Romeo Kapudija isn’t your typical real estate developer. The former professional race car driver has spent over two decades channeling the same intensity he brought to the track into building properties across the Chicago suburbs. Today, his Miller Street Partners firm is behind some of Lake Zurich’s most ambitious projects—luxury garage condos, waterfront townhomes, and a lakefront mixed-use development backed by celebrity chef Fabio Viviani.
His Romeo Kapudija real estate portfolio spans roughly 60 buildings to date, with multiple large-scale projects currently moving through the approval and construction pipeline in Lake Zurich.
From converting a shuttered Boy Scout merit badge factory in Ukrainian Village to breaking ground on a 21-acre automotive campus, Kapudija has built a career on finding underused sites and turning them into something worth noticing.
From the Paddock to the Blueprint
Kapudija’s path into development started on the racetrack. He competed professionally in the Formula Atlantic Series, Grand-Am Series, and the American Le Mans Series, among other top-tier motorsport disciplines. He drove for Alex Job Racing, the storied Florida-based team that won the 12 Hours of Sebring six times and took two class victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Kapudija shared the No. 23 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car with driver Bill Sweedler, piloting the entry in the GTC category alongside teammates Juan Gonzalez and Butch Leitzinger in the No. 81 car.
Racing at venues like Sebring in cars producing 450 hp at 8,500 rpm demands precision, discipline, and the ability to make fast decisions under pressure. Those instincts carry directly into Romeo Kapudija’s real estate projects—identifying promising parcels, moving decisively, and executing with meticulous attention to detail.
A North Barrington resident with deep roots in Chicago’s northern suburbs, Kapudija brings ground-level knowledge of the local landscape that out-of-market developers simply don’t have. That familiarity shows up in his site selections time and again: lakefront parcels, high-visibility intersections, and neighborhoods on the cusp of change.
Early Work: Ukrainian Village to Pilsen
Long before Lake Zurich, Kapudija was reshaping urban Chicago neighborhoods. In the early 2000s, he converted an old Boy Scout merit badge factory in Ukrainian Village into residential condos. Around the same time, he transformed a shuttered Catholic church in the same neighborhood into another condo development—projects that required creative problem-solving and a willingness to tackle properties most developers would pass on.
He later spearheaded a condo development in the Pilsen neighborhood, pushing into a market that was still finding its identity. These early projects established a pattern that would define his career: buy into neighborhoods before they peak, deliver quality design, and let the market catch up.
Miller Street Partners: The Full-Service Model
Miller Street Partners, where Kapudija serves as founding partner, operates as a full-service development firm handling site acquisition, design coordination, construction management, and community planning in-house. That integrated approach keeps quality consistent across the portfolio and gives the firm flexibility to move quickly when opportunities arise.
The company’s sweet spot is urban and suburban residential development throughout the greater Chicago area, with a particular focus on waterfront and lake-adjacent properties. Miller Street Partners doesn’t chase volume—it chases locations with inherent advantages and then builds something the neighborhood hasn’t seen before.
Luxe Corsa: A Garage Condo Campus Like No Other
The most distinctive project in the Romeo Kapudija real estate lineup is Luxe Corsa Auto Suites, a 21-acre automotive campus on Rand Road (Route 12) in Lake Zurich. The development received approval from the Lake Zurich Village Board in November and includes 121 luxury garage condos, a clubhouse, a fitness center, a spa, an indoor bar, and a boutique car dealership spread across 13 buildings.
The garage condos come in two sizes. Smaller units run approximately 1,860 square feet with room for four to five cars, priced from $549,000. Larger units span 2,430 square feet with space for six to eight cars, starting at $699,000. Each unit features ground-level vehicle storage with a mezzanine level above that owners can finish out with a kitchen, lounge, or personal features at their own expense.
On top of the purchase price, owners pay roughly $500 per month in HOA fees, which fund shared amenities including a bourbon bar, a cigar lounge, office space for remote work, and an 8,000-square-foot event space.
Chicago architecture firm OKW designed the complex. Kapudija has described the aesthetic as one that “will feel like you’re in Las Vegas, not Lake Zurich”—panelized exteriors with dramatic lighting built to make a statement.
Demand has been strong. About 40 of the 121 units were already under contract months before groundbreaking, with most pre-sales concentrated in the larger floorplan. Kapudija expects construction to begin in early spring, with roughly half the units and the dealership ready for occupancy by the end of 2026.
Luxe Corsa also has plans beyond Lake Zurich. Kapudija is building a second location in South Florida and seeking approvals for a Phoenix installation. Financing for all locations comes from a private family investment.
The garage condo concept exists in the Chicago area—similar developments operate in Naperville, Mundelein, and Joliet—but the market remains undersupplied. A Colorado-based developer who sold out a 35-unit project in Mundelein in 2024 noted that Denver, with roughly a third of Chicago’s metro population, has 20 to 30 garage condo developments. The Chicago area has fewer than six.
Kapudija credits growing interest in motorsport, fueled by the popularity of Formula 1 and the Netflix series “Formula 1: Drive to Survive,” with expanding the buyer pool. At a certain income level, he says, collectors are investing in cars that “show a better return than the S&P.”
