Construction Progress: 151 North Franklin glazes a trail in The Loop

Posted on February 14, 2017 by danieldschell

Just a couple guys, hanging out, and in, and over, 151 North Franklin.

151 North Franklin, the future CNA Center in The Loop, keeps getting taller and shinier. Go by at any time of day, and you’ll see crews on a couple sides of the building hanging glass panels. It’s the kind of work that’s fun to watch from down here, until you see someone lean out over the edge to watch what’s happening below them, and you need to move on before you lose your lunch.

Here, have a bunch of progress photos, all taken without having to dangle precariously from, over, or above anything.

A Sunny Day At: 1035 West Van Buren

Posted on February 13, 2017 by danieldschell

Okay, this one isn’t from a sunny day. I just really like the way 1035 West Van Buren looks at night. I won’t try to fool you again.

Another segment in the A Sunny Day At series. This time, it’s 1035 West Van Buren. With its new rows of glass, yellow forms, and red wraps, it begs to be photographed when the sun is out.

1035 West Van Buren works its way into Chicago’s western skyline.

Linea is just about as glassy as it gets

Posted on February 10, 2017 by danieldschell

Linea, 215 West Lake Street in The Loop, is all glazed over. Yes, that’s a tree up there.

Save for one little corner that looks like it may not get windows at all, Linea is a glass that’s full. The 33-story apartment tower at 215 West Lake Street from Moceri + Roszak has been glazed over thoroughly, as work continues on the interior as well. A design by Thomas Roszak Architecture, Linea brings 265 apartments to the heart of Chicago’s Loop. Clark Construction has been on the build since breaking ground, a really old building, and a parking garage beginning late in 2015.

: A lone level of glass remains un-glazed.

: But it has to get windows eventually…right?

: More trees.

: Linea Chicago and 151 North Franklin have grown up together.

: Standing on tippy-toes, each trying to be taller than the other.

A sunny day at: The Gallery On Wells

Posted on February 8, 2017 by danieldschell

Today, I present another segment in the A Sunny Day At series. In what has been a relatively drab winter in Chicago, when you get a sunny day, you go outside and take pictures of everything under the sun. Literally. Doesn’t matter if a particular building has just been updated on the blog; if the next day is sunny, then you post more pictures. Period. And so, enjoy a few photos of The Gallery On Wells, at 637 North Wells Street in River North, in good lighting.

Top that glass off for ya? Aurélien nears full glazing

Posted on January 26, 2017 by danieldschell

Glass nears the top of Aurélien, 833 North Clark Street in Near North.

Aurélien, the 31-story, 368-unit apartment tower Ryan Companies is developing and building at 833 North Clark Street in Near North continues to move closer to moving in tenants. Window installations have reached within a couple floors of the top. Pretty soon, they’re be installing appliances, tiling back splashes, and hanging shower curtains. The Aurélien website promises an early-2017 opening for the Antunovich Associates-designed rental project.

1035 West Van Buren brings the pane

Posted on January 25, 2017 by danieldschell

The first few panes of glazing have been installed at 1035 West Van Buren in the West Loop.

1035 West Van Buren, the 30-story apartment tower Related Midwest is developing in the West Loop, has reached a milestone moment: glass has made its first appearance, one level above the podium.

Designed by the combined forces of New York’s Morris Adjmi Architects and Chicago’s very own GREC Architects, the new tower sits alongside the Eisenhower Expressway, and will deliver 300 rental units to the neighborhood. Lendlease is the general contractor. It is the hope that 1035 West Van Buren will be open before 2017 is closed.

: Spotted the new glass from the B.U.C. office. That earns me a cookie.

: BUC Zoom.

: The first few panes of glazing have been installed at 1035 West Van Buren in the West Loop.

The Sinclair is getting along just fine with only one tower crane

Posted on January 24, 2017 by danieldschell

The Sinclair rises into its place in the Chicago skyline.

Remember when The Sinclair thrilled us all by installing two tower cranes for erecting the 35 stories worth of sparkling new apartments in the Gold Coast? Alas, one tower crane made quick work of the podium toward the northeast side of The Sinclair grounds, and was soon gone from sight. But that second crane is still hard at work, helping McHugh Construction hoist the heavy lifting.

Designed by SCB, The Sinclair will have a 350-space parking garage and a 55,000-square-foot Jewel-Osco store in that aforementioned podium, replacing the Jewel at Clark and Division that was demolished to make room for the project. There will be 390 apartments, from studios to three-bedroom units.

: Tower cranes from Atrium Village, right, and The Sinclair, left.

: NOPE

: The view from Near North.

Construction Progress: No. 9 Walton nears 30 stories

Posted on January 23, 2017 by danieldschell

No. 9 Walton plays peek-a-boo with its new Gold Coast neighbors.

Rendering of No. 9 Walton from JDL Development.

In a very short period of time, No. 9 Walton has gone from vacant lot, to huge hole in the ground, to nearly 30 stories of Gold Coast high-rise. Originally approved as a 35-story tower with 67 uber-luxurious condominiums, the Chicago Plan Commission later filed approval to tack on two additional stories, though it isn’t know if those two extra stories will go on top of the tower, or somewhere in the middle. Say, one between the 17th and 18th floors, and one between floors 24 and 25, for example.

Wherever those floors appear, JDL Development is so excited about this new endeavor, company president and founder Jim Letchinger has reserved one of the units for his own full-time residence. Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture took care of the design for this one; Lendlease is taking care of the construction.

Construction Progress: The Gallery On Wells

Posted on January 18, 2017 by danieldschell

The Gallery on Wells.

The Gallery On Wells is taller than its neighbor across the street, 640 North Wells, and it still has a tower crane. So perhaps it really has won the War on Wells. The 39-story apartment tower at 167 West Erie Street (or 637 North Wells, if you prefer) from the Magellan Development Group looks to have reached about the 30-story level or so. Linn-Mathes is doing the honors, putting 442 rental units, 131 parking spots, and 7,500 square feet of retail space into the Loewenberg Architects design.

: In the foreground, 640 North LaSalle, where the amenities deck will be for the Gallery on Wells.

If you’re clad and you know it… you might be 151 North Franklin

Posted on January 16, 2017 by danieldschell

There’s an embarrassment of riches of new glass around Chicago these days. The latest to show up for the party? 151 North Franklin. But you have to look carefully. There are a few panels visible from the corner of Franklin and Randolph, and then a couple rows along Couch Place (aka the alley between Randolph and Lake.)

Have a look:

: The glass along Franklin…

: …is hidden under the corner of Franklin and Randolph.

: Alley glass, from an unsafe angle.

: Alley glass.

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