Do note: you didn't make it clear

FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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"I been a prisoner to a white Mr. Coffee
Down here on Christian Street" - Marah

not sure on the square footage of the 1 BRs (i only looked at the larger studios). but when i was looking at one of the 1BR models...the salesperson said that there were some 1BR units (same floorplan as the model) in the 225-230K range. pretty spacious - if i had to guess, i'd guess somewhere between 550 and 650 square feet (the bedroom is kind of up on a loft/platform only half closed off. (there are other more traditional 1BRs that are much larger). my guess is that the lower priced ones are on the first couple of floors and don't have much of a view of either the skyline or the (very cute) courtyard.

i recommend going to check them out just for giggles...the finishes are really beautiful and whoever designed the models did an amazing job! worth a look-see even if you're not interested in buying.

what i like about this place is the rent-ability (is that a word?) of the units. with a brand new spa/fitness center and a parking spot, chances are good you can cover your mortgage by renting it out. they said one of the second floor units (not yet renovated) with a view of the auto body shop was renting for $1275 (not sure which floorplan). sounds a bit high to me...but to each his own...

Noted.

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"If you think you're too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito."

--Bette Reese

I lived at the Marine Club for 2 years. It taught me 2 things... I will never ever live in an apartment complex again, and... before you sign the lease make sure an auto body shop isn't directly beneath your windows.

I've lived in the Marine Club for almost 2 years as a renter. In that time, we've had an increase in issues with the management's incompetence, especially as they began the conversion process from apartments to condos. When they first announced the conversion, they were giving us the option to purchase our apt. as-is for 190K...not worth it! I've seen a few of the renovated units, which look really nice, but I would not want to invest the amount of money they're asking for such a small amount of space. We are trying to get out of here ASAP. The only thing I'll miss is the great view of the skyline facing north.

a buddy of mine signed an agreement of sale for one of those condos (1 bedroom) and as of today are over a month behind schedule. needless to say he's been pretty frustrated with the whole situation being that he rented out his other place and all his belongings are scattered across various spots in the city.

Is new construction / conversion ever on time? Both of my houses were late: first one about a month, second one about 60 days

UPDATE: Soon after this posting, I sent a rather strongly worded letter to the Marine Club. It was my fifth such letter, this time with the additional promise to create a website that would allow members of the condo a way to voice their frustrations with the building. I will be the first here to admit I have a short fuse, and I certainly was more threatening then needed for this particular situation. I believe all of my concerns and complaints were valid and just, but that my tact involved with the matter was somewhat lacking. For that, I certainly apologize.

There response was quick. In all fairness, I would have to say that this was, in the end, a series of simple communication problems. At first they could not find the other four letters I had sent, but in the end they did locate them. Once the issues were identified, they moved quickly to evaluate the damage and have a crew fixing the issue the very next week.

All of the people I have dealt with in person at the Marine Club are professional, attentive and kind. I cannot stress this enough; these are good people, and some of them are so wonderful that it never fails to brighten my day when i see them. If a building could be erected on strength of character alone, this place would already be a palace.

The main issues here seem to stem from the original build crew, who was replaced a few months ago by a larger and, from what I have witnessed, far more competent one.

I honestly believe that they have all intentions to make this building every bit as beautiful as they first promised, and that the staff at the Marine Club is putting their best efforts behind this. There are still a few issues, not the least of which was the overall emphasis put on the PR troubles I would cause with a website over the total concern for my, and the other residents, individual issues. However, this view only stemmed from the person representing the parent company as a whole (it is his job, after all) and seeing as most of the issues the current build team is facing were inherited failures of the old, one could hardly blame him.

Side note: The windows truly are amazing. The trouble over the past year was worth it for them alone. Original message to follow:

My partner and I bought one of the first units converted nearly a year ago. As it stands now, there are still problems.

We just got our new windows, albeit it 6 months later, and the installation while inconvenient has gone fairly well. Unfortunately, that is about all the good news we have had so far.

There have been construction problems since the beginning. We have documented and reported these issues six times, and the majority of them still have no been repaired. This has been a recurring theme throughout the building. An upstairs neighbor had a leak, along with about 15 other units while the windows were being replaced, that threatened to cave in her ceiling and filled her light fixtures with rust-colored water. In addition, their closet has collapsed, their new hardwood floors have been eaten away by water damage and lime deposits, and their carpeting in the bedroom is ruined. This same leak took out an entire section of the seventh floor hallway.

Despite their complaints, the condo has refused to do any repairs to the unit, and when they requested to speak with the company's lawyer, the office would not even turn over his or her name and how they could go about contacting them.

At this point, we are just about fed up and are contemplating legal action of our own. It is a true shame, considering that the building does have a lot of character and that most of the staff here is both professional and truly seems interested in helping out the tenants.