W Hotel Times Square goes all out for the Chicago Cubs

Posted on October 22, 2016 by danieldschell

#FlyTheW
Thank you for your support, W Hotel!

In an alarming show of support for the team the Mets swept out of last year’s Playoffs, the W Hotel in Times Square chose to Fly The W for the Chicago Cubs as they head to the World Series.

Within minutes of the Cubs completing the 4-games-to-2 series win over the Dodgers, the W Hotel was proudly displaying the W flag, albeit a white W instead of the traditional blue W immortalized by recent Cubs teams. This, however, is an easily forgivable sin.

Now, four more wins.

The Viceroy Chicago covers up its jagged concrete with crooked glass

Posted on October 20, 2016 by danieldschell

Flat glass cladding? Not here at the Viceroy Chicago.

If you’re like me, you enjoy going from construction site to construction site, telling crews what they’re doing wrong.

Just kidding. Don’t ever do that. It wouldn’t be appreciated.

The Viceroy Chicago Hotel going up at 1118 North State Street in the Gold Coast has been showing some cool geometric concrete flooring of late, shapes that I assumed would disappear once cladding was put into place. Luckily, architects like Goettsch Partners and contractors like Power Construction know more about what they do than I. Because the best way to to compliment those patterns is to use glass that mocks them.

Glass is going up rapidly at The Viceroy, but this is no ordinary pane. (Sorry, Stevie.) These pieces of cladding come angled. But you’ll see what I mean when you look at the photos.

: This render from Viceroy Hotels shows the V-patterns that angled glass will form. V for Viceroy.

: See? These are the cool shapes in the concrete floors. Especially cool at the corner.

Who expected a sandlot next door to Wrigley Field?

Posted on October 19, 2016 by danieldschell

The Cubs Fly The W in the background, as construction continues at Hotel Zachary.

There’s been a curious discovery on the future site of the Hotel Zachary: Sand. Not a few grains in an hourglass. Tons of it. And more tons. The random sampling I took of Walsh Construction (two workers) revealed that no one was expecting to find so much sand on the lot. Makes me wonder if someone with an excavator didn’t exclaim “You’re killing me, Smalls!” at some point. (Google it, if you must)

Anyway, here are a few grainy (heh) photos of construction progress, most of which remains below grade.

P.S. Free idea for Walsh Construction – See if you can talk the Chicago Cubs into replacing that blue and white banner with a Big Green W.

Vista Tower caisson work, second only to the Cubs as a spectator sport

Posted on October 12, 2016 by danieldschell

Even the pigeons are mesmerized by caisson work going on at Vista Tower.

Vista Tower doesn’t need pre-sales of condo units. Just charge $5 for each one of us leaning against the railings along Wacker Drive, and by The Tides and The Shoreham atop Field Boulevard. It would raise a fortune.

Case Foundation continues to bore holes into the Lakeshore East earth, then fills them up with cement and rebar and corrugated metal tubes and even the occasional iron tube. Seriously, stop by and watch some time. Unless you have a meeting to go to. because you won’t make it back to the office in time.

: Found you! My trun to hide!

Construction Update: The Marriott Marquis Chicago at McCormick Place

Posted on October 6, 2016 by danieldschell

That’s the Marriott Marquis Chicago, way over there. Don’t worry; I’ll get you closer.

39 stories. 1,205 rooms. 25,000 square feet of ballroom space. 90,000 square feet of meeting space. Two pedestrian bridges. Lots of glass.

The Marriott Marquis Chicago will have it all when it opens in July of 2017. But for now, what it has are lots of photo ops. If you’re into that sort of thing.

I am.

: Attaching the Marriott Marquis to the old American Book Company building.

: The pedestrian bridge from the West Building of McCormick Place, to the Marriott Marquis.

: The other pedestrian bridge, connecting the Marriott Marquis to the McCormick Place Event Center.

As the Cubs enter the Playoffs, Hotel Zachary preps for its inaugural season

Posted on September 27, 2016 by danieldschell

Foundation work is underway for the Hotel Zachary, next to Wrigley Field.

