Tower Crane Update: DePaul School of Music

Posted on July 18, 2016 by danieldschell

In the first week of July, three tower cranes were planted around Chicago. My job was to go find them. Then, it was my duty to follow up on them. Because no one wants part of the story. Or part of the tower crane, for that matter.

Our first update is at the DePaul School of Music. Warning: Don’t get too close to this one, or it won’t fit in your photo. This won’t be a tall undertaking, but it’s a big lot. And a tower crane needs to reach every corner of that lot. So this one is as long as any I’ve seen.

: I thought the best way to get the whole thing into one shot was an iPhone panorama. I was mistaken. If your tower crane looks like this, start over.

: July 14th was the big day, when tower crane assembly began.

: None of these people are in any danger of losing their jobs to me.

: Evening of July 14th. Taken from a moving train. Cut me some slack.

: Monday morning shot from the Fullerton L platform.

Lincoln Park Lost Its Edge. Now It’s Getting Schooled.

Posted on July 13, 2016 by danieldschell

A rendering of Altschool, 2720 North Clark Street, courtesy of Hirsch Associates Architects.

AltSchool’d, that is.

At 2720 North Clark Street in Lincoln Park, Centrum Partners and Hirsch Associates Architects have teamed up for a two-story mixed use project that will be the home of AltSchool, and a Banana Republic Factory Store. (If the Centrum Partners/Hirsch Associates combo sounds familiar, they’re the two responsible for bringing the just-permitted 412 North Wells and 221 West Hubbard project to life.)

AltSchool provides education for pre-kindergarten through 8th-grade students. Chicago will be its fourth location, joining San Francisco, Palo Alto (CA) and New York City.

William A. Randolph Inc. of Gurnee is the general contractor. Construction is expected to be completed in time for the 2017-2018 school year.

: AltSchool render from Hirsch Associates Architects.

: The Edge bar and grill formerly stood on this site.

The Benchmark, A Half-Victory For Preservation in Lincoln Park

Posted on July 8, 2016 by danieldschell

The unmistakable gap-toothed smile of a building that knows it’s escaped the wrecking ball. 2746 North Magnolia will be the centerpiece of The Benchmark.

A church at 2750 North Magnolia Avenue that stood since 1884, deemed “not worth saving,” was demolished in March. As with any demolition of a church, that didn’t sit well with many folks. But a small victory was won with the preservation of the parish house next door, at 2746 North Magnolia, which was released from the City of Chicago Demolition Delay Hold List on Wednesday, as it’s in the midst of a complete overhaul into a single-family home.

A joint effort from Noah Properties and Sergio & Banks Real Estate is erecting The Benchmark, a 5-building development that will see single family homes constructed on either side of the existing former parish house. At 2742 and 2744 North Magnolia will be two single-family homes, while to the north at 2752 and 2756 North Magnolia will rise two 5-unit condo structures.

All five projects are designs from architect Bill Kokalias at Axios Architects & Consultants, in The Loop. ALL Builders of Chicago is the general contractor.

: A rendering of the 5-building The Benchmark, from Sergio & Banks.

: The church at 2750 North Magnolia. Now gone.

: The church, from Diversey Parkway.

: DEMOLISHED 2016

: The parish house pre-renovation.

: The parish house, with the church lot next door now empty.

: The Benchmark.

: Peeking inside the parish house, 2746 North Magnolia Avenue.

: The rear of the parish house.

: On the left, 2742 North Magnolia will be one of the 6-bedroom single-family homes.

: From the alley, looking at construction on 2742 North Magnolia.

: ALL Builders working on 2756 North Magnolia, one of the 5-unit condo buildings.

: This will be 2752 North Magnolia.

: Church tower demolition in April.

The Day The Tower Cranes Took Over

Posted on July 7, 2016 by danieldschell

For many, the appeal of living in Chicago is the change of seasons. But what we should be promoting is the change of tower cranes. For just when one comes down, another (or three) goes up.

