Building Up Chicago

An Eye on Chicago Construction.

Building Up Chicago

Addison & Clark digs in at the plate

Addison & Clark

Digging in the sand at Addison & Clark.

Just outside Wrigley Field, which is the home of the WORLD SERIES CHAMPION CHICAGO CUBS, foundation work continues on the Addison & Clark development, located, as fate would have it, at Addison and Clark Streets.

Caissons are done, and now the foundation is being dug. Digging in is not something you could do back in the day, anywhere near Wrigley Field, if Bob Gibson was on the mound. But that’s another matter. What’s important here are the 148 apartments, 400+ parking spots, and in the ballpark (heh) of 150,000 square feet of retail space. The SCB design is being developed by a joint venture of M&R Development and Bucksbaum Retail Properties. That’s Power Construction out there doing the dirty work.

Digging 508 West Diversey in Lake View

508 West Diversey

Rendering of 508 West Diversey from Broder Properties.

Broder Properties of Boston is developing a 12-story, 53-unit residential building at 508 West Diversey Parkway in Lake View. Designed by Pappageorge Haymes Partners, the project includes on-site parking and ground-floor retail space as well. Macon Construction of North California Avenue (Macon Buildings, Makin’ Dreams should be their motto) is on the build. They’ve got a pretty serious hole dug into the ground, all shored up and looking ready to go vertical soon. 508 West Diversey is slated for a Spring 2018 opening.

Construction Progress: The Hotel Zachary meets the street in Lake View

Hotel Zachary

The Hotel Zachary is rising from the sandlot across Clark Street from Wrigley Field.

Remember all that sand at 3630 North Clark Street in Lake View? History. Banished form existence like the whole billy-goat curse thing. And now, rising up from the depths of what used to be the Lake Michigan Lakefront, is the Hotel Zachary. From developer Hickory Street Capital, which helped bring you the 2016 World Series Championship, among other goings-on in and around Wrigley Field, the Hotel Zachary (no word yet on my proposal to change the name to “The Russell On Addison“) will have 175 rooms and a whole bunch of top-notch dining choices, from fast-food to fancy.

I took a walk around the site this week, and found Walsh Construction just beginning to peek above sidewalk-level. Wanna see the pics? Of course you do.

Cubs continue to get their office in order

                               THE CUBS WON THE WORLD SERIES!

 

Also, construction continues on the “triangle lot” site at Wrigley Field for what will be the new office building of the Chicago Cubs, the Major League Baseball team that won the 2016 World Series.

FACT: Every team in every major sport has waited longer for a championship season than the Chicago Cubs.

The six-story office building already houses the new 30,000-square-foot clubhouse, which provides the modern amenities and creature comforts the team clearly needed to push them to the 2016 World Series Championship.

And now, a photo gallery of construction progress, featuring 17 pictures. 17. Kris Bryant, #17 of the World Series Champion Chicago Cubs, and reigning National League Most Valuable Player.

Coincidence? Probably not.

The Cubs get a tower crane with 11 Ws

Hotel Zachary Tower crane

The moon and the tower crane shine bright next to Wrigley Field, where the Chicago Cubs play baseball. They just won the World Series. Have you heard about that?

That’s right, it’s a towwwwwwwwwwwer crane. Because when you win the last three series of your season – 3 wins, then 4, then 4 more games – and finish 2016 as The World Series Champions, you use 11 Ws wherever you want to use them.

It’s not the Cubs Hotel, but the Hotel Zachary being built at 3630 North Clark Street in Lake View. It’s right across the street from Wrigley Field (perhaps you’ve seen something about that ballpark in the news recently) and its developer is Hickory Street Capital, an entity of the Ricketts family, who own the Chicago Cubs. So you see, it’s all connected. I think The Hotel Russell on Addison would be a better name, but I haven’t been asked for my input.

Anyway, the tower crane went up at some point during the Playoffs. I was too stressed by the Cubs not sweeping their 11 wins to notice much construction-wise around Wrigley. If you’ll recall, the Hotel Zachary will be a 7-story, mixed-use facility with 175 guest rooms (known as “keys” in some spaces), retail space, and several restaurants.

Remarkably, crews were still digging sand from the site on Monday. A quick survey of Walsh Construction workers (two of them) confirmed there is a surprising quantity of the stuff. Did Lake Michigan really extend as far west as Clark Street back in the day?

IMPORTANT REMINDER: EVERY TEAM IN EVERY MAJOR SPORT HAS WAITED LONGER FOR A CHAMPIONSHIP THAN THE CHICAGO CUBS!

 

Lakeview 3200 eyes March 2017 opening at Clark and Belmont

Lakeview 3200

Lakeview 3200 nears completion at 3200 North Clark Street.

Located at 3200 North Clark Street in the heart of Lake View, the controversially-named** Lakeview 3200 is topped out and almost fully clad in glass. A design from Hirsch Associates, the new mixed-use development from BlitzLake Partners will deliver 90 apartments, 40 parking spots, 8,000 square feet of office space, and a Target-anchored 29,000 square feet of retail space upon opening. Clark Construction has been building Lakeview 3200 since late last year. A Dunkin Donuts had to be torn down to make way for the new project, but you can still get those Ann Sather cinnamon rolls across the street, so it all works out.

** The official map from the City of Chicago I rely on to determine which neighborhood a project is located in uses two words for “Lake View.” So that’s how I spell Lake View. Lakeview 3200 uses one word, obviously. It’s not really a controversy. It’s just a difference in preference.

Who expected a sandlot next door to Wrigley Field?

Hotel Zachary

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.

 

 

Addison & Clark has a clean slate to start building

Addison & Clark

Cubs star Kris Bryant supervises removal of the last pile of rubble on the Addison Park on Clark site.

Call it Addison & Clark.

Call it Addison Park on Clark.

Either way, it’s about ready to roll. The land once occupied by Starbucks, Red Ivy, Mullen’s, and others, has been scraped clean and smooth, allowing construction crews to get to work. Case Foundation already has caisson equipment ready to drill, and general contractor Power Construction should be swarming onto the site in the coming days. Their task is 148 apartments, a 405-space indoor parking garage, and a whopping 146,000 square feet of commercial space.

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

Hotel Zachary

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.


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

Construction Update: The Cubs’ “Triangle” Office Building

Chicago Cubs Triangle Office building

The Ernie Banks statue stands tall in front of the triangle-lot office building.

It’s not a triangle like Phil Jackson and Tex Winter brought to the Bulls’ offense. It’s the triangle that used to be the Red and Purple lots at Wrigley Field. And it’s where the Chicago Cubs are now developing a new 6-story office building that will also includes the team’s 30,000-square-foot clubhouse.

Designed by VOA Associates, the new facility is being built by Pepper Construction. Which is strange, because I could swear I’ve seen several NO PEPPER signs around Wrigley Field.