Tower Crane Update: Centrum Hubbard and 412 North Wells

Posted on September 30, 2016 by danieldschell

Centrum Hubbard 412 North Wells tower crane

The tower crane is real. And it is spectacular.

The stump has been planted, the foundation poured and cured, and all the parts are assembled in mid-air. The tower crane at Centrum Hubbard and 412 North Wells is ready to go.

That single tower crane will erect both the 9-story office building (412 North Wells) and the 23-story, 193-unit residential tower (Centrum Hubbard) in the lot at Wells and Hubbard. Both buildings were designed by next-door neighbor Hirsch Associates. And with it now in place, it’s time for digging some foundations. Not by the tower crane though. The excavation equipment will handle that task.

Gallery I: Tuesday assembly

Gallery II: The finished crane and the foundation dig.

Atrium Village plants Fields of Gold, and it Stings so good

Posted on September 30, 2016 by danieldschell

There’s gold in them there excavations!

I don’t know quite what to make of the yellow field Onni Group has put down in its Atrium Village construction site, but I know I like it.

This is Phase One of the Atrium Village project, which will be a 31-story apartment tower designed by Hartshorne Plunkard Architects. It will have 400 rental units, ground-floor retail, and some 300+ parking spaces.

: Gratuitous tower crane shot.

Doom and destruction on North Avenue

Posted on September 30, 2016 by danieldschell

They are ripping apart a couple buildings in Old Town to make room for a new apartment development.

Crain’s had the story back in April about the two properties, 227 and 233 West North Avenue, that will be replaced by a 6-story, 60-unit rental building from JAB Real Estate. According to Crain’s, the project also includes 20 parking spots and 2,000 square feet of retail space.

https://twitter.com/thedanielschell/status/781711121527009280

For the time being, KCOM Environmental of Fort Wayne, Indiana (don’t be fooled by the address on the demolition permit. It says Chicago, but that’s a Fort Wayne address and zip code) has the task of tearing down the old structures and clearing space for the new, illustrated here with the video above, and the photos below.

: This is 233 West North Avenue, the first of the two buildings to fall.

: See?

: 227 West North Avenue will go next.

: 227 West North Avenue, looking south down North Wieland.

: Looking north up North Wieland.

: The 227 West North Avenue demolition permit.

: The 231 West North Avenue demolition permit.

: That address should be Fort Wayne, IN, not Chicago.

Another Chicago water tank has been doomed by a demolition permit

Posted on September 29, 2016 by danieldschell

The doomed tank atop 1500 North Halsted Street in Goose Island.

Wednesday, a demolition permit was filed by the City of Chicago, spelling doom for yet anther Chicago Water Tank, this one at 1500 North Halsted Street in the Goose Island neighborhood.

You’ve noticed this tank every time you’ve passed through the S-curves over North Avenue on the Brown and Purple Line trains, between the Sedgwick and Armitage stops. And if you’re living in or visiting the New City development, you’re right next door to it. But not for much longer.

Milburn LLC of Hillside, Illinois will do the dirty work of demolishing the tank.

The Demolition Permit

Riverline mega-development begins caisson work in the South Loop

Posted on September 29, 2016 by danieldschell

Caisson work for Building B at Riverline is underway at 720 South Wells.

Everything has to be massive these days. Now you know that. Granted, some of the things we’re all referring to as “massive” lately are quite large, but we’re about two days away from ruining that word.

Anyway, the quite-large Riverline development CMK Companies is building along South Wells Street, in the lot just to the north of River City condominiums, is in full caisson mode these days. Case Foundation crews are out in full force, with the usual array of tools and equipment, drilling holes into the earth that will eventually support the weight of “Building D,” as the first of five phases is affectionately known. Per the permit on file, at least.

Building D will get Riverline started with a 27-story residential tower, containing 452 units and 246 parking spaces. It’s a design by Chicago’s Perkins+Will. Lendlease is the general contractor.