There’s a buzz in Wrigleyville these days, and it isn’t all about the Cubs steamrolling their way into the post-season. No, a lot of that excitement is coming from large power tools.

It’s still early in the construction season around Wrigley Field, with a number of projects ongoing. One of those is the recently-named Hotel Zachary. Under development by Hickory Street Capital, the Hotel Zachary will be a 7-story, mixed-use facility with 175 guest rooms, retail space, and several restaurants. Most importantly, it will include a replacement McDonald’s for the one torn down on Clark Street to make room for the new digs. The project is a design by VOA Associates, and Walsh Construction is the general contractor. Mints should be on pillows, and special sauce should be on Big Macs, early in 2018.

You can read the full press release from Hickory Street Capital about the Hotel Zachary immediately following a few photos of foundation work.

: Rendering of Hotel Zachary from Hickory Street Capital

: Rendering of Hotel Zachary from Hickory Street Capital

: The Foundation Permit

: Tower Crane Permit

: Zero more served at the old McDonald’s.

HICKORY STREET CAPITAL ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR FIRST BOUTIQUE HOTEL IN WRIGLEYVILLE, HOTEL ZACHARY

09.13.2016

CHICAGO (September 13, 2016) – Hickory Street Capital, a real estate development company owned by the Ricketts family, has revealed plans for Hotel Zachary, a new boutique, lifestyle hotel located in the heart of Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. Situated at the corner of Clark and Addison Streets adjacent to the landmark historic Wrigley Field, Hotel Zachary will be a community gathering place that taps into the distinctive character of Wrigleyville. Slated to open in early 2018, Hotel Zachary will offer an authentic neighborhood experience on the north side of Chicago.

Hotel Zachary will be a second home for city explorers, business travelers, visiting families and baseball enthusiasts, who seek an environment that allows one to live like a local. The hotel name pays homage to famed Chicago architect, Zachary Taylor Davis, who designed Wrigley Field in 1914. To create a baseball cathedral that would stand the test of time, Davis laid out a bold, ambitious vision for a neighborhood ballpark. Inspired by the architectural history of Chicago, Hotel Zachary is an authentic place of rest, revelry and rejuvenation, with an attention to detail that will surprise and delight guests at every turn.

“We are proud to bring Hotel Zachary to the Wrigleyville neighborhood as part of our commitment to enhance the Lakeview community,” said Tom Ricketts, chairman of Hickory Street Capital. “With this new hotel, we look forward to paying respect to the rich and storied history of Chicago architecture, while creating a unique hotel experience for guests.”

The hotel’s design blends classic elements with a modern aesthetic and draws inspiration from neighboring Wrigley Field. A seven story, 238,000-square-foot, mixed-use building, it will include retail space for Chicago-born boutiques and local chef-driven restaurants, featuring some of city’s most well-known hospitality groups. With a focus on bringing the amazing and delectable cuisines of Chicago all under one roof, Hickory Street Capital is partnering with One Off Hospitality, 4 Star Restaurant Group, Folkart Restaurant Management and West Town Bakery to provide a one-of-a-kind tasting experience for guests and locals, alike. The building will also be home to a Wintrust Bank and McDonald’s retail location.

“From inception, we felt it was important to partner with Chicago-based, chef-driven, restaurant groups to curate a distinctly local experience unique to Wrigleyville,” explains Eric Nordness, vice president of Hickory Street Capital. “We feel fortunate to have partnered with passionate chef-driven restaurant operators who are at the forefront of Chicago’s culinary community.”

The 175-room hotel will be a part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, allowing guests to enjoy the Starwood reservation system and Starwood Preferred Guest Loyalty Program. The project is also in collaboration with Davidson Hotels & Resorts, VOA Associates, Walsh Construction and Wintrust Bank.

“Lakeview is the most dynamic neighborhood in Chicago,” said Crane Kenney, president of Hickory Street Capital. “The goal of our development is to create a town hub, where families, fans and visitors find entertainment, great food and daily attractions in an urban park setting. Hotel Zachary will capture the amazing energy of Wrigleyville, as the first boutique, lifestyle hotel in the neighborhood.”

