Chicago Developer Daniel Levin has Died at 94

Chicago developer Daniel Levin, founder of the Habitat Company and creator of the iconic East Bank Club, has died. He was 94.

Levin died in his Winnetka home on Sunday, Crain’s reported. Levin left a legacy of transformative real estate developments that included Presidential Towers, Newberry Plaza and South Commons.

201 East Chestnut Street and 400 East Randolph Street (Google Maps)

Habitat’s holdings span 17,000 rental units, including apartments at 201 East Chestnut Street and 400 East Randolph Street. During his time with the company, Levin directed the financing, structuring and equity of nearly 25,000 rental and condo units in 98 locations.

“Mr. Levin’s unwavering commitment to integrity, excellence, and innovation inspired everyone who had the privilege of knowing him,” Habitat said in a statement following his death.

“His legacy lives on in the communities we serve, the relationships he fostered, and the values he instilled. While we mourn his loss, we honor his memory by continuing the mission he began, building on the strong foundation he created.”

Under Levin’s leadership, the company became one of the Midwest’s largest development and property management companies with operations in Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit, Ann Arbor and Tampa.

In the late 1980s, Levin and his company were appointed receivers of the Chicago Housing Authority Scattered Site housing development program. The appointment involved managing efforts to revitalize public housing across the city.

His involvement in the creation of the East Bank Club in 1980 emerged as one of his standout achievements.

The 350,000-square-foot fitness club, which began with 3,400 wealthy members, became a cultural landmark, eventually attracting 11,000 members and generating $65 million in annual revenue before the pandemic. The club’s success helped shape the modern health club industry, making it a model for high-end fitness centers.

Levin started his career as a lawyer, representing Herbert Greenwald’s firm and eventually becoming its in-house counsel. After Greenwald died in a plane crash in 1959, Levin pivoted to real estate development, forming McHugh Levin Associates. The firm focused on projects that combined affordable housing, senior living and retail, with the 28-acre South Commons renewal site in Bronzeville serving as a prototype for Habitat.

However, not all his ventures were without setbacks. Presidential Towers faced financial difficulties in the 1980s and drew criticism over tax-exempt financing issues. The project was later rescued with a $14 million investment by the Pritzker family.

Levin is survived by his wife, Fay Hartog-Levin, a lawyer and ambassador to the Netherlands during the Obama administration, as well as two children and multiple grandchildren.

— Andrew Terrell