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 hotel progress, as Aloft Chicago Mag Mile grows in Streeterville

Posted on October 10, 2017 by danieldschell

Aloft Chicago Mag Mile grows toward 18 stories ate 243 East Ontario Street in Streeterville.

On a very busy block for hospitality, the Aloft Chicago Mag Mile is beginning to push skyward where the former Museum of Contemporary Art once stood in Streeterville. The 18-story, 336-room Valerio Dewalt Train-designed hotel will join the brand-new Hotel EMC2 and Marriott Fairfield Inn just across Ontario Street, plus the Ivy Boutique next door.

Tishman, which recently completed the Kenect project in River West, is the general contractor for the Aloft Chicago Mag Mile. This is their lone tower crane on the Chicago count. Completion is expected in Winter 2018.

Construction Progress: Hilton Homewood Suites is all 3-D

Posted on October 10, 2017 by danieldschell

The 30-story Hilton Homewood Suites at 1101 South Wabash, somewhat slow to get out of the ground, is starting to shoot upwards. Credit Lendlease for the progress on the hotel, which is scheduled to open late next year.

Hey, would ya look at 1326 South Michigan, going all three-dimensional!

Posted on October 10, 2017 by danieldschell

It’s going to be 47 stories tall. Nothing should surprise me about 1326 South Michigan starting to rise up from the ground. But sometimes foundation work can seem like such a chore, you forget there will be action above the surface. And now, 1326 is giving us such action.

Walsh Construction is getting the most out of their single Chicago tower crane, as the podium is starting to take shape at this South Loop site. (Don’t forget, Walsh will have a tower crane at Wolf Point East in the very near future, too.) The core is up about five stories too, making work much easier for to observe. Not to mention the peephole Walsh cut out for us along Michigan Avenue. That’s a company that cares, right there.

This one isn’t due to open until late in 2018, which seems a long way off now, but will be here before you know it. The SCB-designed tower will deliver 500 new apartments to the very busy neighborhood, thanks to co-developers Murphy Development Group and CIM Group. We got wind of a possible name change almost two months ago; hopefully we know the new moniker before Opening Day.

Eleven40 drops its pretty yellow tower crane

Posted on October 10, 2017 by danieldschell

A crane too low. (It’s okay to be sad.)

When I got home last night, in the dark, which angers me because I hate winter, I said out loud “Hey, does that crane look too low to you?” None of you answered, which is good, because it would have been creepy if you’d have been here, but sure enough, Lendlease began the task of dismantling the tower crane at Eleven40 yesterday, meaning Chicago’s tower crane count dips to 33.

Work will continue for the next couple days on removal. This morning, a crew is taking apart the upper tie-in. Photos follow:

The West Loop is in a tower-crane frenzy

Posted on October 9, 2017 by danieldschell

You’ll have to look closely, but you can see (at least parts of) all 7 West Loop tower cranes in this photo from Halsted Street.

The West Loop is busy with construction. That’s the word we get from Captain Obvious, who sent an email to let us know. There are 7 active tower cranes in the neighborhood right now, with 2 more permitted and on the way.

McDonald's Headquarters west tower crane

The lone remaining tower crane at McDonald’s Headquarters still towers above the West Loop.

1. McDonald’s Headquarters

As you surely must know, McDonald’s used to have two tower cranes. East Crane is gone, but West Crane continues work on Sterling Bay’s future home for the fast-food giant.

The tower crane at Illume Chicago has been up since March.

2. Illume Chicago

Illume Chicago is a 10-story, 79-unit condominium building from LG Development, designed by Pappageorge Haymes Partners. It broke ground back in December 2016.

The pretty yellow Liebherr tower crane at 727 West Madison.

3. 727 West Madison

Taking over the parking lot of the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 727 West Madison will be a 44-story, 492-unit apartment tower. This is the only active tower crane in the West Loop for Lendlease, which is very busy elsewhere in the city (One Bennett Park, Eleven40, and more.) But a second, at The Van Buren, is coming soon. Designed by FitzGerald, it’s a joint development from Fifield and F&F Realty.

The tower crane at the Hoxton Chicago, one of two cranes for Power Construction in the neighborhood.

