More of this, Chicago!
Dear McCaffery Interests:
I can not thank you enough for the Glowing Tower Crane at Twelve01West.
That is all.
Love, Chicago & I
cc: Central Contractors Service
Twelve01West lights up the West Loop sky
Reply
Author Archives: danieldschell
Twelve01West wins The Great March Tower Crane Race
In the distance, a tower crane rises at Twelve01West.
Maybe it wasn’t so great after all, if it’s already decided this early in the month.
Last week I speculated that March’s first tower crane would be erected at GEMS World Academy Upper School, since there had just been a stub planted on the Lakeshore East site. Little did I know that a stub had earlier been planted on the Twelve01West site at 1201 West Lake Street in the West Loop. Over the weekend, Central Contractors Service was over there assembling the tower crane. By my count, that would be Chicago’s 35th tower crane of 2018, and the fourth crane currently in the air for W.E. O’Neil.
Act II at Atrium Village is in full caisson mode
Case Foundation is at work in Near North, drilling caissons for Atrium Village Phase Two.
The tower crane is gone from Old Town Park in the Near North neighborhood, but it will be replaced on the same block very soon. Onni Group is doing foundation work on the next phase of the Atrium Village redo, with Case Foundation on site drilling caissons at this very moment.
There isn’t much I can tell you about Phase Two besides what we find in the building permit, which the City of Chicago issued for 202 West Hill Street back on December 8, 2017. That permit calls for a Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture-designed 39-story tower, including a 6-level parking podium, with 428 apartments. Onni Group will act once again as their own builder. Someday soon, this tower is likely to get a fancy new name. We hope.
GEMS foundation work includes a tower crane pad
Sparks fly as the tower crane pad is readied at the GEMS World Academy Upper School.
Caisson work at GEMS World Academy Upper School in Lakeshore East started and finished in the fall. Then, we all settled in for winter. But now that the ground is thawing, Power Construction is back to work on the bKL Architects-designed school.
Will this be the next tower crane erected in March? It sure looks like that pad is just about ready for a stub. That would get Chicago back into the 30s, as long as the crane is fully assembled before any of the topped-out projects bring theirs down. No pressure, Power! (But don’t take 900 West or 465 North Park down too soon…)
Chicago springs into March with 29 tower cranes in the air
It’s time to catch up with the Chicago Tower Crane Survey after a brief hiatus.
We’ve got 29 of them flying throughout Chicago. Here’s the breakdown:
New since the January Survey:
- Hayden West Loop (1109 West Washington)
- Wolf Point East (343 Wolf Point Plaza)
- 61 East Banks
- University of Illinois at Chicago Academic/Residential Complex
Gone since the January Survey:
- Simpson Querrey Biomedical Research Center North Crane (303 East Superior)
- aLoft Chicago Mag Mile (24 East Ontario)
- Ancora at Riverline (720 South Wells)
- No. 508 (508 West Diversey)
- No. 9 Walton (9 West Walton)
Coming soon:
- 1980 North Milwaukee (Permitted February 21; this will be a self-erecting tower crane)
- 180 North Ada (Permitted February 9)
- GEMS Upper School (3535 East Wacker; permitted January 26)
- 1201 West Lake (Permitted January 16)
- 360 West Erie (Permitted January 16)
- University of Chicago (1201 East 60th; permitted January 11)
Permitted but dead?
- The Bentham (146 West Erie; permitted September 2017, but is this project still going to happen?)
Where are they?
- West Loop – 7
- South Loop – 5
- Streeterville – 3
- Lincoln Park – 3
- River North – 3
- Lakeshore East – 2
- Lake View – 2
- 4 neighborhoods have one each – Uptown (Eight Eleven Uptown); Gold Coast (61 East Banks); Wicker Park (Wicker Park Connection); University Village (UIC)
Who has them?
- Lendlease – 6
- McHugh – 5
- Power – 5
- W.E. O’Neil – 3
- Leopardo – 2
- Walsh – 2
- 6 GCs have one crane apiece – DLG (3833 North Broadway); Linn-Mathes (Wicker Park Connection); M.A. Mortenson (Home2 Suites River North); Centaur (Nobu Hotel); Macon (Hayden West Loop); Pepper (UIC)
What are they building?
