Home2 Suites has a stub; expect the tower crane this weekend

Posted on November 2, 2017 by danieldschell

Home2 Suites River North is getting a pretty yellow tower crane this weekend.

The Home2 Suites at 110 West Huron in River North planted a tower crane stub some time during my absence, and we’re being told here at B.U.C. that crews will begin assembling the full tower crane Friday.

You’ll remember that the Home2 Suites River North will be a 17-story, 185-room hotel being developed by Akara Partners and designed by NORR. Stalworth Underground was out there doing caissons work last time we stopped by, but they’ve completed those and moved on. That means M.A. Mortenson Company has come down from Wisconsin to take complete control of the build.

: Stalworth Underground tackling caissons last month.

: Stub.

Multiplex dazzles with a Tower Crane Light Show on Surfers Paradise Beach

Posted on October 29, 2017 by danieldschell

Tower cranes light up the night atop Jewel Gold Coast on Surfers Paradise Beach.

As you may have heard, my wife and I spent a couple weeks in Australia. Now that we’re back home in Chicago’s weather instead, it’s time to get myself organized and figure out what to do with the hundreds and hundreds of photos I took. By my last count, I have about 75 files (more than 30 just in Melbourne!) of pictures for different construction sites and buildings. (Yes, two of those files are “Sydney Opera House” and “Sydney Harbour Bridge.” You can’t help it when you’re there.)

I don’t know how many of those files will be shared here on the blog — I’ve only posted about two of them so far, both in Melbourne — but right now the odds are about 50/50 that I post either all of them, or none of them. The big questions are, which sites are most entertaining to see? and in what order do I post?

I was going to try to build up some sort of crescendo, start you out slow, then hit you with the coolest, most sensational posts. But no, I’ve decided to get right to the good stuff.

Along Surfers Paradise Beach in the coastal city of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, Multiplex is erecting the three-tower Jewel Gold Coast. Chicago has had its own Tower of Jewel project recently, the just-completed Sinclair apartment building at Clark and Division, which also happens to be in Gold Coast, this one being north of the equator. Jewel Gold Coast is a little different. And brighter at night.

Jewel Gold Coast is a joint project from developers Wanda Group and RDG. Both firms are from China. And yes, Wanda Group is part of the development team for Vista Tower in Chicago, which, like Jewel Gold Coast, will include a Wanda Vista Hotel. The design is by DBI Design, which has an office in Gold Coast, hence I would like to work there. (Gold Coast is a spectacular beach city. Go visit.) There will be 171 hotel rooms, 512 apartments, and 816 parking spots, with lots of commercial space thrown in for good measure. And good tourists. According to the Gold Coast Bulletin, the three towers will be 36, 41, and 47 stories high, respectively.

As I’ve mentioned, Multiplex, busy throughout Australia, is the builder. And the lighter of tower cranes. Four of Multiplex’s five cranes (they all have names; I’ll get to that another day) are lit up at night, like light sabers guarding the coastline. And those are what I’ve chosen to show you first, from our walk along the beach on the final night of our Australia trip. Enjoy. Sorry I didn’t have a tripod for these.

: I was trying to get that blue “Jewel” logo. Meet Lotty, everyone.

: MULTIUPLEX

: MULTIPLEX & MOON

More hotel progress, as Aloft Chicago Mag Mile grows in Streeterville

Posted on October 10, 2017 by danieldschell

Aloft Chicago Mag Mile grows toward 18 stories ate 243 East Ontario Street in Streeterville.

On a very busy block for hospitality, the Aloft Chicago Mag Mile is beginning to push skyward where the former Museum of Contemporary Art once stood in Streeterville. The 18-story, 336-room Valerio Dewalt Train-designed hotel will join the brand-new Hotel EMC2 and Marriott Fairfield Inn just across Ontario Street, plus the Ivy Boutique next door.

Tishman, which recently completed the Kenect project in River West, is the general contractor for the Aloft Chicago Mag Mile. This is their lone tower crane on the Chicago count. Completion is expected in Winter 2018.

Construction Progress: Hilton Homewood Suites is all 3-D

Posted on October 10, 2017 by danieldschell

The 30-story Hilton Homewood Suites at 1101 South Wabash, somewhat slow to get out of the ground, is starting to shoot upwards. Credit Lendlease for the progress on the hotel, which is scheduled to open late next year.

A core is rising at the Nobu Hotel

Posted on October 9, 2017 by danieldschell

The core is rising from the ground at the Nobu Hotel.

