Vista Tower, New Year’s Day 2020
Vista Tower will open this year. It’s a pretty big deal.
Today marks the third anniversary of The Great Vista Tower Concrete Pour of 2017. I’ve chosen to reminisce by way of a photo gallery from that day, plus a few shots from the day after, showing the finished mat pour.
Vista Tower opens this year. It’s a pretty big deal.
McHugh Construction and Case Foundation put on a show during foundation work, drilling caisson after caisson with diameters the likes I’d never seen from such a good vantage point. From September through December of 2016, it was Caisson Theater.
Soil sampling at Lower Wacker Drive and Field Boulevard, August 2016.
Vista Tower opens in 2020. That’s this year. Seems like a decade ago there was the occasional soil sampler in the lots bisected by Field Boulevard in Lakeshore East. But then earth was scraped, caissons were sunk, foundations were poured, two tower cranes were erected, frustums were frustummed, and here we are.
You know what we haven’t seen from this blog in a long time? A big ole Vista Tower photo dump. In part because once a tower under construction reaches 39,000 feet in the air, or whatever this glorious beast is, it’s hard to watch the work that’s being done. But I’ve passed by her a few times over the past several months, always snapping a few shots on the way. You might want to see them, so if you do, here they are.
Like I said, she’s glorious, ain’t she?
Happy 50th to Vista Tower!
50 floors of concrete have been poured at Vista Tower. That’s the word we get from Agency H5, the PR firm handling announcements of such things for developer Magellan Development Group. They sent over a press release letting all of Chicago know of the big milestone.
You can read the entire press release after viewing the photo gallery below, which includes photos taken throughout the month of May. ***Caution: There are a lot of them. But you’re used to that by now. Highlights for me? A few shots taken in setting sunlight; anything from the Museum Campus; a puddlegram; and, as always, mooncranes.
Kudos to all involved, including McHugh Construction, Studio Gang, bKL Architecture, and of course, Magellan. Here’s to 50 floors more!
CHICAGO – June 7, 2018 – Concrete has been poured to the 50th floor for Vista Tower, marking a significant construction milestone. The sky’s the limit for one of the city’s most exclusive residences which continues to soar toward new heights (101 floors to be exact), with only a year and a half left until move-in.
“What makes Vista Tower so special is the brilliant minds collaborating on the construction and design of this world-class project,” said David Carlins, president, Magellan Development Group. “Globally-renowned architect Jeanne Gang of Studio Gang set a high standard with her remarkable vision, and all other participating firms, including Hirsch Bedner Associates and McHugh Construction Company, followed suit to exceed expectations.”
One of the most anticipated architectural projects within the United States, Vista Tower will be synonymous with ultimate luxury living in Chicago. While the exterior glass façade reflects the blue-green hue of the tower’s watery neighbors, Lake Michigan and the Chicago River, the interiors of each unit provide residents the choice between four specially-curated gem tone finishes: fluorite, amethyst, topaz and sapphire. Providing the most innovative touches for elite real estate buyers, purchasers can now schedule an appointment at the Vista Sales Gallery to be assisted through the finish selection process.
“Our future residents are captivated by the offerings at the 10,000 sq. ft. Vista Sales Gallery, which allows them to experience the extraordinary Vista Tower lifestyle and imagine the look and feel of their future home,” says Leila Zammatta, senior vice president of sales, Magellan Development Group. “I’m not surprised that the units are selling rapidly and we’re currently more than 40% sold because what we’ve created is quite exceptional in this market. We design aspirational, breathtaking spaces, so when a potential buyer fully appreciates what we’re offering at Vista Tower, he or she wants to call it home.”
Located on Upper Wacker Drive at the intersection of Lake Michigan and the Chicago River, Vista Tower will be the crown jewel of the Lakeshore East neighborhood. Magellan Development Group built the award-winning, master-planned community to serve as an oasis from the bustle of downtown Chicago and a tranquil escape within the nation’s third-largest urban city.