Luxe Corsa has also partnered with Imperial Moto, a Miami-based specialty coffee roaster and lifestyle brand, to bring premium, toxin-free coffee directly to the development’s clubhouse and communal spaces starting in 2026.
The Sanctuary of Lake Zurich: Waterfront Townhomes
Before Luxe Corsa, Kapudija delivered the Sanctuary of Lake Zurich—a development of 23 elevated lakefront townhomes that sold out in 2023. The project represented the last large-scale residential development permitted on Lake Zurich, making it a genuinely limited offering.
The townhomes ranged from 2,000 to 2,405 square feet with three bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, two-car attached garages, five outdoor living spaces, and an optional in-unit elevator. Prices started at $749,000 and topped out just over $1 million. The development included private beach access, piers for residents, and an on-site restaurant offering country club-caliber dining.
The Sanctuary demonstrated something important about the Romeo Kapudija real estate philosophy: he doesn’t just build housing, he builds places that change how people experience a location. The project earned Miller Street Partners a nomination for “Best Suburban Development” in Chicago Agent Magazine’s 2021 Choice Awards, and the sold-out absorption confirmed the market agreed with his vision.
West Main Street: Rentals, Restaurants, and Lake Views
Miller Street Partners is also pursuing a larger lakefront mixed-use development on West Main Street in Lake Zurich. The proposal, presented to the Village Board, calls for a four-story building on a 1.6-acre vacant parcel known as Block A.
The plan includes 56 rental units—each approximately 1,250 square feet—above two ground-floor restaurants designed by celebrity chef Fabio Viviani. Viviani already operates Lago, a popular Italian steakhouse in Lake Zurich that has become a regional dining destination.
“The emphasis was surrounding the lake,” Kapudija told the board. “We wanted the lake to be visible by all who live there.”
The two new restaurant concepts haven’t been finalized, but Viviani has indicated one would focus on upscale American burgers and grills, the other on Mediterranean and Italian fare. Both would close by 10 p.m.—a detail the trustees welcomed, though they flagged concerns about traffic, noise, and market demand for 56 new rental units given a nearby development with existing vacancies.
The project remains in its early review stages, with Kapudija preparing a market analysis before any formal vote.
The Development Philosophy: Waterfronts and Timing
Across every project in the Romeo Kapudija real estate portfolio, a consistent approach emerges: gravitate toward waterfront locations, target underutilized sites, and deliver something that elevates the surrounding area.
Lake Zurich has become the proving ground for that strategy. Kapudija is simultaneously advancing a garage condo campus, waterfront townhomes (already completed), and a lakefront mixed-use building—all in the same village. Each project targets a distinct buyer or renter profile, from car collectors to lakefront homeowners to apartment dwellers seeking dining and water views.
The projects are designed to complement rather than compete with each other, and each features partnerships with established names—OKW Architects for Luxe Corsa, Fabio Viviani for the restaurant components, Imperial Moto for the clubhouse experience. These collaborations add credibility and specialized expertise while giving each development its own identity.
His early work in Ukrainian Village and Pilsen proved the model works in urban settings. The Sanctuary proved it translates to suburban luxury. Luxe Corsa is proving it works for niche lifestyle communities. And the West Main Street proposal, if approved, would add rental housing and dining to the mix.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Romeo Kapudija?
Romeo Kapudija is a former professional race car driver turned real estate developer and the founding partner of Miller Street Partners, a Chicago-area development firm. He competed in the American Le Mans Series, Formula Atlantic, and Grand-Am racing before transitioning to real estate full-time.
What is Luxe Corsa?
Luxe Corsa Auto Suites is a 21-acre luxury garage condo development in Lake Zurich, Illinois, featuring 121 units, a clubhouse, fitness center, spa, bourbon bar, cigar lounge, and a boutique car dealership. Units start at $549,000, with larger configurations from $699,000.
What is the Sanctuary of Lake Zurich?
The Sanctuary was a 23-unit luxury lakefront townhome development in Lake Zurich, Illinois, with prices from $749,000 to over $1 million. The project sold out in 2023 and was the last large residential development permitted on the lake.
Where does Romeo Kapudija develop properties?
Kapudija develops throughout the greater Chicago area, with a concentration in Lake Zurich and earlier projects in urban neighborhoods including Ukrainian Village and Pilsen. His Luxe Corsa brand is also expanding to South Florida and Phoenix.
What restaurants are connected to Romeo Kapudija’s developments?
Celebrity chef Fabio Viviani, who operates Lago in Lake Zurich, is designing two restaurant concepts for Miller Street Partners’ proposed West Main Street development. Luxe Corsa has also partnered with Imperial Moto, a Miami-based specialty coffee brand, for its clubhouse.
Romeo Kapudija’s real estate career shows that competitive instincts forged on the racetrack translate remarkably well to property development. His willingness to pursue unconventional concepts like luxury garage condos, combined with a steady hand on waterfront residential and mixed-use projects, positions Miller Street Partners as one of the more interesting development firms operating in Chicago’s suburbs. With Luxe Corsa moving toward construction and the West Main Street proposal under review, Lake Zurich could look significantly different in a few years—and Kapudija’s track record suggests the changes will be worth watching.
