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.

More topping out news, as Illume Chicago reaches max height

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https://twitter.com/PappagHaymes/status/931648904411713536

Last week, we shared word that a Pappageorge Haymes Partners project, 465 North Park, had topped out. Now you can add another PH design to the headlines, thanks to the above tweet shared November 17, as Illume Chicago has topped out at 111 South Peoria in the West Loop.

The topping-out comes as glass starts showing up on the exterior, so it’s milestones on top of milestones for this one.

Developed by LG Development, Illume Chicago is delivering 79 new condominiums to the red-hot West Loop neighborhood within the 10-story building, with 94 parking spaces underground and on the first floor.

 

aLoft Chicago Mag Mile adds some glass as it rises in Streeterville

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aLoft Chicago Mag Mile

Fresh glass at the aLoft Chicago Mag Mile in Streeterville.

Don’t look now (you can look when we get to the photo gallery) but Tishman has the *aLoft Chicago Mag Mile nearing the top (on or about the 15th floor, I’d say) of its 18-story goal at 243 East Ontario in Streeterville. And as if that wouldn’t be enough of a milestone, they’ve also started installing glass, on level 3 of the Valerio Dewalt Train-designed hotel.

When completed next winter, the aLoft Chicago Mag Mile will open 336 new guest rooms to Chicago’s most vibrant shopping neighborhood.

*Looks like I’ve been spelling it wrong all this time. “aLoft” – little ‘a’ big ‘L’

 

 

Belmont Village hides a tower crane stub in Lincoln Park

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Belmont Village tower crane stub

Deep down, that’s a very nice tower crane stub at 700 West Fullerton for the Belmont Village project.

It’s there, the tower crane stub that will soon grow into W.E. O’Neil’s third tower crane at The Lincoln Common development on the old Children’s Memorial Hospital site in Lincoln Park. But you have look hard.

The red stub is planted along the east side of the new Belmont Village senior living site, along Orchard Street, at 700 West Fullerton. But it’s rooted so deep into the foundation that, until the rest of the crane is erected, it goes largely unnoticed.

We expect the tower crane to be erected in full this week, which would make it our 33rd active tower crane in Chicago, and #62 for 2017.

🏗 Chicago begins meteorological winter (December) with 32 tower cranes on the job 🏗

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32 December Chicago tower cranes

A few of Chicago’s 32 tower cranes, as we head into the winter months.

As the calendar turns toward another dreaded Chicago winter, it’s time for another Chicago Tower Crane Survey.

Chicago currently has 32 tower cranes in the air around town.The further crane north remains Eight Eleven Uptown. But with this week’s removal of the triple-branded Hilton Hotels at McCormick Place, our new southern-most tower crane is now 1326 South Michigan. And that’s not very far south. Now, for the statistics.

New since November’s count:

  1. Home2 Suites River North (110 West Huron)
  2. Renelle on the River (403 North Wabash)
  3. 3833 North Broadway

Gone since November’s count:

  1. Simpson Querrey North Crane (303 East Superior)
  2. McDonald’s HQ West Crane (110 North Carpenter)
  3. Triple-branded Hilton Hotels (123 East Cermak)

Coming soon:

  1. Hayden West Loop (1109 West Washington – permit issued 09/07; stub planted)
  2. The Bentham (146 West Erie; permit issued 09/11)
  3. Belmont Village (700 West Fullerton – permit issued 11/15)
  4. Wolf Point East (343 West Wolf Point Plaza – permit issued 11/20)

Who has tower cranes:

  1. Lendlease – 8
  2. Power Construction – 6
  3. McHugh Construction – 5
  4. W.E. O’Neil – 2
  5. 11 construction companies have a single tower crane: Walsh (1326 South Michigan); Centaur (Nobu Hotel); Leopardo (210 North Carpenter); Pepper (Moxy Hotel); Tishman (aLoft Chicago Mag Mile); Onni Group (Old Town Park); Norcon (Illume Chicago); Linn-Mathes – Wicker Park Connection); Macon Construction (No. 508); DLG Development (3833 North Broadway, Chicago’s newest tower crane, and our 61st of 2017); M.A. Mortenson (Home2 Suites River North)

Where are they:

  1. West Loop – 7
  2. South Loop – 6
  3. Streeterville – 5
  4. Lake View – 3
  5. River North – 3
  6. Lincoln Park – 2
  7. New Eastside – 2
  8. Four neighborhoods have one tower crane apiece: Gold Coast (not Australia – No. 9 Walton); Near North (Old Town Park); Wicker Park (Wicker Park Connection; Uptown (Eight Eleven Uptown)

What are they building:

  • Residential – 23
  • Hotel – 7
  • Office – 1
  • Medical – 1

Here are Chicago’s 32 tower cranes, as of December 1, 2017:

Fun Fact: The 7 West Loop tower cranes were photographed from the same spot on the Washington Street Bridge. Didn’t even have to move my feet.

