LOCATION

The 5040-60 Marine Drive Condominium Association is located in Uptown and conveniently nestled between Uptown, Edgewater, Andersonville, and Lake Michigan. MDA residents can easily walk to Andersonville for shopping along Clark Street; or take a 5-minute walk to stroll along the shores of Lake Michigan or soak up the sun at Foster Avenue Beach; or walk to see a show at the Green Mill, Aragon, or Riviera Theater. 

MANAGEMENT

The MDA is managed by Sudler Property Management, Chicago's leading residential property management company. We have an onsite team that comprises of our building manager, administrative assistant, building engineer, grounds/janitorial staff, and security.

TRANSPORTATION

The MDA is also easily acessible by public transportation; the CTA Red Line's Argyle stop is a short walk away, while the 146, 147, and 136 busses are practically at our doorstep.

HISTORY

The 5040-60 North Marine Drive Apartments (MDA) in Chicago opened in 1939 with eight stories and a penthouse, totaling 203 units in the Art Moderne / Machine Age style, which was at its peak between the first and second world wars.

The MDA was designed by the architectural firm Oman & Lilienthal. Samuel Oman and Samuel Lilienthal were childhood friends from the west side of Chicago and attended Crane High School. Both earned degrees from the Universityof Illinois and founded their firm in 1923. By the late 1920's the pair had achieved success with several large commissions to design luxury apartment buildings in Lakeview/Lincoln Park (507 W. Aldine, 4 W. Belmont, 2130 N. Lincoln Pk West). Their other notable projects include The Eastgate Hotel in1926 and The St. Clair Hotel in 1928.

Local and national events throughout the 1930's set the stage for the MDA to emerge in the new architectural language of Machine Age Modern:

• The 1933 Chicago World Fair "Century of Progress" sought to orient the American public toward the future and challenge the architectural community to create buildings that did not interpret the past but instead reflected new, modern ideas. The World's Fair elevated new ideas and featured innovative materials that would be used to build the world of tomorrow.
• Chicago was in the midst of a housing shortage; city planners sought to increase the footprint of the north side with a landfill expansion of Lincoln Park, which extended Marine Drive from Montrose to Foster, creating a new and desirable location with views of the park and Lake Michigan.
• 1934, the FHA, Federal Housing Authority was established and began partnering with developers to address the housing shortage. Oman & Lilienthal secured a $1.1 million FHA insured loan that helped fund the building, which was constructed at a total cost of $1.5million.

 The Result: MDA was one of the first and largest FHA projects of the time; opening in 1939 and marketed as "ultra-modern" with ample natural light, cross-ventilation and spectacular views of Lincoln Park.