Punch Bowl Social picks up a spare, right up their alley

Posted on December 14, 2016 by danieldschell

The restored facade of ~~Brooklyn Bowl~~ Punch Bowl Social in the West Loop.

All the work that went into preserving the historic facade at West Fulton and North Peoria in the West Loop’s Fulton market District isn’t for Brooklyn Bowl, as it turns out. The space, which looks nearly complete, will now be occupied by Punch Bowl Social.

That’s the news we got from Eater Chicago last week. A quick walk around the facility this week shows a venue that looks close to being open; the Punch Bowl Social website says to expect it in 2017. And remember, 2017 is less than three weeks away.

: You can see from here, still some work to do on the top level.

A look into the core of the Apple Store

Gallery

Posted on December 6, 2016 by danieldschell

This gallery contains 16 photos.

Renovation Update: The American Book Company building

Posted on October 21, 2016 by danieldschell

The American Book Company building, 330 East Cermak Road.

Being rehabbed as part of the Marriott Marquis Chicago in the Prairie District of the South Loop, the American Book Company building is being re-purposed as meeting rooms, office space, and retail.

Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998, the American Book Company building, designed by architect Nelson Max Dunning, was on the endangered list as recently as 2008, when a proposal for the block on which it’s located called for its demolition. It was then designated a Chicago Landmark in 2009.

Speaking of 330 East Cermak Road, Crain’s Chicago reported Thursday that a new data center is coming to this address, and would be situated directly behind the American Book Company building, just north on Calumet Avenue.

Construction Update: The McCormick Place Event Center

Posted on October 4, 2016 by danieldschell

The McCormick Place Event Center under construction.

It’s surely a combination of blue steel and red crane, but the construction process at the McCormick Place Event Center in the Prairie District of the South Loop is as much fun to watch as any building site in Chicago. And with the rooftop garden at McCormick Place accessible for Open House Chicago this weekend, you can climb up there and take in the view for yourself. (Make a point to check out the vegetables and herbs as well, just to have a memory of being in a garden on a roof, but you’ll be swept in by the construction.)

Quickly, before you’re deluged by a huge gallery of photos: The McCormick Place Event Center will be a 10,000-seat arena designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli serving as the home court for DePaul basketball, as well as a host to concerts, conventions, business meetings, and other sporting events. Clark Construction is the general contractor.

: They always spot me watching them.

Construction Update: Blue Plate Catering

Posted on September 28, 2016 by danieldschell

Progress continues in the Fulton Market District on the new Blue Plate Catering facility.

Way off in the outer reaches of the Fulton Market District, Blue Plate Catering continues working on a recipe for its new facility. The caterer is leaving the current site at 1061 West Van Buren once construction has wrapped up on the three-story project that will house its corporate offices, the catering kitchen, and a commercial commissary. The design is by Jonathan Splitt Architects. 41 North Contractors of Lisle, IL is the general contractor.

Could Blue Plate be getting new neighbors just across Fulton Street? It’s already being built right next to Fulton West, and Wednesday morning, Ryan Ori of Crain’s Chicago Business reported that a new 18-story, 300-unit apartment building is proposed for 1375 West Fulton. Stay tuned. This quiet section of the far West Loop is no longer so quiet.

Apple makes headlines with new tower crane at Chicago flagship store

Posted on September 9, 2016 by danieldschell

That’s a crane-building crane (in yellow) building a building-building crane (in red)

Headphone jack or no headphone jack, it was hard to miss the tower crane being assembled at the new Chicago Apple flagship store on Michigan Avenue Thursday. Although, if you happened to be looking for it, but missed it, it could be because you were looking too high. Unlike most tower crane, which tend to, you know, “tower” over their respective job sites, the Apple Store crane stands barely three stories in the air. But that’s really all the height you need, when your two-story building has only half its height above street level.

