The empty lot is empty no more: Here comes the Rafael Viñoly tower

1200 South Indiana

Crews are clearing the lot and prepping for the start of construction for Rafael Viñoly’s 1200 South Indiana

*** UPDATE: Crescent Heights, on its website, is calling this project One Grant Park. Let’s go with that then, at least for now. ***

The empty lot on the corner of Michigan Avenue and Roosevelt Road (or Indiana Avenue and Roosevelt, which coincides with the project address) is no longer idle.

On Wednesday of last week, the Sloopin Blog reported that neighbors had been told to expect construction to start this week on 1200 South Indiana, the 76-story rental tower from developer Crescent Heights. And sure enough, what remained of the concrete slabs has been scraped up, smoothed over, and crews are erecting safety fencing on the perimeter of the lot. Soon, foundation crews will start drilling massive caissons into the ground to support the 792 apartments atop 12 levels of parking within the Rafael Viñoly Architects design.

1200 South Indiana will be another big project for McHugh Construction, already busy at The Sinclair and Vista Tower.

Return to New York City: 220 Central Park South

220 Central Park South

Looking straight up at 220 Central Park South from West 58th Street.

No, I didn’t really return to New York City. That would be wishful thinking. I merely sorted through a few more photos that I actually managed to label properly, in order to put together a gallery focused on the new condo tower at 220 Central Park South in Midtown Manhattan.

Developer Vornado Realty Trust is building 116 units or so in two parts: One, an 18-story “villa” that fronts 59th Street, and a 79-story tower that unofficially fronts the north side of 58th Street. 220 Central Park South is a design by New York’s Robert A.M. Stern Architects, currently known around these parts for designing One Bennett Park in Streeterville.

Lendlease, also busy all over Chicago, is the general contractor.

To learn more about 220 Central Park South, please see the outstanding work from New York YIMBY here, and from 6sqft here.

And now, a barrage of photographs.

 

 

1200 South Indiana gets a permit for 792 apartments in the South Loop

1200 South Indiana

A rendering of 1200 South Indiana from Rafael Viñoly Architects.

We knew it was coming. It’s here now.

1200 South Indiana, the 76-story supertall by Rafael Viñoly Architects, received a permit from the City of Chicago on Friday to begin foundation work. The Crescent Heights development means 792 apartments at the south end of Grant Park, along Roosevelt Road between Michigan and Indiana Avenues. Expect 12 (twelve?!) levels of parking and about 12,000 square feet of retail space as well, not to mention all the creature comforts you’d expect from new high-end (and sky-high) rentals in Chicago.

Now skyscraper nerds will have to split our spectating time between 1200 South Indiana and Vista Tower, which is already captivating audiences with caisson work of epic proportions at 363 East Wacker Drive. As with Vista, McHugh Construction is the general contractor on 1200 South Indiana.