741 North Wells gets the tower crane started

The tower crane has been planted at 741 North Wells in River North. Expect to see full assembly starting Tuesday of next week.

Enjoying the photos? Metra and CTA rides (and Amtrak trains to Milwaukee), Zipcars, Divvy Bikes, camera lenses, domain fees, snacks & energy drinks, and comfortable walking shoes add up. You can help offset expenses by making a greatly-appreciated donation to Building Up Chicago using the form below.

Make a one-time donation

Choose an amount

¤1.00
¤3.00
¤7.41

Or enter a custom amount


Your contribution is appreciated.

Donate

As caisson work continues, 741 North Wells scores its full permit for 168 apartments in River North

No, they’re not trying to uproot the Hancock Center. They’re doing caisson work at 741 North Wells.

As caisson work digs in at 741 Northttps://www.vistaprop.com/properties/741-n-wells/h Wells in River North, the final piece of the permit puzzle has fallen into place, and Vista Property Group and Skender received the full permit to build 21 stories on Thursday.

741 North Wells will be a 178-unit apartment tower. It was designed by Antunovich Associates Architects, and according to their website, will offer a mix of 70 studios, 68 one-bedroom, and 40 two-bedroom units, with “a full complement of amenities including a rooftop terrace with pool, meeting facilities, exercise area, bicycle storage, and parking for roughly 50 vehicles.” There will also be about 9.400 square feet of street-level retail space.

Adjustable Concrete Construction is assisting Skender as the concrete contractor, while Stalworth Underground is out there drilling the caissons.

The City of Chicago issued permits for:
The full build on 8/25/2022
Caissons and foundation on 7/19/2002
The tower crane on 6/22/2022
Demo permits for 739 N Wells and 745 N Wells on 5/12/22

Enjoying the photos? Metra and CTA rides (and Amtrak trains to Milwaukee), Zipcars, Divvy Bikes, camera lenses, domain fees, snacks & energy drinks, and comfortable walking shoes add up. You can help offset expenses by making a greatly-appreciated donation to Building Up Chicago using the form below.

Make a one-time donation

Choose an amount

¤5.00
¤7.41
¤10.00

Or enter a custom amount


Your contribution is appreciated.

Donate

After delay, 311 West Huron begins caisson work

Filling a caisson at 311 West Huron

The recent concrete strike claimed 311 West Huron as a victim. But only temporarily. And with that in the past, caissons are underway, and underground.

311 West Huron is a joint venture between North Wells Capital and Urban Innovations. The 15-story building, designed by NORR, will include about 145,000 rentable square feet and have 130 indoor parking spaces.

The team out here how consists of General Contractor Arco/Murray and concrete contractor Adjustable Concrete Construction, with Stalworth Underground drilling caissons.

The full permit for 311 was issued on 6/27/2022, with the tower crane permit following on 7/20/2022.

Enjoying the photos? Metra and CTA rides (and Amtrak trains to Milwaukee), Zipcars, Divvy Bikes, camera lenses, domain fees, snacks & energy drinks, and comfortable walking shoes add up. You can help offset expenses by making a greatly-appreciated donation to Building Up Chicago using the form below.

Make a one-time donation

Choose an amount

¤3.11
¤5.00
¤10.00

Or enter a custom amount


Your contribution is appreciated.

Donate

An update on the two halves of HUGO at HUdson & ChicaGO

More photos than words from LG Group’s HUGO in River North by NORR.

Enjoying the photos? Metra and CTA rides (and Amtrak trains to Milwaukee), Zipcars, Divvy Bikes, camera lenses, domain fees, snacks & energy drinks, and comfortable walking shoes add up. You can help offset expenses by making a greatly-appreciated donation to Building Up Chicago using the form below.

Make a one-time donation

Choose an amount

¤4.11
¤7.51
¤15.00

Or enter a custom amount


Your contribution is appreciated.

Donate

HUGO begins to show above street level along Chicago Avenue

No longer two large excavation sites, HUGO is beginning to sprout like two spring flower beds in the 400-block of West Chicago Avenue. That’s all thanks to developer-slash-general contractor LG Group, whose task it is to bring this two-sided NORR design to life.

Enjoying the photos? Metra and CTA rides (and Amtrak trains to Milwaukee), Zipcars, Divvy Bikes, camera lenses, domain fees, snacks & energy drinks, and comfortable walking shoes add up. You can help offset expenses by making a greatly-appreciated donation to Building Up Chicago using the form below.

