A steely start at The Ardus

Posted on June 12, 2017 by danieldschell

Steel on site at The Ardus in River North.

The Ardus formerly known as 676 North LaSalle Street (I’ll never stop using that joke, so don’t try to fight it) has moved past the digging-a-hole stage and has started erecting steel beams.

At eight stories, The Ardus is on the cusp of needing a tower crane, but with no permit in sight, it looks like street cranes will do the heavy lifting. That’s okay though. Construction by any other means is still worth watching.

And while new life springs from the ground to the east, on the west side of the lot, the old 676 building still looks completely gutted, as GC Method Construction prepares to renovate the structure while adding two additional stories to the top.

: For the record, I *ALWAYS* obey this sign.

Chicago’s three newest tower cranes boost total to 35

Posted on June 12, 2017 by danieldschell

Chicago’s tower crane count stands at 35 this morning, thanks to three new rigs dotting the skyline.

Aloft Chicago Mag Mile

The tower crane at 243 East Ontario Street in Streeterville isn’t quite operational yet. A delay thanks to some stubborn counterweights held up assembly on Sunday; work will continue to finish up the crane Monday. The stub had been planted back in May.

: Looks complete, but it’s not ready to lift yet.

: The counterweights are being removed.

: Stacking counterweights.

No. 508

The crane at 508 West Diversey Parkway in Lake View went up to open June.

Marlowe

Assembly of the crane at 675 North Wells Street in River North began Tuesday of last 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.

Many, many photos, as Solstice On The Park continues upward

Posted on June 9, 2017 by danieldschell

Solstice On The Park is next to a park. You get lots of views like this one.

Solstice On The Park, the 27-story high rise by storied Chicago architecture firm Studio Gang, has climbed to the 20th floor on the corner of 56th Street and Cornell Avenue in Hyde Park. Antheus Capital and Mac Properties are putting up 250 apartments in the tower, on what used to be a surface-and-underground parking deck. That lost parking will be replaced by 300 spaces in a multi-level parking deck on the north side of the development.

It’s been more than three months since I’ve checked on Linn-Mathes’ progress here, so…*lots* of photos to get you caught up.

: Yep, that’s a human up there.

Another Chicago Water tank gets permission for repairs

Posted on June 9, 2017 by danieldschell

Will repairs to the water tank at 1622 West Carroll Avenue include removing the tags?

Yesterday, we looked at the scaffolding around the water tank at the Salvation Army Thrift Store in River West. And now, news of another tank that’s being repaired instead of removed: 1622 West Carroll Avenue in West Town. The City of Chicago issued a permit for repairs on June 1.

The general contractor tasked with this unique fixer-upper is Karl Natschke Construction of Woodstock, IL. And this being a water tank, it seems appropriate to point out the plumbing contractor as well: Discovery Plumbing & Heating, of Lansing, IL. Thanks to those two contractors, and to Sassafras Enterprises, the owners of the building, for saving another Chicago Water Tank.

: 1

: Taggers have gotten to the north and south faces.

: The Permit.

Essex On The Park wraps up caisson work; sheet driving up next

Posted on June 8, 2017 by danieldschell

Time to dismantle the caisson rig and let the sheet driver get at it.

Case Foundation is done, and now it’s Stalworth Underground’s turn, as foundation work at Essex On The Park continues in the South Loop. With all the big holes drilled into the earth, up next comes the piles of sheeting stacked in the southwest corner of the site, and then Essex can get a tower crane moved in. I hope.

: There’s your sheeting, waiting to be driven into the ground. Some life, huh?

As promised, the Salvation Army water tank is under repair

Posted on June 8, 2017 by danieldschell

Repairs are underway on the Salvation Army water tank at 509 North Union Avenue.

As you may have read back in March, the water tank above the Salvation Army Thrift Store at 509 North Union Avenue in River West was issued a restoration permit. Now, scaffolding surrounds the tank as the promised repairs are underway. The work is being done by Pinnacle Development of Forest Park.

Always nice to see a water tank being saved, isn’t it?

: Pre-repairs.

: The restoration permit.

Marlowe gets its tower crane together

Posted on June 7, 2017 by danieldschell

https://twitter.com/spencertravels/status/872196158143303682

https://twitter.com/Power_Construct/status/872206953841217536

The very diligent Twitter user @spencertravels looked out the window yesterday and noticed a crane-building crane building a tower crane in River North. Power Construction was kind enough to confirm our suspicions: Marlowe is getting a tower crane.

Not even a week after Thursday’s stub planting, the rest of Marlowe’s crane started assembly Tuesday at 675 North Wells. Work continues Wednesday, and we got there just in time to see part of the jib lifted into place.

Construction Update: The Three Hiltons at McCormick Place

Posted on June 7, 2017 by danieldschell

Hilton’s first Triple-Brand Hotel begins to rise at 123 East Cermak Road in the South Loop.

There are three Hilton hotels being built into one structure down at 123 East Cermak Road in the Prairie District “sub neighborhood” of the South Loop. That’s really all you need to know, but for the sake of word count, they are the Hilton Garden Inn Chicago McCormick Center, the Hampton Inn by Hilton Chicago McCormick Center, and the Home2 Suites by Hilton Chicago McCormick Center.

Developers First Hospitality Group and Hilton are banking on McCormick Place visitors appreciating having lodging options to choose from, hence the optimal location between the convention campus and the revitalized Motor Row.

A couple sunny days, including Tuesday’s unlocked doors at the McCormick Place rooftop garden, provided perfect conditions to catch up on McHugh Construction’s progress on Antunovich Associates’ design.

: Mooncrane.

Higher and higher goes One Bennett Park

Posted on June 7, 2017 by danieldschell

One Bennett Park podium and tower, from (partially) above.

One Bennett Park, the mixed condo-and-apartment skyscraper from Related Midwest, continues its rise into the clouds above the Streeterville neighborhood. The two-crane masterpiece by Robert A.M. Stern Architects and GREC Architects is approaching the 30th floor, on its way to 69 stories and 348 units. That’s Lendlease out there getting all that work done.

Bennett Park will be a thing in its own right, but there’s just too much construction going on with the tower for the park to have started looking like a park yet. Unless you mean a place to park construction equipment and material. Then yes, it’s a park. All in good time, though: One Bennett Park isn’t expected to open until 2019.

: Sweet reflection in 500 Lake Shore Drive.

: This will be Bennett Park in the future.

Illume Chicago is sprouting out of the West Loop soil

Posted on June 7, 2017 by danieldschell

That’s a serious tower crane presiding over Illume Chicago.

It seemed Illume Chicago spent forever working on subterranean things that will never be seen again. There were caisson to drill, piles to drive, and a foundation to dig. But now there are signs of life at street level, as Norcon continues its work on the West Loop condo building. Soon, LG Development’s 10-story, 79-unit Pappageorge Haymes design will start taking shape at 111 (the reason you’ll sometimes see “111ume” spelled with three 1s) South Peoria Street.