A total of 333 condo homes, launching through Hamilton Osborne King in Dublin on the 5 and 6 May, will have uninterrupted views of the lake and are built on the site of the former Lexington Hotel. It was from the original building that infamous Ma"a godfather Al Capone spread havoc across Chicago during the prohibition and also hatched the plans for the St Valentine's Day Massacre. Chicago is also where visitors can still regularly hear some of the best jazz and blues legends that the city has produced.

The new development of condo residences takes its name, Lexington Park, from the hotel and prices start from 175,650 and rise to 543,560 for a prime penthouse.

It will have 18,000 sq ft of ground-floor retail space, while the development is within walking distance of Millennium Park, the lakeshore walks of Lake Michigan and two blocks from the L train over-ground transport system, which is 5 minutes from downtown Chicago. The development is in the South Loop of the city which has 98% occupancy levels on rental accommodation.

Ger O'Rourke, president and owner of Chieftain Construction Ltd, says the company had been seeking to build in a suitable location in the United States for the past four years.

"We originally looked in New York and Boston but property prices there have climbed so much that appreciation capacity was more limited. With both strong employment and economic growth, we are con"dent that there is major appreciation potential and inherent value in Chicago."