It’s Foundation Time at 5252 South Cornell in Hyde Park

Posted on April 2, 2018 by danieldschell

There are bright yellow Case Foundation rigs at the corner of 53rd Street and Cornell Avenue in Hyde Park, and you know that must mean foundation work is about to begin at 5252 South Cornell. Curbed Chicago had all the info you need to know about this 26-story tower getting started back in March. But we’ve gleaned from the foundation permit that we can expect 246 apartments atop a four-level parking podium.

Linn-Mathes, the general contractor on 5252 South Cornell, is putting the finishing touches on Solstice on the Park just three blocks to the south of this latest project, so that should be a nice, easy transition for construction crews.

: The construction permit, issued March 19, 2018.

: The Tower Crane permit, issued March 29, 2018.

Solstice on the Park nears the finish line

Posted on March 31, 2018 by danieldschell

As this Metra Electric train pulls into the station, so too Solstice on the Park is soon to arrive.

A Spring opening appears imminent for Solstice on the Park, the Studio Gang-designed residential tower in Hyde Park. And since that was the plan all along, the timing is perfect.

The foundation permit for Solstice on the Park was issued back in October of 2016, allowing Linn-Mathes to start building atop what was previously a surface parking lot, with one level of parking underground. That lot is but a distant memory now.

Developer Antheus Capital has about 250 apartments available within the tower. The B.U.C. is eyeing up one of those three-bedroom, south-facing units, with views of Lake Michigan and Jackson Park. We figure we’ll turn one of those bedrooms into an office, just as soon as we do a thorough check through the sofa cushions and honor-box snack station for spare change.

And now, a whole mess of photos of the finished-looking Solstice on the Park residential tower. Congratulations, Hyde Park. This one’s a gem!

Competition is fierce, as the two towers of The Lincoln Common rise in Lincoln Park

Posted on February 23, 2018 by danieldschell

Somewhat of a side-by-side shot of two towers at The Lincoln Common rising in Lincoln Park.

Only in my own mind is there a raging competition at The Lincoln Common between W.E. O’Neil crews on the North and South towers. It’s only my imagination conjuring up images of hidden hammers and missing rebar, as the North Team does anything it can to infiltrate the South and sabotage their efforts. You simply can’t complete a 20-story building if one of your work boots is stolen every morning.

Yet somehow, both towers seem to be coming along quite nicely. As if everyone’s working together instead of getting in each other’s way. Novel concept, is it not?

Eight Eleven Uptown nears the top

Posted on February 23, 2018 by danieldschell

Eight Eleven Uptown is very close to topping out, as seen from North Broadway and looking straight up North Clarendon.

First of all, let me thank the Thursday-morning skies for clearing up just enough to get some sunlight and breaking clouds for these shots of Eight Eleven Uptown. It looked magnificent.

Also, thanks to Lendlease for labeling floor numbers on the hoist so theycan be seen from the street. Using the last-marked floor, 22, and counting upward, it looks like construction crews are working on the 26th level, while the core has reached 27. This being a 27-story tower, Eight Eleven Uptown is very close to topping out. That’s just math.

Designed by Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture, and co-developed by JDL Development and Harlem Irving Companies, the tower at 811 West Agatite in the Uptown neighborhood will deliver 381 apartments and 36,000 square feet of retail space upon completion, including a Treasure Island grocery store.

Bidding a foggy adieu to the Ancora tower crane at Riverline

Posted on February 19, 2018 by danieldschell

The tower crane servicing Ancora at Riverline was at half-mast last week.

The skies over Chicago weren’t very cooperative last Thursday, as we made the pilgrimage down to Riverline to bid a fond farewell to the tower crane that has topped out Ancora, the 29-story apartment tower representing Phase One of CMK Companies’ and Lendlease’s South Loop community. We shouldn’t have to wait too long for another crane to show up on site; there’s already quite a bit of earth moving to prep the site for more development, which may or may not be a tower named “Current.”

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

Posted on December 1, 2017 by danieldschell

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.

: Over at McCormick Place West building…

: …they’re starting work…

: …on the skybridge that will attach…

: …to the triple-branded Hiltons across the street.

Eight Eleven Uptown brings the pane

Posted on November 28, 2017 by danieldschell

Curtain wall installation has begun at Eight Eleven Uptown.

Lots of progress has been made at Eight Eleven Uptown. Not just in height, which appears to have reached a dozen or so floors. But also in glass. A walk around Lendlease’s construction site Monday revealed two levels of curtain wall installed on Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture’s 27-story apartment tower.

Eight Eleven Uptown is comprised of 381 rental units and nearly 300 parking spaces. Many of those parking spots will be used for the Treasure Island food store to be included in the 36,000 square feet of planned commercial space.

Watch via EarthCam as work begins on Milwaukee’s BMO Tower

Posted on November 27, 2017 by danieldschell

Google Maps image of the doomed parking garage, being demolished to make room for BMO Tower in Milwaukee.

November 16 saw groundbreaking ceremonies for BMO Tower in Milwaukee, a 25-story office building that will serve as the new home for BMO Harris Bank. Designed by Kahler Slater (Westin Milwaukee), the tower will feature 380,000 rentable square feet, and 647 parking spaces through the 8th floor. The ground floor will contain a BMO Harris bank branch. Along with BMO Harris, the law firm of Michael Best & Friedrich LLP is also signed on as a tenant.

As you can see below, our friend Curtis Waltz at Aerialscapes flew over the site this weekend. BMO’s current offices are in the building on the right. To the left, you can see the demolition equipment staged atop the roof of the soon-to-be-leveled parking garage.

Aerial view courtesy of Curtis Waltz at Aerialscapes.

The new BMO Tower is being developed by Irgens, which will also renovate BMO Harris’ current space next door once they move into the new building. J.H. Findorff and Son (Marquette and The Couture) is the general contractor.

Of course, with Milwaukee being a far far far north suburb of Chicago, it’s a little out of my coverage radius. Thankfully, EarthCam sent over a link to its webcam for the BMO Tower project, so you can watch progress, starting with the demolition of the existing seven-story parking garage, live. You’ll find “View 3” is already zoomed in on the rooftop of that garage for you to get a close-up look.

BMO Tower rendering from Kahler Slater.

Another Google Maps image of the parking garage being demolished at Broadway and Wells.

Riverline After Dark, Ancora Edition

Posted on November 24, 2017 by danieldschell

When I snapped a bunch of South Loop construction photos a few nights ago, I failed to wander far enough to include Ancora at Riverline in the mix. And the guilt got to me. So, to make it up to Ancora, it gets ts own gallery.

145 South Wells scores a foundation permit

Posted on November 23, 2017 by danieldschell

The Foundation Permit for 145 South Wells, issued 11/22/17.

145 South Wells can begin drilling caissons in its Loop lot. A permit issued by the City of Chicago Wednesday says so. That means we’ll see Case Foundation on site any minute now.

The 20-story office tower is being built by Moceri + Roszak. Thomas Roszak Architecture handled the design for 145 South Wells, which will deliver more than 200,000 square feet of luxury loft offices.

The Loop is presently without a single tower crane, so 145 South Wells figures to be our next opportunity to have one erected. Beyond this project, 130 North Franklin and redevelopment of the General Growth building at 110 North Wacker are the most likely tower cranes on the horizon.

Demolition of the parking garage in March of this year.

145 South Wells rendering from Thomas Roszak Architects.

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