More Photos Than I Know What To Do With: The Sinclair

Posted on June 18, 2016 by danieldschell

The Sinclair, at Clark and Division Streets, designated 1201 North La Salle on permits.

Up at Clark and Division Streets in the Gold Coast neighborhood, crews are busy building a new Jewel-Osco store to replace the one torn down last year. But this is no ordinary Jewel. This one will have a produce department, dairy section, a bakery, and a 35-story, 390-unit luxury apartment tower known as The Sinclair.

Designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz, The Sinclair has quickly become one of the coolest construction projects in Chicago. You can thank McHugh Construction for that. But more important than making the project look cool, it’s McHugh’s task to have the tower ready for residents in Summer 2017.

: One of the tower cranes at The Sinclair.

: Yes, there are two of them.

: You remember the old Jewel store, don’t you?

More Photos Than I Know What To Do With: 215 West Lake

Posted on June 16, 2016 by danieldschell

215 West Lake, in the Chicago Loop.

It started with the demolition of a parking garage, then upping the ante by taking down an office building dating back to the late 1800s. Now, 215 West Lake Street in the Loop is a construction site for a 33-story, 265-unit apartment tower.

Designed by Thomas Roszak Architecture, 215 West Lake started foundation work back in February. Surrounded by parking garages, it’s a fun one to watch. Clark Construction is providing the entertainment.

: What’s in that cooler? I assume it’s High-C.

Alta Roosevelt Rings In Summer, Then Plants a Crane

Video

Wandered through the South Loop recently? Wondering about that ringing in your ears? Well, ask not for whom the bell tolls. Mostly because those aren’t bells.

As you’ve likely figured out by now, that sound — that really loud sound — is coming from Alta Roosevelt, the 33-story rental tower being constructed at 801 South Financial Place. Designed by Chicago firm Pappageorge Haymes Partners, Alta Roosevelt will have 496 studios, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, and a whopping 348 parking spaces to go along with them. In an unusual twist from the current building trend, there will be no retail space included.

According to PHP, the tower will feature “resort-like amenities.” These types of highfalutin perks are becoming the norm for new-construction apartments, not just for condominiums. Developers are looking to provide renters with as many creature comforts as possible, making today’s apartment projects look much more like fancy condo buildings. (You can make the argument that high-end amenities will help developers turn those apartments into condos somewhere down the road, but I’m not going there.)

: Look who’s getting a tower crane!

: Still just a seedling. It will grow.

: Tower crane stub and friends.

: 801 South Financial has been a busy busy lot since March.

: It was quieter then, but not much fun to watch.

: Soil sampling rig back in September.

: Site preparation got underway in March.

: Then the big equipment started showing up.

: Along with the pilings. Lots of pilings were driven to the site, so they could be driven *into* the site.

: Lots of pilings.

: Seriously. Piles of pilings.

151 North Franklin Goes Deep

Posted on June 6, 2016 by danieldschell

Crews shored up the pilings around the perimeter, then started digging. And digging.

It’s a bad time to grab a quiet lunch in The Loop. And it will be for quite some time, save weekends. Particularly in that cute little pop-up park on the northwest corner of Franklin and Randolph streets. Unless, of course, eating dust is on your menu. In that case, consider those dump trucks going in and out of 151 North Franklin your personal food trucks.

151 North Franklin is a 35-story, John Ronan Architects-designed office tower being developed by The John Buck Company. Lendlease is the general contractor.

Maybe you miss the Walgreen’s store that occupied this space; I do not. Come on, the best prescription for this lot was new construction. Admit it.

Digging under the shore line. Sort of.

Don’t mind me, Lendlease. Just grabbing a few shots, then I’ll be on my way.

That’s 215 West Lake rising in the background. This is a busy corner of The Loop.

From the 151 North Franklin website, a rendering of the finished tower.

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