For more information about Hickory Street Capital, please visitwww.hickorystreetcapital.com. For more information on Hotel Zachary, please visitwww.hotelzachary.com and follow along on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook at @HotelZachary.

About Hickory Street Capital
Hickory Street Capital is a real estate development company founded by the Ricketts Family to pursue Chicago-based real estate interests outside of their baseball interests. The company is building a lifestyle, mixed-use development adjacent to Wrigley Field, including a 175-room boutique hotel, office building and community oriented plaza.

Media Contacts:
Stephanie Reay or Carly Holstein
Zapwater Communications
Email: stephanier@zapwater.com | carly@zapwater.com
312.943.0333

It’s a CaissonFest at Vista Tower

Posted on September 23, 2016 by danieldschell

That’s a 12′-diameter, 20′-long caisson on the right, with a longer one being trucked in.

Case Foundation is on the scene (you thought I was gonna say “on the case” didn’t you…You are so predictable) at Vista Tower, boring holes into the earth and sinking caissons. Dozens and dozens of them. Deep ones, too. They’ve got twelve-foot diameter guides on site. These will be serious caissons. Some 100 feet long.

You already know all you need to know about the 93-story Vista Tower. I’ll skip the tired verbiage, and let you get right to the photos.

: I wasn’t the only one watching.

Addition by subtraction at 168 North Michigan

Posted on September 14, 2016 by danieldschell

Back in July, the Chicago Plan Commission approved plans to finally get the renovation of the former Atlantic Bank Building at 168 North Michigan Avenue restarted. The design to turn the building into a 210-room hotel, by Hirsch Associates Architects, calls for five additional floors to be added to the existing structure. But first, the 13th floor penthouse and everything occupying the roof has to be removed, and that work is taking place now on 168 North Michigan’s rooftop.

W.E. O’Neil is the general contractor (have you checked out the job they did at LondonHouse?!) on the renovations, having replaced the original contractor back in May.

The renovation permit, allowing for removal of the 13th floor penthouse.

This is what the rooftop looked like in July.

As of this week, there isn’t much left up there.

A look from street level.

Signage a good sign at Homewood Suites/Hampton Inn

Posted on September 12, 2016 by danieldschell

The Hampton Inn & Homewood Suites at 118 North Jefferson has signs stating such.

The new West Loop hotel from Jupiter Realty continues to stride towards completion. The combination Homewood Suites & Hampton Inn is now clearly marked at the top of the south-facing facade. Designed by VOA Associates, the Homewood/Hampton will have 336 rooms and about 8,000 square feet of retail space, plus 117 indoor parking spots. The building permit also mentions a restaurant on the 24th floor.

Power Construction has been on the job since ground was broken in March 2015. And it looks like they’re close to making Jupiter’s goal of opening the Homewood-Hampton this month. There’s work to do in the lobby, and some mints to put on pillows, but my guess is, folks will be catching shut-eye here within the next two weeks.

: Nope.

: The main entrance, and the garage entrance, at 118 North Jefferson.

: Some work remains on the sidewalk in front of the hotel(s).

As Nobu Hotel awaits height decision, caisson equipment arrives

Posted on September 2, 2016 by danieldschell

Caisson equipment offloading for the Nobu Hotel in the West Loop.

When the Chicago Plan Commission meets on the 15th of September, one of the decisions they’ll make is whether to allow the West Loop’s Nobu Hotel project to go to eleven. Stories, that is. Per the Commission’s September agenda:

The proposal will establish an 11-story hotel with 119 hotel keys, amenity space for hotel patrons, ground floor restaurant and 35 off-site accessory parking spaces. (27th Ward)

After a big groundbreaking ceremony featuring co-owner Robert “I Heard Some Things” DeNiro back in June, nothing much has happened (besides some soil sampling in July) on the lot along the Randolph Street Restaurant Row. But Thursday, crews could be seen over, under, and around the secretive plywood privacy fencing, offloading caisson equipment. Because whether you know your height allowance or not, you’re still gonna need a foundation.

: This soil sampling rig was on site back in July.

Building Up Chicago

An Eye on Chicago Construction.

Category Archives: Hotel