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.
Checking out a caisson from above at GEMS World Academy Upper School.
The Upper School at GEMS World Academy Chicago has begun caisson work at 355 East Wacker Drive. Case Foundation is on site digging long, slender holes in the ground and then filling them right back in with rebar and concrete.
Originally issued a foundation permit way back in March of 2015, the GEMS Upper School got a new caisson permit on September 20. Designed by bKL Architecture, as was the first GEMS school, Power Construction will take build the school atop the Case’s caissons.
The 17-story Home2 Suites by Hilton will stand atop caissons Stalworth Underground is drilling and filling now.
The Home2 Suites by Hilton coming to River North at 110 West Huron Street is in full-blown caisson phase these days. Stalworth Underground is doing the caisson work for general contractor M.A. Mortenson Company, and has their big blue machines hard at work on the corner of Clark and Huron. Akara Partners is developing the hotel, a design by NORR Inc., which will bring 185 rooms across the 17-story tower.
Chicago’s 34th active tower crane, and 57th of 2017, is up and running at 210 North Carpenter. This is Leopardo Companies’ only tower crane on the official count, and their first since finishing the heavy lifting a few blocks away at Fulton West.
Progress on Illume Chicago has reached the underside of the 8th floor.
LG Development’s 10-story West Loop condominium project, Illume Chicago, at 111 South Peoria, continues to progress upward, on its way to delivering 79 luxury condos next to Mary Bartelme Park. Designed by Pappageorge Haymes Partners, Illume Chicago broke ground in December 2016. It will feature residences on floors 2 through 8, with duplex condos spanning the 9th and 10th floors, with 94 parking spaces on the first floor and underground. Illume’s website shows it to be more than 60% sold.
A rendering of The Van Buren, at 808 West Van Buren from bKL Architecture.
Once known simply as “808 West Van Buren,” The Van Buren will break ground in an official ceremony Wednesday morning at its Greektown construction site at Halsted and Van Buren Streets.
Representatives from developer Loukas Development, design architect bKL Architecture, and general contractor Lendlease will all be on hand to plunge shovels into the ground to celebrate the new 12-story West Loop tower, according to a press release issued by Loukas Development on Monday.
The Van Buren began with a foundation permit back in April, and has since completed caisson work, done a major amount of foundation digging, and planted a tower crane stub. When complete late in 2018, The Van Buren will deliver 148 rental apartments to the neighborhood.
You can read Loukas Development’s full Press Release below, followed by a few more gorgeous renderings from bKL Architecture:
Groundbreaking Event: Wed. Oct. 4, 2017
Loukas Development Announces Construction Start of The Van Buren, a mixed-use development at 808 West Van Buren Ave., Chicago
WHAT: Loukas Development will host a groundbreaking ceremony at The Van Buren, a 12-story boutique mixed-use development in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood. The 148-unit building is being developed at 808 West Van Buren Ave.
When: Wed. Oct. 4th — 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
WHO: Representatives from Loukas Development, bKL Architecture, Lendlease and Washington Capital will break ground and discuss the project.
WHERE: 808 West Van Buren Ave., Chicago; on the northwest corner of Halsted St. and Van Buren Ave.
PHOTO OPPS:
During the event, members of the media will be able to:
About Loukas Development
Established in 1978, Loukas Development is an innovative commercial real estate development and management firm with a strong focus on infill, transportation-oriented development in dynamic and high growth urban locations. The company has completed the development, renovation, leasing and conversion of over 500 residential units, including several high profile mixed-use developments in the Chicago area.
Loukas Development has an operating and development platform capable of scaling quickly for institutional opportunities while remaining connected to the Chicago neighborhoods we serve. Our mission is to redefine and reshape the urban commercial, residential, and mixed-use experience through a combination of state-of-the-art design and solid construction techniques. For more information, visit www.loukasdevelopment.com.
About Washington Capital Management, Inc.
Loukas Development’s capital partner on the project is a limited liability company managed by Seattle-based Washington Capital Management, Inc. on behalf of its clients.
Washington Capital Management, Inc. (WCM) is an employee owned investment advisory firm founded in 1977. WCM headquarters are located in Seattle, Washington, with branch offices in Portland, Spokane, Anchorage, Southern California, Northern California and Boston. For more information on WCM, please see http://www.wcmadvisors.com.
About bKL Architecture
Founded and led by Thomas Kerwin, bKL Architecture is a Chicago based architectural firm with extensive experience in the design and execution of large scale mixed-use building projects. bKL’s core principles include design excellence, technical acumen and viable solutions to complex problems. Open dialogue within its studio cultivates collaboration, communication and cohesive designs that enrich the sites and cities around the world in which they build.
The gang’s all here, as Leopardo Companies, Adjustable Forms, and Central Contractors Service set up the tower crane at 210 North Carpenter.
The West Loop is in a full-fledged tower-crane frenzy these days, and it won’t let up any time soon. We’ve barely had time to enjoy Tower Crane #33 in Chicago (raised over the weekend at 900 West) and already #34 is being erected, at Sterling Bay’s 210 North Carpenter.
This will be Chicago’s 57th tower crane of 2017, and the seventh crane operating currently in the West Loop.
Crews from Leopardo Companies, Adjustable Forms, and Central Contractors Service are all on site today, getting the Manitowoc MD485 set up, less than a week after the permit was issued, and only five days after the stub was planted in the ground.
Rendering of 56 West Huron from Kiferbaum Development Group.
56 West Huron is for real.
The 13-story, 11-unit condominium tower from Kiferbaum Development Group got the green light from the City of Chicago Friday, allowing construction to begin in River North.
The Studio Dwell-designed project boasts 10 full-floor condos and one duplex penthouse. Each unit will have one parking space apiece. According to the 56 West Huron website (link above) condos begin at $1.375M, with one unit already sold.
Gilbane Building Company will be the general contractor. Kiferbaum’s plan has 56 West Huron opening in Summer 2018.
*** This story has been updated to show the demolition permit for the former Van Cleef salon building.
*** This story has been updated with the photo below. Leopardo Companies was having the tower crane stub planted on the 210 North Carpenter site as the story was being written Thursday morning. The stub was spotted from the Skydeck at the Sears Tower.
Under the watchful eye of Chicago’s skyline, foundations are being dug for 210 North Carpenter. Coming soon: a tower crane.
210 North Carpenter has been cleared of caisson equipment, dirt has been smoothed over, and foundations are being dug for Sterling Bay’s 12-story, 200,000-square-foot office building in the West Loop. And on Tuesday September 26, the City of Chicago issued a tower crane permit for the project, allowing CG Leopardo Companies to go vertical on their own future offices.
Building Up Chicago 