A community of shipping container homes in Chicago starting at $300,000 is already attracting interest see what it'll look like

Vincennes Village

• A community of 12 shipping container homes starting at $300,000 will be built in Chicago in 2023.
• Its project manager said they've already received interest from "hundreds" of prospective buyers.

Wood-framed homes have had their time in the spotlight. Now, it's all about creative construction methods.

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The US’ ongoing housing crisis has forced many construction companies and startups to seek out unique ways to build homes.

New US home sales dropped sharply in June, data showed on Tuesday.      CHRIS DELMAS/Getty Images

While some have turned to 3D printing or prefabrication …

Casey Dunn

… others are now breathing new life into used shipping containers by turning them into modern and luxurious multi-story homes.

The Box Hop

And soon, potential homeowners in Chicago could find themselves living in one of these unique steel dwellings.

Vincennes Village

In 2023, a community of 12 shipping container homes will be built in the South Side of Chicago's Greater Grand Crossing community.

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These units will be the first shipping container-based single family homes in the city, according to the team behind the project.

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And buyers' interest in these distinctive dwellings is already strong.

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The "Vincennes Village" will be built on a plot of land owned by the project's developer Anthony Casboni.

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Some critics say working with these steel boxes can be difficult and costly.

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Source: Insider

But the team behind Vincennes Village believes the inverse.

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Darryl Burton, the project manager, told Insider in an email interview that building homes out of containers will require less materials, time, and labor compared to a traditional home …

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… allowing the team to introduce what it says will be "luxury housing at an affordable price" to Chicago's real estate market.

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The customizable houses in Vincennes Village will start at $300,000.

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To compare, the median sale price of homes in the Greater Grand Crossing market sits at $200,000, according to data from Redfin.

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Source: Redfin

The container homes may be significantly above the median price, but at least they'll have a handful of luxurious amenities.

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"Considering the pandemic housing market and the current demographics of the area, we felt the neighborhood needed housing that better reflected the future of Chicago," Burton said.

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The one to two-car garage homes will range from 1,200 to 1,500 square-feet.

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Vincennes Village hasn't published any information regarding the floor plans …

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… but it has said the homes will have amenities like 10-foot-tall ceilings, recessed lights, and patios.

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Source: Vincennes Village

The team will be using 40-foot-long by eight-foot-wide containers to build these three to four bedroom homes.

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The containers — sourced locally — won't be worn down from heavy use.

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Instead, the steel boxes will have only been used once for their intended purpose before being turned into these homes, saving the container from landfill.

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Steel shipping containers aren't known for keeping interiors warm.

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So to make them more comfortable during Chicago's chilly winters, the team will be beefing up its insulation according to city guidelines, Burton said.

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And because the containers have built-in walls, the construction process will be fast: A home can be built in three to four months, the team says.

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The first will be on sale in January 2023 …

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… while the full community will be finished nine months later.

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Living in a home constructed out of steel boxes may not sound appealing to homebuilding traditionalists.

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But so far, Vincennes Village has already heard from hundreds of prospective buyers, Burton said.

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And this could be the start of more shipping container projects in the Windy City: The team is now in talks with some Chicago landowners about potential container home projects.

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