That tower crane Centaur Construction put up is paying dividends, as the core has risen above street level at the Nobu Hotel at 854 West Randolph Street in the West Loop. The Nobu won’t rise high — just 11 stories — so the every inch of growth looks significant.

Speaking of significant, the opening of Nobu will be significantly later than the “late 2017” estimate from that press release linked above. Remember, Nobu famously broke ground (famous because Robert De Niro was here for it) back in June of 2016, but foundation work didn’t get underway until March of this year. The new release date (it’s a De Niro production, so I used a movie-industry term. Get it?) is now 2018, according to the Nobu Hotels website. That’s easily doable for Centaur.

: First, a couple tower crane shots.

Home2 Suites by Hilton gets a caisson workout in River North

Posted on October 6, 2017 by danieldschell

The 17-story Home2 Suites by Hilton will stand atop caissons Stalworth Underground is drilling and filling now.

The Home2 Suites by Hilton coming to River North at 110 West Huron Street is in full-blown caisson phase these days. Stalworth Underground is doing the caisson work for general contractor M.A. Mortenson Company, and has their big blue machines hard at work on the corner of Clark and Huron. Akara Partners is developing the hotel, a design by NORR Inc., which will bring 185 rooms across the 17-story tower.

: Home2 Suites rendering, taken from across the street.

As the regular season winds down, Hotel Zachary prepares for Opening Day in 2018

Posted on September 29, 2017 by danieldschell

https://twitter.com/WrigleyAerials/status/912428749366480896

That’s Curtis Waltz from Aerialscapes up there in that tweet, and he’s absolutely right. There may not be mints on pillows yet, but the Hotel Zachary looks like a hotel that wants to be open sooner rather than later. Granted, another Cubs playoff run will still draw the bulk of the attention around Wrigley Field this fall, but maybe HZ likes it that way. Fly under the radar. As Aerialscapes flies over.

The Hotel Zachary is Hickory Street Capital’s development, and designed by VOA Associates/Stantec. The 7-story hotel will have 175 guest rooms, retail spaces, and multiple dining options. Walsh Construction has been on the job since breaking ground last summer. You won’t have to wait for the Cubs Opening Day 2018 to stay at the Hotel Zachary; it will open early next year.

The 8-story Moxy Hotel is 8 stories high

Posted on September 27, 2017 by danieldschell

River North’s Moxy Hotel shouldn’t grow much taller than this.

Look, I’m not saying the Moxy Hotel in River North has topped out. I’m also not saying it hasn’t. But it has for sure reached the eighth floor of what we’re told is to be an eight-story boutique hotel. There are also a couple rows of glass installed now, to nicely compliment the yellow siding.

That’s Pepper Construction out there doing the dirty work. You know them for being a prominent concrete contractor, and they also recently completed the Hotel EMC2 in Streeterville.

We (Read: I) still don’t know much about the Moxy Chicago. It’ll be eight stories, because that’s what the permit says. But there hasn’t been any indication of room count, rooftop bars, types of mints on the pillows, nothing like that. The website shows the hotel in Chicago plans a mid-2018 opening. So that’s all we can say for now.

: The little tower crane that could, has.

: There it is again, down the block.

It’s time to go vertical, as the Hoxton Chicago erects a tower crane

Posted on September 25, 2017 by danieldschell

Chicago’s newest tower crane is at the Hoxton Chicago hotel in the West Loop.

The Hoxton Chicago hotel in the West Loop can start shooting upward toward its 12-story goal, now that Power Construction has installed a shiny new tower crane to do the heavy lifting. Power and Central Contractors Service spent most of the weekend putting up the Peiner SK-415 beauty on the lot at Lake and Green Streets in the ridiculously busy Fulton Market District.

The GREC-designed hotel got its tower crane permit from the City of Chicago back on August 4, so we had to wait awhile for this one. And, as usual, it was worth the wait.

: This is the view from the upper level of the Morgan Street L platform.

: Epic backdrop.

: Also a pretty decent backdrop.

: Sears Tower visitors had the best views over the weekend.

: The view from the Clinton L platform.

: The foundations looks to be shored up.

Late Night with Vista Tower

Posted on September 19, 2017 by danieldschell

Vista Tower glows from across the Chicago River at River Esplanade Park.

Vista Tower has been under construction for just over a year now. This blog has featured approximately 17,648 posts about progress on the 95-story hotel and residential tower. And yet, I’ve somehow managed to neglect it. How? By not stopping by the site after dark. That situation has been rectified, as of this past weekend.

I know, you just saw a bunch of photos of Vista Tower yesterday. But here we go again.