Chicagoans and potential homeowners can watch the vision come to life as construction rapidly continues past the halfway point. For more information on Vista Tower or to inquire about the property, contact senior vice president of sales, Magellan Development Group, Leila Zammatta at (312) 493-8200 or visit the Vista Sales Gallery at 345 E. Wacker Drive in Chicago by appointment. Learn more by visiting www.vistachicago.com.
ABOUT MAGELLAN DEVELOPMENT GROUP
Magellan Development Group is a family-owned company that was founded in 1996. To date, Magellan is the premier developer of mixed-use properties in Chicago and extending its footprint to other major U.S. cities, including Minneapolis, Miami, Nashville, and Somerville, MA.
From conception to completion, Magellan looks after all aspects of the development process and has unique experience in interrelated fields of real estate design, construction management, development, development consultation, architecture, leasing, sales and marketing.
Magellan is responsible for the Lakeshore East masterplan and development, which is regarded as one of the most vibrant communities in the city of Chicago. The Lakeshore East community is an example of Magellan’s commitment to environmentally-sensitive urban communities, innovative design and high-quality construction. Since its founding, Magellan Development has completed over 25 large-scale, residential and mixed-use projects.
For more information on Magellan Development Group, please visit: www.magellandevelopment.com
Vista Tower rises in Lakeshore East under the watchful eye of the topped-out One Bennett Park.
I know you just saw a ton of Vista Tower photos only a few days ago, but that was about the new curtain wall being installed on the exterior. We got lucky and were in Lakeshore East when the sun was out last week, and Vista was irresistible. So here you go.
Good glazes!! That’s glass on Vista Tower!
You’ve waited a long time for this. We all have. And now, it’s happening.
Vista Tower has glass.
Not lots of glass. Not big sheets of glass. Just little bits of glass. Almost slivers of it. But it’s still glass. Windows. Cladding. Curtain wall. Whatever you want to call it, it’s here. And it’s glorious to think how this tower will look once it’s entirely glazed.
I thought you might like to see it, so I took some photos.
Vista Tower continues to rise along the Chicago River.
We’re long overdue for a few shots of the progress McHugh Construction is making at Vista Tower. This thing has grown like mad since our last visit. Sorry to have missed so much. Without further ado, here are the latest shots from the soon-to-be 94-story hotel-and-residential combination.
And don’t miss out on the newly-updated Earthcam shots from Lake Point Tower. You’ll want to check it out at night, for sure.
Night time is the right time to see Vista Tower.
This thing is gonna be HUGE.
Vista Tower continues its climb along East Wacker Drive and the Chicago River. And the more it grows, the more it’s visible from new vantage points. For instance, you can now stand on the Chicago Riverwalk and look straight up and see construction. It may be a little too cold to stand there for long, though.
Vista Theater is fading; the best views of Vista Tower are no on the north side of the Chicago River.
I saw construction on three Wanda Vista Tower projects during October: the one you’re most familiar with, Vista Tower here in Chicago, plus two in Australia: one in the demolition phase in Sydney, New South Wales, and the three-tower Jewel Residences project on the beach in Gold Coast, Queensland. I managed to get to Chicago’s site on the last day of the month to make sure McHugh Construction crews hadn’t finished up while we were gone. Thankfully, they had not.
As you know, I missed most of October in Chicago. And with only one day to catch up, the easiest way to gather up tower crane pictures was to head up 103 floors to Skydeck Chicago. It is from there that you’ll see 28 of Chicago’s 32 active tower cranes. Three of them: the two at Vista Tower, and the 2nd crane at One Grant Park, are hidden from view. The other, at 210 North Carpenter, I just plain whiffed on and missed.
The newest tower crane in Chicago is The Van Buren.
The oldest tower crane in Chicago is…complicated. I’ve got evidence of the Old Town Park crane being assembled on August 2, 2016. And I’ve got evidence of a completed crane at Simpson Querrey on August 4, 2016. Since I don’t know for sure which was operational first, let’s call it a tie.
Here are Chicago’s 32 tower cranes at the start of November 2017:
