Single Mom, a Teacher, Awards Museum Square in Elmhurst with an A+

Written By Bill Cunniff

Carole Sigalos, a single mother of three adult children, is the first to move in at Museum Square, a condominium and town house development in downtown Elmhurst.

Her single-family home had been getting too big for her needs. Also, her youngest daughter, Christine, had just graduated from high school. She will be starting classes at Elmhurst College soon.

“Christine has some medical needs that dictated we try to be as close to her new school as possible,” Sigalos said. “In addition to its proximity to the college, Museum Square is perfect for our needs.” She had watched the construction of Museum Square while commuting to her job as a teacher.

Sigalos knows the importance of being Ernst. She earnestly selected the Ernst town house plan, a corner unit. The Ernst, with 2,058 square feet of space, has 2 bedroom and 2 baths. One bedroom is on the first floor, and the master suite, (with a sitting room, a walk-in closet and access to a balcony), occupies the entire second floor.

“Now that I’m on summer break, we’re getting the place fixed up ahead of the fall term,” she said. Her other daughter, Jennifer, is getting married soon. She also has a son, Nick.

Morningside Development Group, the developer, plans 43 one-level condominiums and 13 town houses. The town houses, with 2 or 3 bedrooms, occupy the first two stories of the five-story building.

The remaining town houses are base-priced from $416,900 to $455,000. Condominiums are base priced from the mid-$300,000s to $499,900.

“Special attention has been paid to minimize noise transmission,” said David Strosberg, president of Morningside. “For example, the combination of copper water piping and cast-iron waste stacks gives both sound-resistance and durability.” He noted that additional noise- muffling construction materials include steel framing, brick-and- block masonry-bearing walls and cork beneath hard-surface floors.

Two heated garage parking spaces are included with each residence.

Museum Square, 131 Adelaide, Elmhurst. Museum Square Partners, (630) 834-7800.

INVERNESS HOUSES. A two-story great room stretches out at 24 by 18 feet in the new Mayfield model at the Estates at Inverness Ridge, a development in Inverness. A fireplace is flanked by maple bookcases.

Arched openings, with decorative columns, separate the family room from the hallway and kitchen. Adjoining the great room is a peninsula- shaped kitchen, modeled with an optional solar-ium. The first-floor master bedroom, (with a bay window, a sitting room and his and her closets), is topped by a tray ceiling.

An office/loft is set on one side of the upstairs landing. A second-floor gallery, overlooking the family room, bridges the loft to the sleeping quarters.

The 3,400-square-foot Mayfield is priced from $672,975. It has 4 bedrooms and 21/2 baths.

Toll Brothers, the builder, plans 119 houses.

Estates at Inverness Ridge, Inverness. Toll Brothers, (847) 277- 1800.

ROUND LAKE HOUSES. A total of 470 single-family homes are planned at Lakewood Grove, a development in Round Lake. Prices are expected to start in the $150,000s.

“We are thrilled to be building homes in the beautiful town of Round Lake,” said Harriet Ford, director of corporate communications for Lakewood Homes. “We take a vested interest in each municipality we enter. That’s why we’ve donated $5 million to the Fremont schools, where resident children will attend. We’ve also provided 32 acres of commercial property for grocery stores, pharmacies and other retailers to make living at Lakewood Grove convenient as possible.”

Lakewood Grove, Illinois 60 and Bacon Road, Round Lake. Lakewood Homes, (847) 963-9000.