‘Car condos’ proposed by Crystal Lake mayor get City Council nod

A “high-end car condo” facility – two-story garages that owners can use as separate spaces away from home – will be making its debut in Crystal Lake.

Developers proposed to construct 25 two-story garage condo units on a vacant grassy lot of about 4½ acres at 7225 Teckler Blvd., next to CubeSmart Self Storage. The units will be “fancy garage” spaces and owned, not rented, contractor Pat McGinnis said.

The upscale garage condo space, called Redline Motor Condos, is owned by Mayor Haig Haleblian. He has said he already has a list of buyers for the units he describes as customizable “man caves” and “she sheds.”

“This has been a passion of mine for many, many years,” he said. “It will be a country club for auto enthusiasts.”

The Planning and Zoning Commission approved the proposal in a 4-0 vote earlier this month. The city council unanimously approved the plan Tuesday with no discussion. Haleblian recused himself from the vote because of his personal ties to the project.

Each unit will be hooked up to electricity, gas and sewer services, McGinnis said. Owners will have the ability to build out a small kitchenette, and each unit will have a bathroom, he said.

Developers plan to start building the first two units and continue constructing additional units as sales demand, McGinnis said. The maximum units they can build is 57.

Haleblian, who also owns Exceed Floor and Home in Crystal Lake, will be the first to open a business of this kind in McHenry County.

In the Chicago area, the trailblazer of the car condo idea is Iron Gate Motor Condos in Naperville, which has been open since 2015 and plans to add more condos this year, according to its website. It’s much larger than what’s proposed in Crystal Lake, and its website touts the condos as “exclusive auto homes” for classic, collector and exotic vehicles. The units range from mid-$300,000 to nearly $700,000, according to the site.

Another developer is working to open another car condo facility called Roost Motor Club in downtown Barrington. Meanwhile, other car condos are proposed in South Barrington, and Bespoke Motor Union is breaking ground in Gilberts.