He's Green to His Roots

Fountain View's Ranney carries on a family tradition

By Dennis Rodkin

The developer Ben Ranney has green roots that extend back to his childhood: He is the son of George and Vicky Ranney, the couple behind Prairie Crossing, the 19-year-old Grayslake subdivision that served as a model for eco-developments nationwide.

Now the younger Ranney has embarked on a green project of his own: Fountain View, a Lincoln Square condo project going up just north of Giddings Plaza (at Giddings Street and Lincoln Avenue). At Fountain View, Ben Ranney and Bradley Leibov, partners in the company Terra Firma, are building an energy-tight structure with a partially green roof (the rest of the roof is a white material that reflects solar heat off the building). Inside, the environmental amenities include separate chutes for trash and recyclables, renewably grown bamboo flooring, dual-flush toilets for reduced water use, and an elevator that uses much less oil and chemicals than a conventional one.

Lincoln Square

From $424,900
to $554,900

Fountain View is scheduled for occupancy in the fall. At presstime, four of its 18 units (all with balconies) had already been sold. Prices run from $424,900 for a 1,292-square-foot two-bedroom unit to $554,900 for a 1,458-square-foot two-bedroom unit. Parking costs an additional $30,000 to $45,000 (for a two-car tandem space).

Photograph: Courtesy of Terra Firma

This article appears in the April 2008 issue of Chicago Magazine.

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