Make a one-time donation

Choose an amount

¤1.00
¤5.00
¤10.00

Or enter a custom amount


Your contribution is appreciated.

Donate

Say the word, and 311 West Huron will start tearing up the parking lot

An overhead view of 311 West Huron. (The Brown Line is my drone.)

There’s a new office building coming soon to the River North neighborhood, and equipment stands at the ready to dispense of the current surface parking lot and start construction on 311 West Huron.

311 West Huron is a joint venture between North Wells Capital and Urban Innovations. The 15-story building, designed by NORR, will include about 145,000 rentable square feet, and have 130 indoor parking spaces. Chicago Yimby has lots of details. And Crain’s reported in February that there’s already an anchor tenant lined up.

There are ground-breakers from Quality Excavation standing at the ready as we speak, with construction fencing all around the parking lot. It sure looks like they’re expecting to get started soon. Site prep and the first building permit seem imminent.

HUGO begins rising from its dual excavation sites

An active day at 411 West Chicago, the east “half” of HUGO

Foundation work is complete at River North’s HUGO residential development, and now developer-slash-general-contractor LG Group is beginning the groundwork for the two nine-story buildings designed by NORR.

The west half of this project, 751 North Hudson, got a hoist permit Wednesday; the 411 West Chicago side got one a day prior. Building permits were issued (751) July 14 and (411) August 5, 2021.

You can see photos of work at both sides of the HUGO equation below, along with the Pesky Building In The Middle (previously known as 415 West Chicago) they’ll surround.

Enjoying the photos? Metra and CTA rides (and Amtrak trains to Milwaukee), Zipcars, Divvy Bikes, camera lenses, domain fees, snacks & energy drinks, and comfortable walking shoes add up. You can help offset expenses by making a greatly-appreciated donation to Building Up Chicago using the form below.

Make a one-time donation

Choose an amount

¤1.00
¤5.00
¤10.00

Or enter a custom amount


Your contribution is appreciated.

Donate

HUGO digs a pair of foundations in River North

That is a looooooong tower crane.
The pesky 415 W Chicago via Google Streetview

What do you do when there’s a building in your way? HUGO around it.

That’s what LG Group is doing at HUGO in River North. There’s a pesky three-story structure at 415 West Chicago Avenue that LG won’t let get in the way of this dual-building development.

On the east side is 411 West Chicago. On the west side is 751 North Hudson. The two roughly-L-shaped nine-story buildings will combine for 227 apartments and 19,000 square feet of retail space. NORR is the design architect, while LG Group is doing their own build. Yep, a double-duty tower crane and a double-duty developer/GC. HUGO, LG!

Full building permits were issued for each half of HUGO: 411 West Chicago got one on 8/5/2021, and 751 North Hudson on 7/14/2021. The tower crane permit came through on 2/9/2022.

Foundation work is in progress, as evidenced the two large holes in the earth on either side of aforementioned existing structure.

Enjoying the photos? Metra and CTA rides (and Amtrak trains to Milwaukee), Zipcars, Divvy Bikes, camera lenses, domain fees, snacks & energy drinks, and comfortable walking shoes add up. You can help offset expenses by making a greatly-appreciated donation to Building Up Chicago using the form below.

Make a one-time donation

Choose an amount

¤3.00
¤5.00
¤10.00

Or enter a custom amount


Your contribution is appreciated.

Donate

Yes, of course I took more Salesforce Tower pics

An office in Salesforce Tower, and an apartment next door in Wolf Point East, is still the dream. For me, at least.

Enjoying the photos? Metra and CTA rides (and Amtrak trains to Milwaukee), Zipcars, Divvy Bikes, camera lenses, domain fees, snacks & energy drinks, and comfortable walking shoes add up. You can help offset expenses by making a greatly-appreciated contribution to Building Up Chicago.

Make a one-time donation

Choose an amount

¤3.00
¤5.00
¤10.00

Or enter a custom amount


Your contribution is appreciated.

Donate

A Salesforce Tower over(mostly)view

This past weekend, Open House Chicago gave the public access to the 55th floor of 110 North Wacker. That’s a vantage point most of us rarely see without ponying up the dough to visit an observation deck.

Very few of you will be surprised to learn I took advantage of that vantage by snapping a ton of pics of Salesforce Tower. (I took a few from the ground too.) Hey you go.