as boxwoods, junipers, winter creepers and more grow into place.
Inside, Optima Verdana’s first floor includes a host of resident amenities, such as a pickleball/basketball court, golf simulator, yoga studio, fitness center, business center, dog park, and interior and exterior lounges. A skydeck — top-floor pool, spa, bocce court, herb garden and more — will be open by August, Burnham said.
A rendering of Optima Verdana as submitted by developers in 2020. | Image from Village of Wilmette
Most in-unit amenities, from stoves to outdoor grills, at Optima Verdana run on electricity. The outdoor firepit available in many units is the only gas appliance, she said.
Burnham said first-floor units will be ready for residents in July, and move-in access on subsequent floors will be available in three-week increments.
“We are very excited to open Optima Verdana this week,” said David Hovey Jr., Optima Inc.’s president, in a statement. “… We appreciate the positive feedback we already are receiving from members of the community about Optima Verdana’s design. We thank the Village trustees and staff for their vision and collaboration to bring this project to fruition.”
Optima Inc. boasts three residential complexes in Chicago and another five in Arizona, and also developed projects in Highland Park, Evanston and Skokie.
The Wilmette development also has 8,000 square feet of first-floor commercial space, which Burnham said will be occupied by one or two businesses. She said Optima is seeking a “destination restaurant” or small-item market, a strategy that aligns with the Village of Wilmette’s for the Village Center district.
WILMETTE, ILL. — Optima Inc. has begun leasing Optima Verdana, a 100-unit luxury apartment complex in the Chicago suburb of Wilmette. The community is scheduled to welcome its first residents in July and is currently more than 30 percent leased. Optima Verdana offers one-, two- and three-bedroom units as well as penthouse residences ranging in size from 660 to 2,790 square feet. Monthly rents will range from $2,950 to nearly $12,000. Optima’s CEO and founder, David Hovey Sr., designed the community.
Residents will have access to Optima’s complimentary concierge program, Optimized Service, which provides in-home package delivery, grocery delivery and plant watering. Residents can also schedule on-demand services through the Optima Verdana mobile app such as housekeeping, pet care, fitness classes, massage service and a private chef.
Optima Verdana gets its name from “verdure,” which means lush green vegetation. The community features several sustainable initiatives, including the Chicago area debut of Optima’s proprietary exterior vertical landscaping system. The self-contained irrigation and drainage system uses plants to promote evaporative cooling, reoxygenate the air, reduce dust and smog levels, decrease ambient noise and detain stormwater.
Indoor amenities at the property include a 24-hour front door person, pickleball/basketball court, fitness center, yoga room, massage room, golf simulator and sports lounge, kids’ playroom, pet park, library lounge and multiple work-from-home spaces. A seventh-floor sky deck features a glass-enclosed lap pool and spa designed for year-round use with retractable glass walls that open onto the sundeck. Residents also have access to a sauna, two herb gardens, bocce court, firepits, party room and game room.
YIMBY recently had the opportunity to tour Optima Verdana, a new six-story mixed-use building located at 1210 Central Avenue in Wilmette, IL. A project by Optima, Inc., the development comprises 100 rental apartment units and more than 8,000 square feet of commercial space.
Optima Verdana. Photo by Jack Crawford
Optima Verdana. Photo by Jack Crawford
Optima Verdana. Photo by Jack Crawford
The residential offerings at Optima Verdana come with a variety of floor plans and sizes. The one-bedroom units, with sizes ranging from 660 to 898 square feet, start at approximately $3,000. The two-bedroom units, ranging from 1,192 to 1,550 square feet, have prices starting around $4,900. Lastly, the three-bedroom units, spanning from 2,048 to 2,790 square feet, start from around $8,000.
