Author Archives: danieldschell

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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.

Demolition on Homer Street clears the way for Enclave Bucktown

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Enclave Bucktown

The front door is open, but I’m pretty sure Phoenix Fastener is closed.

There are 50 row homes coming to the Bucktown neighborhood in the very near future. We know this because A. There’s a website for the upcoming Enclave Bucktown, and B. the former Phoenix Fastener building at 2501 West Homer Street is being demolished to make room for it.

Designed by Pappageorge Haymes Architects, Enclave will have 49 “upscale” row homes on the 2-acre site wedged between Homer and Cortland Streets at North Campbell Avenue. The 3- and 4-bedroom homes, being developed in a joint effort by Guardian Properties with Harlem Irving Companies, have no building permits yet, but there’s a sales trailer on the Cortland side of the project, even as KLF Excavating continues to tear down the Homer Street side.

You can learn more than you’ll ever need to know about Enclave Bucktown by downloading the pdf brochure here.

 

 

Will 625 West Adams *ever* finish my tower crane?

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Last night, I put instant coffee in the microwave, and almost went back in time.” Steven Wright

I’m guessing Steven Wright was not a patient man. I, on the other hand, have unlimited patience. To a point.

Power Construction is getting a lot done on the lot at 625 West Adams Street in the West Loop. But I’ll be darned if I don’t find myself looking out the window every morning and wishing I could put an instant tower crane in the microwave. Or something. To be honest, it’s not really *my* tower crane. At all.

In the meantime, take a look at what’s been done to this point on 625 West Adams, the new SCB-designed 20-story office tower from CA Ventures and White Oak Realty.

There’s still construction to watch at River Point

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But it helps if you keep your eyes down, instead of up.

River Point

There’s a small corner of open space left above the arch.

Yes, there’s still a tiny bit of cladding left to install at the very top of the west-facing side of River Point, and there’s a construction elevator to finish removing. Then all that glass where is used to be will need to be filled in.

Of course, there’s a ton of work to be done inside River Point. But only a chosen few will get to see that process. Which leaves the rest of us to watch the plaza out in front of the tower, along the Chicago River.

Designed by The Office of James Burnett, the one-and-a-half-acre park will sit 35 feet above the river, with fantastic views of the Main and South branches.

Construction Update: Caisson work at Hubbard and Wells

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221 Hubbard 421 Wells

A CTA Purple Line trains passes construction at Hubbard and Wells.

Case Foundation is on the case at Hubbard and Wells, where Centrum Partners is developing not one, but two new buildings for River North: a 9-story office building at 412 North Wells Street, and a 23-story, 193-unit apartment tower at 221 West Hubbard Street. You can get a great view off progress by hopping a Purple or Brown Line train at Merchandise Mart and riding north.

**Better yet, get on a train at Chicago Avenue, get in the last car, ride south, and take a lap through The Loop. Back-of-the-train views are the best.)**

The two Hirsch Associates projects got foundation permits a week apart at the end of June and early July, the parking lot it used to be was immediately fenced off, and Case brought their big toys in to start drilling caissons. Once that’s all done, Linn-Mathes takes full control of the process, getting these two glass edifices off the ground and heading skyward.

Construction begins on 101-Unit Evanston TOD

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1571 Maple Evanston

This rendering from Hirsch Associates depicts 1571 Maple from the CTA tracks, looking west on Davis Street.

It’s important, when visiting Edzo’s in Evanston, to make sure the staff isn’t on vacation before jumping on a Metra train to the northern suburbs. Oh well. At least there was a construction site to check out.

Work has just started on the Hirsch Associates Architects-designed TOD Centrum Evanston. Evanston has TODs, right? Because this would certainly qualify, situated as it is at the south end of the Davis Street Metra UP-N line, and the Davis Street CTA Purple Line station. The 12-story development from Centrum Partners (Centrum and Hirsch have teamed up before, most recently on the office/residential buildings at Hubbard and Wells in River North) will have 101 apartments, and 3,100 square feet of ground-floor retail space. Novak Construction is on the build. Completion is expected in early 2017.

