Author Archives: danieldschell

Unknown's avatar

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.

Someone has plans for Grand and Morgan

Posted on by
Reply
Don’t look for 1001 West Grand ’round here no more.

Who knows what’s to come at the West Town intersection of Grand Avenue and Morgan Street. But whatever it is, someone’s in a big hurry to clear some space.

Demolition permits were issued last month for 462 North Morgan and 1001 West Grand, and within days, both properties had been torn down. I didn’t even have time to get a shot of 462 Morgan before it was rubble. Not that there hasn’t been recent activity here; Bennett Day School did a total rehab of the building on the east side of Morgan.

Alliance Demolition did the dirty work. They also palletized tons (I’m guessing here, but probably literally tons) of old brick to be reused somewhere, somehow.

I took photos of the structures on the west end of this block (1005, 1015, 1019) too, just in case they come down as part of this project as well. Only 1019 appears to be occupied.

462 North Morgan from the old B.U.C. HQ.
Renovations at Grand & Morgan for Bennett Day School, June 2016

Stuff That’s Done: Westerly

Posted on by
Reply
The tower crane at Westerly, October 2019

Westerly is an 11-story, 188-unit apartment building at 740 North Aberdeen in River West that welcomed its first tenants in Fall 2020.  A development from Fifield Companies, it includes 188 rental units and 2,400 square feet of retail space.

FitzGerald is the design architect behind Westerly; McHugh Construction served as GC.

Westerly, 740 North Aberdeen

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

Caisson work goes full bore at 354 North Union

Posted on by
Reply

There are few things construction nerds look forward to more than caisson work. It marks the unofficial “official start” of skyscraper construction, people are digging in the dirt, heavy machinery dances around each other, and loud noises bounce off neighboring buildings. You might not think it’d be fun to watch, but it’s mesmerizing. Which is why some of us stand there and take dozens of photos.

Last week marked the beginning of caisson work at 354 North Union. Big shout-outs to Stalworth Underground and Onni Group for providing the entertainment. Here are dozens of photos:

354 North Union Caisson Fest, April 2021

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.

1400 West Randolph brings the pane

Posted on by
Reply

The first row of curtain wall is being installed at 1400 West Randolph in the West Loop. Meanwhile, overall construction looks to have reached the 15th or 16th level. Have a look at at Power Construction’s handiwork:

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.

Full permit, no tower crane, at 2050 W. Ogden

Posted on by
Reply
A stub awaits its tower crane at The Gateway Apartments.

“Fellas, you’re gonna want that cowbell.”

To paraphrase Bruce Dickinson (yes, *the* Bruce Dickinson) you’re also gonna want that tower crane.

The Gateway Apartments at 2050 West Ogden in the Illinois Medical District got its full-build permit last week, several weeks after planting a tower crane in the ground. Alas, that tower crane has yet to be erected, but I’m willing to assume Global Builders knows what they’re doing out there. It’s what they do. I just get a little anxious when our tower crane count dips near single digits. We’re gonna want that tower crane.

A design by Avondale’s Piekarz Associates, Gateway Apartments will bring 161 rental units atop ground-floor retail space to its 11 stories.

Early-stage construction at The Gateway Apartments.

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.

More drone video! Adjustable Concrete soars over 609 West Randolph

Posted on by
Reply
Screenshot of Adjustable Concrete’s drone video post.

https://www.instagram.com/p/COTQE51hrVU/?igshid=6w19acigdqal

Flying is so much better than walking on the sidewalk, don’t you think?

Shout-out to Adjustable Concrete for sharing the drone video above of their pouring cycle at 609 West Randolph.

A couple long-distance shots of on-going work as well:

609 West Randolph April 30, 2021

🏗 May begins in Chicago with 11 tower cranes in the air 🏗

Posted on by
Reply

Remember that era of 30-something tower cranes?

Where are our tower cranes?

  • West Loop – 4
  • River North – 2
  • One each in: The Loop (320 South Canal); West Town (1454 West Randolph); Portage Park (Clarendale Six Corners); Gold Coast (Gild); Illinois Medical District (IL Health)

What are they building?

  • Residential – 5.5 (300 North Michigan is half res/half hotel
  • Office – 4
  • Medical – 1 (IL Health)
  • Hotel – .5 (300 North Michigan)

Who has tower cranes?

  • Power Construction – 6
  • 5 GCs with one each: Ryan Companies (Clarendale Six Corners): Clark Construction (320 South Canal); Skender (609 West Randolph); Walsh Construction (Salesforce Tower); Pepper Construction (UI Health)

We still have a stub only at 2050 West Ogden. 354 North Union has begun caisson work; that should be getting a tower crane permit any day now. 1000M, 320 South Clinton, 345 North Morgan, and 178 West Randolph still have outstanding tower-crane permits.

  • 300 North Michigan
  • 320 South Canal
  • 609 West Randolph
  • 1043 Fulton
  • 1400 West Randolph and 1454 West Randolph
  • Clarendale Six Corners
  • One Chicago
  • Salesforce Tower
  • UI Health
  • Gild Chicago

Enjoy the photos? Want to help off-set transportation and photography-equipment fees? Your donation to the B.U.C. Blog would be greatly appreciated.

W.E. O’Neil’s One Oak Brook Commons drone videos show off construction progress

Posted on by
Reply
Screengrab of W.E. O’Neil’s drone video at One Oak Brook Commons.

I don’t have a drone. Don’t feel bad for me though. Feel bad for me because I also lack a small airplane, a helicopter, and a dirigible. But you know who *does* have a drone?

W.E. O’Neil, that’s who. And they’ve put it to good use recently, flying up and over One Oak Brook Commons for a look at construction progress. They shared it on their social media platforms, so you might want to follow them so you don’t miss the next one.

Here are some links to the video. Choose your favorite platform. Choices are good. While you watch these, I’m gonna tie a bunch of balloons to my house and go for a ride.

Facebook – https://fb.watch/5ao6pQhv_Y/

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/p/COBJl2LBnoC/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Linkedin – https://www.linkedin.com/posts/weoneil_construction-progress-at-oak-brook-commons-activity-6791425917089566720-hG5l

Youtube (this one is from March) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TW_524OaHdY

If your Greyhound is in the shop, better pick it up soon

Posted on by
Reply
Looking north across the Chicago River to Goose Island, the future site of Halsted Point.

If you haven’t heard by now, you haven’t been paying attention. To everyone.

All of Chicago is talking about Halsted Point, the new development from Onni Group planned for Goose Island.

Alby Gallun in Crain’s Chicago Business (heh. bus-iness. Greyhound. Well played.)

Ryan Ori in the Chicago Tribune

David Roeder in the Chicago Sun-Times

Jay Koziarz in Urbanize Chicago

The Real Deal

Matt Hickman at The Architect’s Newspaper

You should be able to find all you need to know about Halsted Point from those sources.

In the meantime, this is what will be replaced. I don’t think we’ll miss these buildings:

The future site of Halsted Point, 901 North Halsted

Honorable Craneless Mention: RH Oak Brook

Posted on by
Reply

It doesn’t have a tower crane, but it was right there in the parking lot of Oakbrook Center, so it’s hard to miss.

Graycor is building a new, stand-alone RH (you may remember that as Restoration Hardware) store out in suburban Oak Brook. The Chicago Tribune was all over the story last year. I took a photo. That is all.