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.

400 West Huron glasses up the joint

Posted on August 22, 2016 by danieldschell

400 West Huron has topped off in River North.

The 15-story condominium tower 400 West Huron has topped out, and is glassing up the River North neighborhood. Both developer and general contractor, Smithfield Properties is bringing 26 luxury units, with high-end finishes and private garages, which, according to the 400 West Huron website, will be “Crisp, exclusive, tight.” Crisp? Tight? Someone’s been practicing their Instagram-speak.

The Berkelhamer Architects-designed building will also include ground-floor retail space.

A visit to Anchorage: the Anchorage Museum expansion

Posted on August 21, 2016 by danieldschell

A rendering of the new wing for the Anchorage Museum, from the Davis Constructors website.

Up in the far northwest suburbs, the Anchorage Museum Association is expanding its facility at 625 C Street.

You might think someone visiting Anchorage would be out photographing bears and salmon and moose and flying over glaciers in bush planes. Well, don’t worry. I’ll get to that. But let’s talk about what I can see from the hotel first.

The museum expansion team includes the architecture firm of McCool Carlson Green Architects, and general contractor Davis Constructors. Completion is expected in September 2017.

The 24-million-dollar, 25,000-square-foot project is being fully funded by private donations. But that doesn’t mean they can’t use your help. You can still make a contribution, and they’ll even put your name on a block on the donor wall!

More Harpo Studios demolition, from ground and air

Posted on August 19, 2016 by danieldschell

https://twitter.com/SarahJindra/status/766020742823698432

You get a much better picture of the extent of demolition at Harpo Studios if you have a helicopter. Twitter user @SarahJindra of WGN-TV has one, and she put it good use Wednesday, hovering above the West Loop to grab the above shot. Sure, she probably checked on traffic and news and such, but demolition and construction is a chopper’s true calling.

Me? I stayed on the ground, conserving fuel. But I took a few shots myself:

: Not much left but the HARPO STUDIOS ghost sign.

: Are the trusses to be saved?

With demolition complete, Elevate Lincoln Park can up its game

Posted on August 19, 2016 by danieldschell

The signs are everywhere: ELEVATE Lincoln Park is coming.

There isn’t even rubble left of Lincoln Centre; just memories. Memories of an R before an E that just never looks right. Those tennis courts are gone too.

With the lots at 2518-2534 North Lincoln Avenue scraped clean, ELEVATE Lincoln Park can now begin construction. A project of Baker Development, ELEVATE Lincoln Park brings a 10-story, 200-unit rental complex, designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz, plus 16,300 square feet of retail space, to the Lincoln Park neighborhood. McHugh Construction will be the general contractor, with completion slated for October 2017.

: A rendering of ELEVATE Lincoln Park from Baker Development.

Construction Update: One Bennett Park foundations continue

Posted on August 18, 2016 by danieldschell

An eagle’s eye view of foundation work at One Bennett Park.

Instead of a series of little holes, there’s now one large crater on East Grand Avenue. That’s where Lendlease is building Related Midwest’s One Bennett Park. Don’t worry if you blinked; One Bennett park will be in production for a good long time. Its 69 stories of splendor aren’t expected to be complete until 2019.

Construction Update: The Cubs’ “Triangle” Office Building

Posted on August 18, 2016 by danieldschell

The Ernie Banks statue stands tall in front of the triangle-lot office building.

It’s not a triangle like Phil Jackson and Tex Winter brought to the Bulls’ offense. It’s the triangle that used to be the Red and Purple lots at Wrigley Field. And it’s where the Chicago Cubs are now developing a new 6-story office building that will also includes the team’s 30,000-square-foot clubhouse.

Designed by VOA Associates, the new facility is being built by Pepper Construction. Which is strange, because I could swear I’ve seen several NO PEPPER signs around Wrigley Field.

Centrum Bucktown digs a foundation at 1767 North Milwaukee

Posted on August 18, 2016 by danieldschell

Centrum Bucktown is being built at 1767 North Milwaukee Avenue.

Centrum Bucktown, another collaboration (see also: Centrum Hubbard, 412 North Wells, among others) from Centrum Partners and Hirsch Associates (Forum Studio is the architect of record), is digging foundations along the Bloomingdale Trail in Bucktown.

Centrum Bucktown will sit in the large lot at 1767 North Milwaukee Avenue, at North Leavitt Street. The site is the former home of an Aldi store, and will be again. Plans call for a 6-story building with 100 dwelling units, plus a new Aldi store at ground level. Surface parking will be provided for shoppers, while underground parking will be included for residents. Arco/Murray is the general contractor.

Another day, another tower crane. This time, it’s 3Eleven

Posted on August 17, 2016 by danieldschell

Another shiny yellow crane is shooting up through the ground in Chicago.

This one’s at 3Eleven in River North. They planted a seedling last week, and darned if that thing hasn’t thrived in the rich soil at 311 West Illinois Street. There is no physical evidence to suggest it has anything to do with being sewn right up against Assumption Catholic Church, but then again, there’s an equal amount of evidence to disprove that theory.

: Wasting no time. The stub went in the ground just last week.

: Not bad for having my eyes closed.

: Looking down…

: …and up.

: Yellow cranes building yellow cranes. And all is well.

: From the L.

: For now, it shares the view with Centrum Hubbard caisson equipment.

Demolition Update: Children’s Memorial Hospital

Posted on August 17, 2016 by danieldschell

Looking down Lincoln Avenue from Halsted Street, demolition of Children’s Memorial Hospital is hard to miss.

Demolition of the old Children’s Memorial Hospital in Lincoln Park continues at the hands of Omega Demolition crews. They set about the task of tearing the place down on June 7, and have been at it since. And will be for quite some time.

In its place will be The Lincoln Common, a venture from Hines and McCaffery Interests. Planned are two luxury apartment towers boasting 540 dwelling units, 60 low-rise condos, and over 100,000 square feet of retail space, designed by Antunovich Associates in collaboration with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.

Here’s another round of photos.

A 5-day Tower Crane event at 625 West Adams

Posted on August 16, 2016 by danieldschell

Pictured above is the crew from Central Contractors Service, calmly going about their day from the middle of the sky.

If you didn’t know by now, a tower crane was assembled at 625 West Adams over the past few days. Here now are several thousand photos showing the chronology of that process: