Magellan Development - Chicago, Illinois

Ben P.

We have enjoyed partnering with several Magellan communities in TX and MA over the years as a supplier partner with Cobu. The Magellan team's commitment to building a strong sense of community at their lease-up properties is impressive. Building and managing residential communities is not easy; the Magellan team shows a commitment to investing in a strong resident experience.

Sandy P.

I have had such a great experience with Magellan Development! I have lived in various buildings in LSE and moved out of the neighborhood for a short period of time but came back quickly for you can't beat the awesome buildings, amenities, staff and neighbors! LSE is a gem and Magellan Development makes it all happen!

EGH

Trust the other terrible reviews you see online for this property manager. I lived at the Gallery on Wells, and it was the worst living experience I've ever had.

-Don't even tour if you care about your privacy - I was recently walking through the lobby when I overheard one of the leasing agents openly making fun of a prospect's budget to the doorman (and they were using names).
-Some floors are designated as "fur free" in leases, meaning nobody on the floor is supposed to have a pet unless it's an emotional support animal. My "fur free" floor had many pets on it, one of which was a puppy that barked incessantly (to the point where I couldn't take phone calls in my apartment). When I surfaced the issue to management, I was told that I "needed to be patient while the fur baby adjusted to its new environment." So not only did they violate their own lease terms, but they didn't address a serious noise complaint that disturbed numerous tenants for months. They’ve had the same issue on other floors, according to other tenants I’ve spoken with.
-The building is not kept up well. The apartments are outfitted with cheap appliances, floors, and finishes that break. When something breaks and you have to submit a maintenance request to have it fixed, you get charged for it after the fact without being told. I cut my foot after a piece of the floor in my apartment came up and instead of apologizing and fixing it, they charged me 28. The amenity spaces are disgusting. The building exterior is cleaned once per year, so be prepared for your windows to be so filthy you can barely see out of them.
-The property manager is rude, discriminatory, and shouldn't be in a service industry. There are other reviews on here that cite her abuse. She charges non-rent items to tenants without explanation or evidence, addresses questions with condescending and inaccurate responses, and relentlessly bullies anyone who complains.
-BEWARE of moving in or out of this building! Upon giving notice, management will send you a threatening email saying that the apartment must be “in better condition” than it was when you moved in, and then “suggest” you hire your own cleaning crew, or you’ll be charged a 40-60/hour cleaning fee (the subtext is that the building relies on tenants to make their apartments "move in ready" for the next tenants - while most "luxury" buildings would conduct their own turnover cleanings - so be prepared to move into filth). Also, insist on an in-person inspection when you move out! I did because I was worried management would try to charge me for damages I didn’t cause, and sure enough, they did it anyway. Things they're billing me for include:
(1) 590 to replace their refrigerator because they claim I dented the door.
(2) To fill in pin-sized picture hook holes, so beware of even hanging a photo in your apartment (they're charging me even though my lease explicitly states that "We will permit a reasonable number of small nail holes for hanging pictures on sheetrock walls and in grooves of wood-paneled walls, unless our rules state otherwise.").
(3) For putting my furniture legs directly on the floors, "because I should have known to put felt pads under my furniture." (nowhere in my lease does it say that I could not put furniture directly on the floors - they're charging me 8 per floor tile for this).

As a general note for move ins - inspect EVERY INCH of your unit and put EVERYTHING on paper or you will be charged upon move out, whether you caused any damage or not. During my move out inspection, we were screamed at and called liars by the assistant property manager, adding to the harassment I experienced from the property manager at this building. They also threatened to report me to credit unions even though I have no outstanding balance with them and have never been late with payments.

Do yourself a favor and choose ANY building besides a Magellan building.

Priscilla

I have had mainly positive experiences in dealing with Magellan, both when I was looking at a unit Magellan was selling in one of the buildings and then ever since I moved in. One thing that sets Magellan apart is the desire to create a community, which has occurred in Lakeshore East.

Emily B.

At Apartment List, we work with Christy. She is a great partner and always responsive! We thoroughly enjoy working with Magellan Development!

Carolyn J. J.

We have worked with the Magellan team on several properies. They are reliable and responsive. We have been very happy with this partnership.

Johanna G.

The Magellan Team is efficient and easy to work with. Great communication and super fast response time. I would highly recommend!

Pain D.

Been a while since I dealt with them, 2007, actually. Their sales office was responsible for the scam that was the Regatta in Lakeshore East. I was presold a room with assurances on how things would be developed around it. Well, that was a lie. I ultimately had a pristine view of a new building's HVAC system. They also seemed to take a casual view of soundproofing between rooms, going from high quality in the sales pitch to low quality during buildout. This was confirmed by fire inspectors I knew during construction. They also tried to force closing before the kitchen was even completed (e.g. no fridge). Ah, then there was the garage, where they opted not to seal the roof of it adequately so it was a rainstorm inside it when it rained outside. Wait, there's more! They didn't install the davits for window cleaning... we ate that cost in our condo board. Oh, and the state of the art fitness center? Yeah, they put their own offices in that location and shoved the fitness center into a near windowless closet area instead. In brief... don't buy from these guys on their word, wait until you can see and inspect whatever they do first. They cannot be trusted in my experience.