Construction Update: 165 North Desplaines

Posted on September 29, 2016 by danieldschell

165 North Desplaines is still in the foundation phase. That’s 156 North Jefferson in the background.

Power Construction continues working at ground level on 165 North Desplaines. You remember 165 North Desplaines, right? Gerding Edlen is developing 199 apartments within the 14-story tower designed by GREC Architects. The existing building at the “back” of the lot, at 156 North Jefferson, is also being renovated into dwelling units as part of the project. That portion of the project has its own permits; one for renovation was filed in August.

The foundation permit for 165 North Desplaines was filed in June. We’re still waiting for the full building permit that will allow the tower to start going vertical.

Prairie Court starts going vertical in the South Loop

Posted on September 29, 2016 by danieldschell

Prairie Court won’t rise high, but it will indeed rise.

The nine buildings that comprise 55 four-story luxury townhomes of Prairie Court from Golub & Company and Sandz Development Company have started to rise from the South Loop soil. Summit Design + Build got started on the project after permits were filed back in March. The townhomes will vary in size from 2,800 to 4,500 square feet, in 3 or 4-bedroom configurations. Completion will occur in stages, with overall construction lasting about 30 months.

Construction Update: Blue Plate Catering

Posted on September 28, 2016 by danieldschell

Progress continues in the Fulton Market District on the new Blue Plate Catering facility.

Way off in the outer reaches of the Fulton Market District, Blue Plate Catering continues working on a recipe for its new facility. The caterer is leaving the current site at 1061 West Van Buren once construction has wrapped up on the three-story project that will house its corporate offices, the catering kitchen, and a commercial commissary. The design is by Jonathan Splitt Architects. 41 North Contractors of Lisle, IL is the general contractor.

Could Blue Plate be getting new neighbors just across Fulton Street? It’s already being built right next to Fulton West, and Wednesday morning, Ryan Ori of Crain’s Chicago Business reported that a new 18-story, 300-unit apartment building is proposed for 1375 West Fulton. Stay tuned. This quiet section of the far West Loop is no longer so quiet.

171 Aberdeen appeases whining blogger, plants tower crane

Posted on September 28, 2016 by danieldschell

IT’S HERE!

Apparently I am a man who can get things done. My squeaky wheels attract much grease. Something along those lines.

It was only Monday that I lamented a second tower crane permit for 171 Aberdeen, the mixed-use project in the West Loop from MCZ Development, yet still there was no tower crane to be seen. Then Tuesday, for no better reason but to appease my insatiable curiosity, I wandered by the site again, despite having been there just two days earlier. And lo and behold, what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a brand-spankin’-new stub sticking up out of the ground.

I also found the reason for the delay. That permit I told you about Monday for “RELOCATION OF CAISSONS AND GRADE BEAMS” was necessitated by a bit of miscommunication, and the new caissons were required directly underneath the new tower crane, as the original caissons were insufficient for supporting the weight of the crane. That means there are four additional caissons planted under what is now a slightly smaller crane pad than was initially planned.

A quick reminder about 171 Aberdeen before I let you enjoy a few pics of that glorious crane stub: it will have 75 luxury apartments, 15,000 square feet of retail, and 40,000 square feet of office space, and about 130 parking spots.

: Cement will be poured into the foundation Wednesday.

: See? I TOLD you that looked like a good spot for a tower crane!

Construction Update: Fulton West adds glass

Posted on September 28, 2016 by danieldschell

Fulton West, now with windows installed.

Fulton West, the nine-story, 290,00-square-foot office building from Sterling Bay, has reached another milestone in the West Loop. And since it’s also reached its full height, that means the tower crane’s days at 1330 West Fulton are numbered.

Leopardo Construction crews have been installing glass along the south facing of the part renovation, part new construction project. Designed by Gensler, the development will include 600 parking spots, plus 20,000 square feet of green space. Sterling Bay plans to have Fulton West open in Spring 2017.