About danieldschell

I'm Daniel Schell, Chicagoan, Twitter fiend, and picture taker. I like sunsets, travel, and long walks through construction sites. If you build it, I will come.

Aloft Chicago Mag Mile keeps digging while we wait for a tower crane

Posted on May 3, 2017 by danieldschell

Stalworth Underground drives piles into the Streeterville sand, as foundation work for the Aloft Chicago Mag Mile continues.

The tower crane was permitted for the Aloft Chicago Mag Mile on March 31, but we’ll have to continue to be patient. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot going on where the newest Streeterville hotel will be planted. You see, there are still piles to drive and sand to dig. LOTS of sand.

I still can’t get my head around the idea that much of Chicago as I know it was beach. But start digging, and you’ll find it. They’ve certainly found it at 243 East Ontario. I bet sand is easier to drive piles through than rock, though. But you’ll have to check with Stalworth Underground about that.

As you may recall, Tishman is building the 18-story, 336-room Aloft Chicago Mag Mile here, designed by Valerio Dewalt Train Associates.

: Taylor Excavating is still on the dig.

Caisson work is underway at Nobu Hotel. For real this time

Posted on May 3, 2017 by danieldschell

You can’t tell me that ain’t a big ole caisson rig, and it’s hard at work at the Nobu Hotel.

This time I’m certain. A caisson rig used for drilling caissons is drilling caissons at the Nobu Hotel site in the West Loop. It’s not a “quad sheet press,” like the one I misidentified back in March. Nope, this is for real. There’s a big red Revcon rig, digging holes. Plus, there are all those augers and, you know, caisson equipment.

The Nobu Hotel is coming to the Fulton Market neighborhood courtesy of Nobu Hospitality. The 11-story, 119-room hotel features designs by Modif Architecture and Studio K. Centaur Construction of West Lake Street is the general contractor. (The Big Green W will be here doing masonry work.)

Your (my) new Chicago Tower Crane count stands at 33

Posted on May 1, 2017 by danieldschell

Forgotten tower crane at the DePaul School of Music

The conversation with myself went something like this, as I stood on the Fullerton CTA platform Monday morning, waiting for a Brown Line train:

Me: “I’m kinda surprised the tower crane at the DePaul School of Music is still there.”

Also me: “The Depaul School of Music! I forgot the DePaul School of Music!”

So there’s one tower crane I’d forgotten to include. That brings the current (as far as I know) active count to 33. Generally moving north to south, they are:

Eight Eleven Uptown (811 W Agatite)
Hotel Zachary (3630 N Clark)
Addison & Clark (1025 W Addison)
Elevate Lincoln Park (930 W Altgeld)
DePaul School of Music (2330 N Halsted)\
Atrium Village (1140 N Wells)
Wicker Park Connection (1640 W Division)
No. 9 Walton (9 W Walton)
Simpson Querrey Center N (303 E Superior)
Simpson Querrey Center S (303 E Superior)
One Bennett Park E (451 E Grand)
One Bennett Park W (452 E Grand)
465 North Park (465 North Park)
Apple Store (401 N Michigan)
8 E Huron (8 E Huron)
Hubbard221 (221 W Hubbard)
3Eleven (311 W Illinois)
Vista Tower E (401 E Wacker)
Vista Tower W (363 E Wacker)
171 Aberdeen (171 N Aberdeen)
McDonald’s HQ W (110 N Carpenter)
McDonald’s HQ E (110 N Carpenter)
Illume Chicago (111 S Peoria)
625 West Adams (625 W Adams)
Landmark West Loop (1035 W Van Buren)
Ancora at Riverline (720 S Wells)
Alta Roosevelt (801 S Financial)
1101 South Wabash (1101 S Wabash)
1136 South Wabash (1136 S Wabash)
One Grant Park (1200 S Indiana)
1411 South Michigan (1411 S Michigan)
Three Hiltons (123 E Cermak)
Solstice On The Park (1616 E 56th)

At last sightings, we still had stubs in the ground at the Cook County Central Campus Health Center (1950 W Polk), and One South Halsted. There are tower crane permits for 4 properties that haven’t been planted yet:

Aloft Hotel (243 E Ontario)
Nobu (854 W Randolph)
Essex On The Park (808 S Michigan)
No. 508 (508 W Diversey)

Reilly gives Dana Hotel the business, while blocking business expansion

Posted on May 1, 2017 by danieldschell

Rendering of the proposed Erie Street Hotel from 42nd Ward office.

What Alderman Reilly’s email did to the proposed Erie Street Hotel. Basically.

It’s not often a building gets torn down before it’s even approved.

It case you missed the news (Crain’s nails it here) 42nd Ward Alderman Brendan Reilly crushed the Dana Hotel’s dream of expanding its current operation Friday afternoon in an email that left no doubt as to where the alderman stands on the proposal.

