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.

Under the last tower crane standing at Big Deahl, 1475 North Kingsbury trends upward

Posted on August 26, 2022 by danieldschell

The pretty, lighted tower crane at 853 West Blackhawk is gone, but one remains standing at 1475 North Kingsbury, where Power Construction continues erecting a FitzGerald-designed tower for Structured Development, White Oak Realty Partners, and Ponsky Capital Partners.

1475 North Kingsbury will be a 27-story building, with 327 rental apartments, atop a three-level parking podium. Amenities will include a rooftop pool with a view of the Chicago skyline.

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.

After delay, 311 West Huron begins caisson work

Posted on August 26, 2022 by danieldschell

The recent concrete strike claimed 311 West Huron as a victim. But only temporarily. And with that in the past, caissons are underway, and underground.

311 West Huron is a joint venture between North Wells Capital and Urban Innovations. The 15-story building, designed by NORR, will include about 145,000 rentable square feet and have 130 indoor parking spaces.

The team out here how consists of General Contractor Arco/Murray and concrete contractor Adjustable Concrete Construction, with Stalworth Underground drilling caissons.

The full permit for 311 was issued on 6/27/2022, with the tower crane permit following on 7/20/2022.

First-hand proof: There’s glass on 900 Randolph

Posted on August 25, 2022 by danieldschell

I missed the first few pieces of glazing at 900 Randolph by one day last week. Luckily when I went back over Wednesday, it was still there. This is what I saw with my own eyes and lens:

Going up, and going, going, gone — 920 and 868 North Wells at North Union

Posted on August 24, 2022 by danieldschell

868 North Wells has been reduced to rubble, while 920 North Wells has produced up to the fifth-floor slab, at JDL Development’s sprawling North Union project.

Here are the pics from last week (they could well be on the sixth floor by now):

1400 South Wabash hits the teens in Chicago’s South Loop

Posted on August 24, 2022 by danieldschell

I haven’t posted an update at 1400 South Wabash since May? That’s barely tolerable, if not entirely unacceptable. Let’s fix that now, as there’s been a lot of progress by Lendlease and Pepper Construction here. Looks like they’ve reached level 14-ish.

Some reminders:
Developer – CMK Companies
Design Architect – Pappageorge Haymes Partners
General Contractor – Lendlease
Concrete Contractor – Pepper Construction
30 stories
299 apartments
155 parking spaces
3,300 square feet of ground-level retail space
Scheduled opening – early 2023
Quirky-but-true fact – Green and Orange line trains practically run right through the parking deck

Catching up to 160 North Morgan

Posted on August 23, 2022 by danieldschell

In today’s episode of I Know I Have More Pictures Of That Construction Site Somewhere, a far-too-regular series in which I take photos and then neglect to post them, we’re taking a look at progress on 160 North Morgan.

160 North Morgan is a bKL-Architecture-designed apartment tower being developed by Sterling Bay. Walsh Construction is the general contractor here, tasked with erecting 30 stories, 282 units, 89 parking spaces and 2,657 square feet of retail space.

We last brought you up to speed here on June 6. Since then, we’ve stopped by and stared at Walsh at work June 23, July 27, and August 17. Here, in most-recent-first order, are some shots from those visits:

732 West Randolph eases its way into a tiny West Loop footprint

Posted on August 23, 2022 by danieldschell

732 West Randolph has begun climbing on the smallest tower-crane-enabled construction site in Chicago. The postage-stamp sized lot will soon hold a new eight-story boutique office building with 56,000 rentable square feet of working space. General contractor Maris Construction and concrete contractor Pepper Construction were working on the fourth level last week. Designed by Hirsch MPG, 732 West Randolph will connect on its first six floors with 730 West Randolph next door, and will include a rooftop deck and basement fitness center.

360 North Green digs in to Fulton Market

Posted on August 22, 2022 by danieldschell

A rendering of Sterling Bay’s 360 North Green

Back off.

That’s what you need to do sometimes. Let me explain.

Ever since Sterling Bay started tearing up the surface parking lot at Green and Kinzie Streets in the Fulton Market District, I’ve been trying to get up close enough to get a good view of what’s going on. But fences, my own personal lack of elevation, and a deep sense pf respect for the working man’s personal space hasn’t allowed for much spectatorship. So I backed off. And voila! An excellent view.

Sterling Bay and Power Construction are building 360 North Green here, a 24-story, 500,000-square-foot office tower designed by Gensler. Scheduled for completion in 2024, the building will include 5,400 square feet of retail space at ground level, parking for 92 cars on the second and third floors, a fourth-floor amenity suite including 5,000 square feet of outdoor space, a fitness studio, lounge, game room, and bar. Geez, I want to live here.

From Sterling Bay’s digital brochure, a rendering of the fourth-floor outdoor space. Wow.

Mostly from a distance, here are some caisson progress shots, as Power and Stalworth Underground get started on 360 North Green, taken August 17. Thank you, Halsted Street.

Embry rises above street level at 21 North May

Posted on August 22, 2022 by danieldschell

Embry, the 15-story, 58-unit condo building from Sulo Development, has begun its rise in the West Loop, adjacent to its sister development from Sulo, Hayden West Loop. Designed by Lamar Johnson Collaborative, and being built by McHugh Construction (and Concrete), Embry will include a sweet suite of amenities for condo owners, including a gym, and dog walk and spa, an outdoor terrace, and chef’s kitchen. Sulo plans to have units move-in ready in Spring 2023.

The following two galleries (bonus!) of photos were taken August 17 and July 29, respectively. Amazing what progress has been made coming up out of the excavation in just three weeks.

Progress update: The 808 Cleveland, topped out and soon-to-be sans tower crane

Posted on August 22, 2022 by danieldschell

DAC Developments’ The 808 Cleveland (808 North Cleveland Ave) topped out last month, putting another Chicago tower crane in danger of coming down in August.

The 22-story, 200-unit apartment tower by Pappageorge Haymes Partners is almost as glassy as it is tall, with just five levels of glazing remaining to be installed. That’s Focus‘s handiwork on the build.

The project team plans to have The 808 open for renters in Spring 2023, while also leasing about 28,000 square feet of retail and office space.

The following gallery was taken August 17, with a few photos from July 29 thrown in for good measure. Because I couldn’t bear to leave out a couple I took from Division Street and Halsted.