The sunny day 465 North Park deserves as it celebrates topping out

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Yesterday, we shared topping-out news at 465 North Park in Streeterville. Sad thing is, that news was accompanied by a gallery full of dreary-day photos. We think 465 North Park deserves to bask in better light, and Thursday provided that for us. So, without further ado, here’s the photo gallery the new tower deserves, from a sunny, gorgeous Chicago fall day.

 

With all three Hiltons topped out, the tower crane comes down at 123 East Cermak

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Triple-branded Hilton tower crane removal

A tower crane below the roof line is doomed. Such is the circle of life at the triple-branded Hilton Hotels at McCormick Place.

All by its lonesome, McHugh Construction’s shiny yellow Liebherr tower crane built a Hilton Garden Inn Chicago McCormick Center, Hampton Inn by Hilton Chicago McCormick Center, and Home2 Suites by Hilton Chicago McCormick Center in the Prairie District of the South Loop. And now, that crane’s work is complete, and it’s on the way to the ground.

We walked around the site at 123 East Cermak Road to pay our last respects as the crane started coming down. But fear not; Chicago’s construction boom has slowed just yet, so expect that same crane to be back on the build again very soon.

465 North Park has topped out in Streeterville

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465 North park topping out

The top of 465 North Park, now topped out.

A Facebook post back on November 18 from Pappageorge Haymes Partners announced the topping out of 465 North Park, the 48-story apartment tower from Jupiter Realty.

465 North Park topping out

Jupiter Realty’s photo of Alderman Reilly posing with the tower crane stub, September 2016.

Power Construction began work on the Streeterville tower in earnest back in July of 2016, then planted the soon-to-come-down tower crane in September. It was such a big deal, the alderman posed with.

465 North Park replaced an empty lot at Illinois Street and Park Drive, directly across the street from the AMC River East theaters. Its development is a win for everyone, because we all need a place to live, and no one wants to preserve empty lots. With 444 apartments that will open in 2018, the tower includes a sky lounge on the 38th floor, an outdoor pool deck, and every other creature comforts renters have come to expect from new construction in Chicago.

So, congratulations to the 465 North Park team of Jupiter Realty, Pappageorge Haymes Partners, and Power Construction, for reaching new heights at 465 North Park!

Getting to know Chicago Tower Crane #60

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Renelle on the River

McHugh Construction’s tower crane at Renelle on the River, from East Upper Wacker Drive.

We’d only gone by the new tower crane at Renelle on the River once since McHugh Construction erected it back in the second week of November. It famously became Chicago’s 60th tower crane in the air for this calendar year. The Mayor was there. It was a big deal. It was also dark, so I didn’t get a great look at it

Of course, Tuesday was kind of a dud as far as weather goes, but that didn’t stop us from getting a few more angles on the shiny yellow Liebherr 200 HC model. Aside from standing in the plaza just outside Trump Tower, where you can look straight up at the beast, we suggest East Wacker Drive and the Michigan Avenue Bridge as the best crane-gawking spots.

The end draweth near for the beginning of Three Sixty West

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Three Sixty West 360 West Erie

360 West Erie has to go, making room for Three Sixty West. It’s the new math.

A demolition permit was issued Tuesday for the humble 2-story building at 360 West Erie in River North. Yeah, that rooftop deck is cool, but it has to go. If the address sounds familiar to you, it may be from the buzz going ’round about Three Sixty West, the new condo tower coming to the block from Belgravia Group (think Renelle on the River). Designed by GREC Architects, Three Sixty West will feature 38 condominiums in an 12-story building.

Quality Excavation will do the ripping apart of the old building; when construction time begins, Maris Construction (they’re putting the finishing touches on Belgravia’s CA Washington development) will be on the build.

12 stories? Yep, Maris should land on the tower crane count soon.

3833 North Broadway puts up Chicago’s 61st tower crane of 2017

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3833 North Broadway tower crane

A pretty sight at the 3833 North Broadway site, as DLG Management erects a tower crane.

We all made a big deal earlier this month about Chicago reaching 60 tower cranes for this calendar year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t erect any more of them. Just ask 3833 Broadway, the Jonathan Splitt Architects-designed, 8-story, 134-unit residential project from DLG Management at the intersection of North Broadway and West Sheridan Road.

I was up there Friday morning, and the tower crane wasn’t complete yet. But another visit Monday showed Central Contractors Service putting the finishing touches on the pretty yellow Liebherr 316 EC-H 12 Litronic machine. As they’re providing their own general contractor service as well, this marks DLG’s first entry into our Chicago Tower Crane count, so congratulations!

Here are a few (it’s never just a few) shots from Friday and Monday: