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.

1020 West Randolph has topped out in Chicago’s West Loop

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The W.E. O’Neil drone (top left) and I at 1020 West Randolph last week.

W.E. O’Neil announced last week they have topped out 1020 West Randolph, the five-story boutique office building in the West Loop. Developed by L3 Capital and RL Edward Partners, and designed by Hartshorne Plunkard Architects, 1020 West Randolph will include 23,000 square feet of office space and 5,000 square feet of retail space. By the looks of the rooftop terrace rendering, I’m going to need to finesse an invite up there once the space is open.

I last (and first) posted about 1020 back in April. And I would understand if you’d assumed I hadn’t stopped by since. But I have, and I humbly apologize to the 1020 West Randolph team for letting photos grow stale on my laptop. So I’ll post them all now, from the old bank building that was demolished, to a visit last week when a drone and I (*a* drone, not *my* drone) were around to see the structure rise to full height. But with newer photos first.

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.

An update on the two halves of HUGO at HUdson & ChicaGO

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More photos than words from LG Group’s HUGO in River North by NORR.

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.

1044 West Van Buren upgrades to First Glass

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Level 4 gets glass at 1044 West Van Buren

Glazing puns. Ya gotta love ’em.

It’s been a big week for glass on new construction. 1044 West Van Buren is one of those getting in on the fun.

Tandem was busy Wednesday installing windows on the first level above the podium of the Antunovich Associates-designed tower.

Ghost sign

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.

The lowdown on the down-low glazing at 1000M

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Glass at ground level on 1000M

I haven’t been playing the construction game for long, so maybe things I see that surprise me aren’t really all that unusual. But I’ll be darned if I can recall ever seeing a highrise get its first panes of glass on the first floor.

That’s exactly what we’ve got at Helmut Jahn’s 1000M (1000 S Michigan Ave.) If I hadn’t been expecting to see it (thanks to a Linkedin post) I might have missed it, since my eyes generally look up as these towers start their skyward climbs. But the glass is indeed there, along the east façade. You might need to peek over the fence to see it.

And now, a photographic progress update of McHugh & McHugh’s work (thanks for positioning the tower crane so I could get the mooncrane shot):

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.

900 Randolph still doesn’t have gla—-hold that thought

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900 Randolph, the 43-story, 300-unit apartment tower from Related Companies and Morris Adjmi Architects, has grown pretty tall out in the West Loop. I’m told crews were pouring concrete on level 37 when I stopped by Wednesday. I was also told to expect topping out early in early October, along with a pleading “we’re hoping the windows arrive by then.” Supply chain delays. Not at all unusual these days.

But Thursday came the above tweet from Twitter user @MrFernGully2U, who captured the first few pieces of glass on the exterior. One day. I got there one day too early. But thanks to the Fern Gully for looking up, and looking out for us.

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.

166 North Aberdeen hits the Construction Trifecta: It’s topped out, glassy, and renamed. Hello One Six Six

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One Six Six Chicago in the West Loop

166 North Aberdeen used to be on the rise, glassless, and 166 North Aberdeen. You can forget all of that.

One Six Six is now topped out, and the first couple levels above the podium are glazed. Those are all big milestones for the 21-story, 224-unit apartment tower from MCZ Development and Greystar. (The tower topped out two weeks or so ago.) Congratulations are in order for the construction team of Lendlease (GC) and Pepper Construction (concrete) and design architect Solomon Cordwell Buenz.

How that topping out has been achieved, crews need to get the rest of the exterior glazed and the interior ready for One Six Six’s anticipated Fall Opening.

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.

As caissons continue, 210 North Aberdeen scores its superstructure permit

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Caissons are poured at 210 North Aberdeen

LG Group’s 210 North Aberdeen scored another building permit this week, adding the foundation & and superstructure permit to the caisson permit issued July 5. That means Power Construction (with McHugh Concrete on masonry duty) can continue work up to the 3rd floor, with the full-build permit expected soon.

When complete, the NORR-designed tower will deliver 363 apartments across its 19 stories, while connecting to the Arthur Harris building under renovation. A restoration permit was issued for that portion of the project (216 N Aberdeen) on July 17.

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.

920 North Wells rises above street level as demolition continues for North Union next door

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The North Union megadevelopment from JDL Development is now evidenced in two locations. 920 North Wells, the first building to get started, has risen above street level. At 868 North Wells one block to the south, demolition is underway to clear space for another residential tower. 868 will be a 25-story building with 428 units and 12,000 square feet of retail space.

The most fun thing about this is you get two galleries; one for 920 construction by Power Construction, and one for 868 demolition by Atlas Industries. It’s like getting extra free stuff with the free stuff you already got.

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.

Common Lincoln Park has topped out at Big Deahl

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The topped -out Common Lincoln Park, with the 1475 N Kingsbury tower crane behind it.

In more topping out news, word comes this week that Common Lincoln Park, part of the Big Deahl Phase II development at 853 W Blackhawk, has topped out. Phase II kinda sorta came in two phases itself, with The Seng, a five-story condo building at 869 West Blackhawk, and Common Lincoln Park, a 10-story apartment tower at 853 West Blackhawk, getting started first, followed soon thereafter by 1475 North Kingsbury.

The following gallery shows Power Construction’s progress on The Seng and Common Lincoln Park. We’ll get to 1475 in another post. Hopefully.

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.

160 North Elizabeth renders Chicago’s August tower crane survey obsolete

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The topped-out 160 North Elizabeth

“Hey, that’s topped out” I said out loud (I talk to myself constantly when I walk around town) as I neared 160 North Elizabeth in the Fulton Market District. And it usually doesn’t take long for a topped-out tower to drop the tower crane. Sure enough, one day after setting our crane count at 20, came word that we’d already dropped into the teens. Ah, progress.

160 North Elizabeth seemed to go up in a hurry. This is progress by Clark Construction as of Friday, July 29, with the tower crane still intact:

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.