4. Hoxton Chicago

One of two tower cranes in the West Loop for Power Construction, the Hoxton Chicago is a 12-story, 175-room hotel designed by local firm GREC Architects. It hasn’t begun to go vertical quite yet, but the foundation work continues.

The tower crane at 900 West is Power’s second in the West Loop. There’s only that one moon, though.

5. 900 West

900 West is the second Power Construction tower crane in the West Loop. 900 West is another condominium development, bringing 22 luxury units across its 9 stories.

Centaur Construction’s tower crane at the Nobu Hotel.

6. Nobu Hotel

The only Chicago tower crane for Centaur Construction, the Nobu Hotel got off to a slow start, but has now grown above street-level, on its way to 11 stories. It’s the other of two hotel projects underway in the West Loop.

Leopardo Companies’ only tower crane on the Chicago count is this brand-spankin’-new one at 210 North Carpenter.

7. 210 North Carpenter

The West Loop’s newest tower crane, and another Sterling Bay project, 210 North Carpenter will be the new home of the general contractor building it, Leopardo Companies. The 12-story office building is expected to open next year.

Coming Soon:

The tower crane stub at The Van Buren has its own, adorable house.

The Van Buren

The Van Buren, a 12-story apartment tower at 808 West Van Buren from Loukas Development and bKL Architecture, is one of two permitted tower-crane sites in the West Loop yet to be erected, though the stub has been planted. This is Lendlease’s second West Loop tower crane.

Hayden West Loop has a tower-crane permit, but no stub yet, as foundation work continues.

Hayden West Loop

Hayden West Loop is awaiting its tower-crane stub after receiving a permit on September 7. When erected, it will be the second Chicago crane for Macon Construction, the first being No. 508.

A core is rising at the Nobu Hotel

Posted on October 9, 2017 by danieldschell

The core is rising from the ground at the Nobu Hotel.

That tower crane Centaur Construction put up is paying dividends, as the core has risen above street level at the Nobu Hotel at 854 West Randolph Street in the West Loop. The Nobu won’t rise high — just 11 stories — so the every inch of growth looks significant.

Speaking of significant, the opening of Nobu will be significantly later than the “late 2017” estimate from that press release linked above. Remember, Nobu famously broke ground (famous because Robert De Niro was here for it) back in June of 2016, but foundation work didn’t get underway until March of this year. The new release date (it’s a De Niro production, so I used a movie-industry term. Get it?) is now 2018, according to the Nobu Hotels website. That’s easily doable for Centaur.

: First, a couple tower crane shots.

Tower-Crane Watch continues at Hayden West Loop as foundation work goes deep

Posted on October 9, 2017 by danieldschell

No stub yet, as foundation work continues at Hayden West Loop.

We’re still waiting for a tower crane stub at Hayden West Loop. Caissons are done, and digging continues as Macon Construction works on Sulo Development’s latest condominium project.

Hayden has a sales office open just around the corner, on May Street, and it looks like about half of its 28 units are sold. Those homes consist of four duplex penthouses and 24 three-bedroom residences, ranging in size from 3,200 to 5,000 square feet.

: Booth Hansen render.

: Hayden West Loop is a model building.

A show of glass from Marlowe brightens up Wells Street in River North

Posted on October 9, 2017 by danieldschell

As Marlowe approaches full height, the first row of glass is being installed.

We visited Marlowe near the end of September, and noted it appeared to be close to topping out. Whether or not it’s officially achieved that milestone, here’s one it’s reached for sure: the first panes of glass are up.

Hey, how about more of that trestle bridge at Wolf Point East?

Posted on October 7, 2017 by danieldschell

You know, because it’s cool. Ridiculously cool.

: The Beast.

: We watch. All day.

: Oh, so it’s like a jigsaw puzzle?

More photos than I know what to do with: Simpson Querrey Biomedical Research Center

Posted on October 6, 2017 by danieldschell

There’s more glass happening at the Simpson Querrey Biomedical Research Center in Streeterville. Lots more glass. Once a feature exclusive to the north elevation, the south side’s getting cladding now as well.

Power Construction tells us not to fret about losing tower cranes just yet. One crane will come down soon, probably in early November, but the second crane could finish out the year still before it’s taken down. They must know how painful it would be to say goodbye to both at once.