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.

What if 1000M was renamed for Helmut Jahn

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JAHN rendering of the original plan for 1000 South Michigan.

We lost a titan of the industry over the weekend when architect Helmut Jahn was struck and killed while riding his bike in the western suburbs. We can honor him.

I’m in no position to make demands. Or even requests. This is merely a suggestion. When work on 1000M resumes, once the city and developers work out the details on how halted construction of his South Loop tower should continue, let’s rename it for him. Jahn Tower. Helmut Jahn Tower. Jahn on Grant Park. Jahn On Michigan. Anything to remember him.

It seems like a good thing to do.

Because it’s been a minute since I posted from Salesforce Tower construction…

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Salesforce Tower and Wolf Point, May 2021

I know many of you are in your homes, your cars, your offices, thinking “What does Salesforce Tower construction look like now? And how about now? Okay, and now?” It is for you, unable to get to Wolf Point on an hourly basis like I do, that I post some more pics of The Big Green W at work, taken in the sunshine over the course of the past week or so.

Salesforce Tower construction, May 2021

Enjoying the photos? Metra and CTA rides, Zipcars, Divvy Bikes, camera lenses, and good walking shoes add up. You can help offset expenses by making a greatly-appreciated donation to Building Up Chicago.

Make it 12: The stub at 2050 West Ogden has sprouted a tower crane

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The wait is over.

May’s 12th tower crane is up and ready for a workout at The Gateway Apartments. Now Global Builders can begin verticality on the 11-story, 161-unit building.

Got there a little late Friday, as only the finishing touches remained. No matter. I still took too many pics.

Tower crane, 2050 West Ogden, May 2021

Metra and CTA rides, Zipcars, Divvy Bikes, camera lenses, and good walking shoes add up. You can help offset expenses by making a greatly-appreciated donation.

Parking garage for Plumbers Local 130 scores a tower crane permit

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Goodbye surface parking lot, hello stack of parking lots.

Chicago’s newest tower crane permit has been issued to erect a parking facility the Plumbers Local 130 has planned for the West Loop. The garage will replace what is now a surface parking lot adjacent to the union’s recently-completing training center at 1400 West Washington. W.E. O’Neil will be the general contractor.

The parking garage itself will float in the middle of the existing surface lot; it won’t extend to the east edge of the block along Ada Street. There are other plans for that space.

You can follow this link to the Chicago Plan Commission’s presentation for a whole boatload of specs and info. They approved the six-story, 500-space facility, with ground-level retail, in December 2020. No word yet on when construction is expected to begin.

If you’re hungry for more info, see:

Danny Ecker in Crain’s Chicago Business

Mauricio Peña in Block Club Chicago

  • Tower crane permit, issued 05\06\21
  • Rendering for CPC’s pdf
  • Rendering from CPC’s pdf

Parking facility starts going vertical at Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield

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Power Construction is busy putting up a four-story, 340,000-square-foot parking structure at Northwestern Medicine Central Dupage Hospital in Winfield. Gresham Smith is the design architect.

The Daily Herald Business Ledger and the Daily Herald wrote in part about what got us here back in September.

Construction is best observed from the parking structure across the road.

Construction at Central DuPage Hospital, 5/5/21

CTA and Metra rides, Zipcars, Divvy bikes, camera lenses, and solid walking shoes add up. You can help offset expenses with a greatly-appreciated donation to Building Up Chicago.

Coming Attractions: Madison+Carpenter

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Bye+bye, Phil’s Tavern. Hello, Madison+Carpenter.

Who among us hasn’t driven past a random site anywhere in the world and thought “I wonder what’s gonna happen here”? Isn’t nice when someone hangs a giant poster on said site and takes the mystery out of it?

Madison+Carpenter is coming to the corner of Madison and Carpenter Streets in the West Loop. We don’t know when yet, but it already has its own website, and that’s (almost) always a good sign. We don’t have a ton of detail yet either, but that website tells us to expect a six-story building with BIG (up to 5 bedrooms) condominiums.

ZSD Corp is the developer. This isn’t their first West Loop rodeo. They’re currently getting Peoria Green ready next to Mary Bartelme Park.

All you need to know about Madison+Carpenter, illustrated.

CTA and Metra rides, Zipcars, Divvy bikes, camera lenses, and solid walking shoes add up. You can help offset expenses with a greatly-appreciated donation to Building Up Chicago.

Get ready for Embry in the West Loop

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This lot in the first block of North May Street could soon be replaced by Embry. That building is already demolished. (2016 photo)

Around the corner from their Hayden West Loop condo building, Sulo Development is looking to begin the next iteration for the same West Loop block.

Embry will be a 58-unit condominium development, about 16 stories tall, designed by Lamar Johnson Collaborative. You can use this link to see the Linkedin introduction they posted.

Not many details yet, but renderings are available on its website, and it’s replacing a really ugly lot, so yay on all fronts so far. Plus, the website attributes James McHugh Construction as the general contractor, and we *really* need to see them with a tower crane in the air again.

Video screengrab showing the Embry model.

American House Oak Park starts to rise in the near west ‘burbs

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Clark Construction’s tower crane in Oak Park.

Wednesday was a day to go cranespotting in the ‘burbs again. Not too difficult when you can start with the closest one.

Clark Construction (with assistance from Adjustable Concrete) is currently on the build for American House Oak Park over in Oak Park. The seven-story senior living community is being developed by Redico of Southfield, Michigan. The facility is a design by Myefski Architects

When completed next summer, American House Oak Park will deliver a mix of 174 units, including studio, one-bed and two-bedroom apartments, as well as shared units.

CTA and Metra rides, Zipcars, Divvy bikes, camera lenses, and solid walking shoes add up. You can help offset expenses with a greatly-appreciated donation to Building Up Chicago.

The Gateway Apartments tower crane is halfway here

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Late Wednesday afternoon at The Gateway Apartments tower-crane build.

It’s (almost) here! Global Builders’ tower crane we’ve been waiting to sprout (it *is* spring, after all) at 2050 West Ogden for The Gateway Apartments began its climb Wednesday. And while Thursday’s weather forecast doesn’t look particularly promising, Crane Completion is still expected this week. We’ll take another jaunt down to the Illinois Medical District in the next couple days so you all can see it fully erected and ready to lift the heavy stuff.

The rest of the parts are in place.

CTA and Metra rides, Zipcars, Divvy bikes, camera lenses, and solid walking shoes add up. You can help offset expenses with a greatly-appreciated donation to Building Up Chicago.

Glass is in session at 300 North Michigan

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300 North Michigan, May 5, 2021

The rumors are true; there’s a fresh, shiny row of glass on 300 North Michigan in The Loop. Plus a little bit installed out back along MacChesney Court. Chalk up another Milestone Achieved for Sterling Bay, Magellan Development, bKL Architecture, and Linn-Mathes.

300 North Michigan glassing up The Loop.

CTA and Metra rides, Zipcars, Divvy bikes, camera lenses, and solid walking shoes add up. You can help offset expenses with a greatly-appreciated donation to Building Up Chicago.