Byrne Flyover Update: The Halsted bridge is almost bridged

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Jane Byrne Flyover

A new section of ramp added to the east of the section just added to the west. Or something.

It was a busy weekend for McHugh Construction and the giant red Stevenson crane (we call it “Steve” around here) at the Jane Byrne Flyover. One more section of girders was added west of the Halsted Street bridge, leaving a void only the width of Halsted Street to be spanned. If you’ve got a jumping bus like Sandra Bullock drove in Speed, go ahead and see if you can shoot the gap. Otherwise, you’ll have to wait for one more weekend of work. But don’t forget, there’s no ramp to the ground on the west end of the Flyover yet, either, so check your brakes.

Demolition Update: Even Oprah’s watching the Harpo Studios demo

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https://twitter.com/Oprah/status/758416437375492096

She reached countless millions of people through the work she did here. It’s no wonder Oprah Winfrey feels the sadness of watching Harpo Studios torn to the ground.

Heneghan Wrecking has been on the job for a couple weeks now, and more of the old studio disappears every day. The portion being leveled now looks like it could have been the main studio. The sign says Studio 2. Being completely unfamiliar with the layout, I have no idea. I just know it’s television history being canceled.

An overview of Chicago’s Apple flagship store

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Apple from LondonHouse

Looking down at the Apple store construction from LondonHouse Chicago.

You didn’t need another post about the Apple flagship store being built in Pioneer Court on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. You’ve seen the concrete cutters, you’ve seen the tower crane stub. By now, you’re ready to see the actual store.

But I couldn’t help it. From the spectacular 22nd-floor lounge of the brand new LondonHouse Chicago across the river, you can get an amazing bird’s-eye view of the goings-on at Apple down below.

So here, enjoy the third update of the same construction site this week. And enjoy the view from LondonHouse. You’ll want to get up there yourself soon; it really is amazing.

Sterling Bay sampling soil at 210 North Carpenter

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210 North Carpenter

A soil sampling rig at 210 North Carpenter.

Sterling Bay has plans to develop property alongside the L tracks on Lake Street in the West Loop. Situated between Carpenter and Aberdeen Streets, Sterling Bay’s rendering of 210 North Carpenter shows a 13-story building that will practically kiss passing Pink and Green Line trains.

According to its website, Sterling Bay would like to have 210 North Carpenter ready for use late in 2017 or early 2018. And with a soil sampling rig on site this week, it’s very possible ground could be broken any day now. Of course, we still have to wait for a permit to be filed before construction can begin.

210 North Carpenter

A Sterling Bay render of 210 North Carpenter

210 North Carpenter

A Sterling Bay render of 210 North Carpenter

210 North Carpenter

210 North Carpenter

The soil sampling rig, sampling soil.

210 North Carpenter

This fancy Google Map shows the location of 210 North Carpenter.

 

Vista Tower gets a foundation permit; construction nerds settle in for the long haul

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Vista Tower

Rendering of Vista Tower from Studio Gang.

Please, stop by once in a while and make sure we’re hydrated and fed. And that our socks are dry. Because we’ll be out there for the next 4-5 years.

Yesterday, the City of Chicago issued a foundation permit for Vista Tower, the iconic 93-story condominium tower and Wanda Vista Hotel combination designed by Studio Gang and bKL Architecture. James McHugh Construction Co. has been named the general contractor for the Magellan Development Group project.

Everyone in Chicago has been on edge the last couple of weeks, waiting for work to get started at Vista. Now that we have a permit on file, don’t be surprised if they’re over there this morning getting ready for caisson work.

Vista Tower

There was a soil sampling rig on site this week. Hopefully, no negative results.

Vista Tower

Another render from Studio Gang, showing the Vista Tower from the Field Museum campus.

Vista Tower

Vista Tower, straight up. Rendering from Studio Gang.

Vista Tower

The Caisson Permit.