We’ve been waiting for this tower crane for weeks. Luckily, Twitter user @RobertLoerzel, as he’s known to do from time time, was wandering around town Wednesday night tweeting photos, including these, showing tower crane parts awaiting assemblage.

https://twitter.com/robertloerzel/status/773717730319097857

Clearly, that meant I had to be on Michigan Avenue in the morning to catch the action. Which leads to this: more photos of the Chicago Apple Store than you would ever really appreciate. But I took them for you anyway. A few from the morning, and then a few later in the day, after the boom had been attached. Enjoy.

: This photo, as well as the next 3, taken at the LondonHouse Chicago.

Another Chicago Water Tank to be washed from the skyline

Posted on August 31, 2016 by danieldschell

Does this AMUSE you? Not me. The Chicago Water Tank at 809 North Racine is coming down.

You know the water tank at 809 North Racine Street. You’ve passed by it a zillion times. And it always has the power to AMUSE you. This one sits right alongside the Kennedy Expressway at Chicago Avenue.

Well, take your last looks quickly. Tuesday, the City of Chicago filed a permit to bring the tank down. And it doesn’t even get the dignity of a Demolition Permit. No, this tank goes out via “Easy Permit Process.” Harsh. But at least we had some warning, unlike the recently-removed tank at 1882 South Normal.

The “demo” permit. Easy Process, my eye.

The aforementioned Chicago Water Tank at 1882 South Normal. If you know of a permit to remove this one, I’ve not seen it.

Marveling at the restored facade at Brooklyn Bowl

Posted on August 30, 2016 by danieldschell

#sitevisit pic.twitter.com/qzXttj6c6J

— OKW Architects (@OKWArchitects) July 21, 2016

It’s been six weeks since OKW Architects gave us that sneak peek behind the curtain at Brooklyn Bowl in the West Loop. That view, showing the inner walls to the two preserved facades facing south and west, still showed some scaffolding through the windows. But all that is gone now, and we can finally get a good look at the work W.E.O’Neil has done on the exterior. Sure, the blue supports looked cool in afternoon sunlight, but the restored brickwork looks much nicer. See for yourself:

: Looking at the corner of Fulton and Peoria.

: This is the west facade along Peoria Street.

: Fulton facade #1…

: …#2…

: …and #3.

: This gem sits high atop the corner of Fulton and Peoria.

: Looking west on West Fulton.

: Never forget how all those supports gleamed in the sun.

: The facade, from inside.

: Here’s a rendering from Convexity Properties of what Brooklyn Bowl will look like when complete.

An overview of Chicago’s Apple flagship store

Posted on August 5, 2016 by danieldschell

Looking down at the Apple store construction from LondonHouse Chicago.

You didn’t need another post about the Apple flagship store being built in Pioneer Court on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. You’ve seen the concrete cutters, you’ve seen the tower crane stub. By now, you’re ready to see the actual store.

But I couldn’t help it. From the spectacular 22nd-floor lounge of the brand new LondonHouse Chicago across the river, you can get an amazing bird’s-eye view of the goings-on at Apple down below.

So here, enjoy the third update of the same construction site this week. And enjoy the view from LondonHouse. You’ll want to get up there yourself soon; it really is amazing.

: Looking east out onto Lake Michigan.

: The view up the Chicago River ain’t bad, either.

: A little detail of the rooftop accouterments.

: The view from terra firma.

Chicago’s new Apple flagship store plants a tower crane in Pioneer Court

Posted on August 3, 2016 by danieldschell

I should have waited one more day to post about the new Apple flagship store on the Magnificent Mile. Now, for one of the best possible reasons, I have to take you to 401 North Michigan Avenue for the second day in a row: Chicago’s new Apple store has a tower crane stub!

Power Construction, contractors general (is that a thing) for the new gadget haven, anchored the first section into the ground today. And as luck would have it, I was in the very same neighborhood today. Crazy, right?

: You see it, right? Waaaaaay over there?

: Soon, Apple will be able to use their tower crane to pluck kayakers from the Chicago River. Like an iDock.

: Tight quarters.

Building Up Chicago

An Eye on Chicago Construction.

Category Archives: Commercial