In laying the smackdown on the “Erie Street Hotel” and the buildings along Erie Street it would have demolished in the process, Reilly instead demolished the hotel itself, stating that feedback from surrounding neighbors paints the Dana as a bad neighbor, creating traffic problems, noise problems, idling-truck-pollution problems, you name it.

But there’s a sliver of hope.

(1) Spend the next 12 months working to improve operations: (a) acknowledge (rather than deny) & address chronic quality-of-life complaints about the Dana Hotel; (b) improve neighbor relations with permanent removal of nightclub/dance operations; and (c) better manage curbside loading/double parking/traffic flow issues stemming from Valet, Taxicab, UBER, Party Buses and Trolley conflicts.

(2) Forgo a Planned Development and determine what can be developed under existing development entitlements and zoning limitations that apply to a DX-5.

Yep. If the Dana Hotel figures out a way to be good neighbors, and can work out a plan to development without changes to current zoning, the alderman just might reconsider the expansion come 2018.

You can view the email in its entirety here

Take a walk around McDonald’s

Posted on May 1, 2017 by danieldschell

The view from the B.U.C. HQ is still somewhat limited, until McDonald’s rises a few more floors.

If you live in a West Loop condo with a nice balcony (or a drone), you might just have a great view of construction from above the new McDonald’s Headquarters. For the rest of us, circling the block bounded by Randolph, Carpenter, Washington, and Aberdeen is the only way to get a good look at proceedings. So that’s what I did.

As Hubbard221 nears the top, 412 North Wells rises to the L

Posted on April 29, 2017 by danieldschell

You can get a train’s-eye view of 412 North Wells right now by taking a relaxing Brown Line ride from the Merchandise Mart up to the Chicago Ave stop. Linn-Mathes is pushing the 9-story office building skyward, now that the residential tower next door, Hubbard221, is nearly topped out. (Is that 22 stories I count?)

Hubbard221 is the 193-unit apartment tower from developer Centrum Partners and designer Hirsch Associates Architects, the team that just saw a tower crane rise on their Wicker Park Connection property. As for this tower crane, it now has double duty to pull, as it tops off the taller tower while beginning to stretch the smaller structure vertically.

: A play on words, with numbers.

Another Flag, Another Tank, Another Crane, for another Friday

Posted on April 28, 2017 by danieldschell

Revisiting a very busy section of the West Loop.

In the foreground, the tower crane at the McDonald’s Headquarters site. To the left, a full view of the tower crane at 171 Aberdeen.

The banner yet waving is atop Venue One.

The water tank belongs to 1035 West Lake Street.

Have a great weekend, construction nerds!

Alta Roosevelt nears the top

Posted on April 28, 2017 by danieldschell

Alta Roosevelt cuts an imposing figure in the South Loop.

If you walk through the South Loop this weekend, stop by Alta Roosevelt at 801 South Financial Place and tell me if you think that is one tall tower. Spoiler Alert: It is. And here’s why: Walsh Construction has stacked a whole bunch of floors atop other floors.

I waited around long enough this week for Alta Roosevelt herself to start whispering secrets, and she tells me the 27th floor of the tower has been poured. She also said structural pours for the garage are complete after recently doing the last deck. She is quite proud of accomplishing that feat.

A reminder to you that Alta Roosevelt is a development from Wood Partners, and a design by Pappageorge Haymes Partners. bringing 496 new apartments to the neighborhood where Financial Place and Polk Street meet, one small block east of South Wells. While there’s no immediate danger of losing its pretty yellow tower crane, topping out is likely by early June.

More staring at the rebar jungle that is One Grant Park

Posted on April 27, 2017 by danieldschell

Can I hang out down there, if I promise to be reaaaalllly careful?

One Grant Park looks like a playground. It isn’t, of course. Unless you’re skilled laborers paid to work there, and then I bet it’s all-day fun.

For now, One Grant Park is still seeing most of its action below street level. There are tunnels and rings of rebar running throughout the site, like a corn maze on an Iowa farm, minus the tractor rides and hay bales. It’s cool enough to stand around and watch, that maybe McHugh Construction will put a gift shop at the exit. Some hot apple cider and a scale model of Rafael Viñoly Architects‘ tower would make nice Christmas gifts, no?

: Included this one for the skyline view, tbh.

: Only a down ladder. None to get back up.

Quick Look: The Wicker Park Connection tower crane is up

Posted on April 27, 2017 by danieldschell

The finished tower crane over the Wicker Park Connection, Monday evening.

It got started over the weekend, and by Monday evening it was completed. The Wicker Park Connection can begin going vertical, now that there’s a tower crane on site. We watched most of the erecting from the B.U.C. HQ, but a well-timed going-away dinner (Bon Voyage, Steve!) on Division Street meant a good look at the new kid on that block.