- Residential – 21
- Hotel – 5
- Office – 2
- Education – 1 (UIC)
-
- Eight Eleven Uptown (811 West Agatite)
-
- 3833 Broadway
-
- Addison & Clark (1025 West Addison)
-
- Belmont Senior Living (700 West Fullerton)
-
- The Lincoln Common (2335 & 2345 North Lincoln)
-
- 61 East Banks
-
- Wicker Park Connection (1640 West Division)
-
- Home2 Suites River North (110 West Huron)
-
- Renelle on the River (403 North Wabash)
-
- Wolf Point East (343 Wolf Point Plaza)
-
- One Bennett Park (451 East Grand)
-
- 465 North Park
-
- Vista Tower (363 & 401 East Wacker)
-
- 210 North Carpenter
-
- Hoxton Chicago hotel (200 North Green)
-
- Nobu Hotel (854 West Randolph)
-
- 900 West (900 West Washington)
-
- Hayden West Loop (1109 West Washington)
-
- 727 West Madison
-
- The Van Buren (808 West Van Buren)
-
- University of Illinois at Chicago
-
- Essex on the Park (808 South Michigan)
-
- Hilton Homewood Suites (1101 South Wabash)
-
- One Grant Park (1200 South Indiana)
-
- The Paragon Chicago (1326 South Michigan)
61 East Banks putting its tower crane to good use
One of the new 2018-model tower cranes in Chicago is doing work out at 61 East Banks in the Gold Coast Neighborhood. Which is impressive, considering that the operator of that machine has to be seriously distracted by the views of Lake Michigan, what with the prime location along Lake Shore Drive and all. No matter though. Focus. That’s how structures go vertical.
Draper & Kramer is building this 8-story, 60-unit apartment building, designed by Booth Hansen. This is the second tower crane in Chicago for Leopardo Companies, which also has one in the West Loop at their future HQ, 210 North Carpenter.
-
- 61 East banks rendering from Booth Hansen.
This time around, it’s a sunny South Loop
Last week, we posted several updates on construction progress in the South Loop. Sadly for us and our cameras, we picked a foggy, miserable day to be out and about. Well, Tuesday was no such day. And with bright sunshine beaming all morning and afternoon, we headed back down to the South Loop for brighter, happier photos of the goings-on.
Ancora
-
- Earth is being moved for the next phase of Riverline.
The Paragon Chicago
-
- New signage at The Paragon Chicago.
Essex on the Park
One Grant Park
Hilton Homewood Suites/Hilton Garden Inn
The University of Illinois at Chicago has its own tower crane
Central Contractors Service was on the UIC campus Tuesday, schooling the masses on proper tower-crane assembly procedures.
What a teaching tool it could be, that big yellow tower crane across the street from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Higher learning, or something like that.
Anyway, tower-crane assembly at the academic/residential complex UIC is building on West Harrison Street between Peoria and Morgan began Monday, and Tuesday saw the jib lifted into place. A few gears and cables will be attended to Wednesday, and it should be ready to go as we enter March.
This marks Pepper Construction’s first tower crane in town since they removed the self-erecting crane from the Moxy Hotel job in River North.
Normally, the photo gallery below would include the building permit for that shiny yellow crane. However, this project isn’t being built on city land. Therefore, the City of Chicago doesn’t issue any permits at all for it. UIC is responsible for making sure the tower crane is erected properly and safely.
-
- The rebar is for a different job.
Fifteen Fifty on the Park begins demolition, but saves the Village Theater facade
3 stacked shipping containers are being used to stabilize the Village Theater facade, which is being saved.
Demolition has begun at three addresses in Old Town, as space is cleared for the new Fifteen Fifty on the Park. The threes are wild, as another trio, this one of developers, are building the new project. Golub, CIM Group, and Avoda Group are collaborating on the 10-story building, designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz.
One of the buildings to be demolished, at 1548 North Clark Street, is the old Village Theater. Its facade is being saved, and Power Construction is utilizing one more 3-fer, this time with three shipping containers stacked atop each other, as a means of stabilizing that facade while everything else crumbles around it. We’ve seen Power use this technique before, at the Ace Hotel site in the West Loop.
According to Golub’s website, Fifteen Fifty on the Park will include 32 luxury condos, 2,600 square feet of retail space, and parking for 66 vehicles.
Taylor Excavating is doing the demolition work.
-
- Rendering of Fifteen Fifty on the Park from Golub’s website.
-
- Demo permit for Village Theater at 1546 North Clark.
-
- 101 West North Avenue demo permit.
-
- 109 West North Avenue demo permit.
-
- I operate on the assumption that the 109 demo permit includes 113-115 as well. Or another permit is coming.
-
- These facades will *not* be saved. I hope.
Construction Progress: Addison & Clark in Lake View
Power Construction has topped out Addison & Clark in Lake View.
M&R Development and Bucksbaum Retail Properties are the co-developers of Addison & Clark, the sprawling mixed-use project next to Wrigley Field bringing 148 apartments and 146,000 square feet of retail space to Lake View. Power Construction is the general contractor, and they’ve topped out the eight floors in total. The SCB design involves parking for 400+ cars, which will be used not only by Addison & Clark residents, but also shoppers, diners, and baseball fans.
Building Up Chicago 