With lots of new construction comes lots of tower cranes. There isn’t much that can be built around town without the use of one (or two – looking at you, Sinclair.) A long walk on my regular rounds turned up no fewer than three seedlings being planted for future tower cranes.

Up in Lincoln Park, DePaul is building a new facility for music education. The DePaul School of Music won’t be a very tall structure, but it will be spread out over a large lot. Bulley & Andrews is erecting its tower crane near the middle of the lot, so it’ll reach 360 degrees around the site.

At 822 North Clark Street in the Near North neighborhood, McHugh Construction is setting up a tower crane to erect a 7-story Mormon church. I’ll have more about this project once I know for sure what I’m talking about.

Finally, at 8 East Huron in River North, Clark Construction has begun putting up a tower crane for the 26-story residential tower from CA Ventures. Designed by Valerio Dewalt Train Associates, 8 East Huron has been sitting on its tower crane permit since May 24. I was getting a little antsy waiting for this one.

: Way over there is the tower crane seedling for the DePaul School of Music.

: Another shot of the starter kit for the tower crane at the new Mormon church at 822 North Clark Street.

: A profile photo of the tower crane at 8 East Huron.

Children’s Memorial Hospital Being Reduced to Scrap

Posted on June 26, 2016 by danieldschell

Piles of scrap are growing on the Children’s Memorial Hospital site. Do Not Enter. Says so right on the sign.

You already know about the demolition of Children’s Memorial Hospital in Lincoln Park, and the development that will take its place at North Lincoln and West Fullerton.

Fewer words, more pictures. That’s what you came here for.

: There lives a beast within the rubble.

: And the beast must be fed.

: Gut the inside…

: …and push it all outside.

: Omega Demolition is on the clock.

: Son-of-beast.

: This rendering from Hines of The Lincoln Common shows the site’s future.

DePaul Tuning Up for New School of Music

Posted on June 21, 2016 by danieldschell

There’s no tower crane yet, but THEY’RE MAKING SQUARE REBAR TUBES!!

Chicago construction company Bulley & Andrews is erecting a new DePaul School of Music out in Lincoln Park. Designed by Antunovich Associates, the new facility will be on the site previously occupied by McGaw Hall, which was demolished early this year.

You can learn all you need to know about the new School of Music by going to DePaul’s site. As for me, I’ll skip the words and share a few photos instead.

: Excavation work is ongoing.

: And ongoing.

: Digging out the corners and shoring them up.

: A pretend tower crane is getting things done. For now.

: It’s got pretty good reach.

: Want to learn more about the DePaul School of Music? Read the fence.

: Those square rebar caisson cages though.

: They are epic.

: The “church” stays.

: Seriously, the tower crane was permitted in March. Where’s my tower crane?!

Slowing Down Demolition at ELEVATE Lincoln Park

Video

There are things to be seen from the L. But the Brown Line train never seems to slow down at opportune times. So I slowed it down for you.

Granted, it will take you about 3 days to get to the Howard station at this pace, but at least you can get a good look at the demolition Taylor Excavating is doing at 2518-36 North Lincoln, to clear the way for ELEVATE Lincoln Park.

For more about ELEVATE Lincoln Park, see this post from last week.

Raquets Down, Racket Up as Demolition Begins for Elevate Lincoln Park

Posted on June 8, 2016 by danieldschell

Sorry, no more service here, Ace.

Tennis, anyone? Well, you’re a little too late. Those elevated tennis courts you saw on your Brown Line ride between the Fullerton and Diversey stops are no more. Game, set, match.

Taylor on the tear down; McHugh on the new construction.

In its place will soon be ELEVATE Lincoln Park, a mixed use project from Baker Development Company.

Approved by the Chicago Plan Commission back in July 2015, permits were filed for five addresses spanning North Lincoln Avenue from 2518 to 2534 between May 3 and May 5. Your plan commission says to expect a 10-story, 200-unit complex designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz that will also include 16,300 square feet of retail space.

The original schedule for ELEVATE Lincoln Park had designs on beginning caisson work by the first of this month, so progress is a tad behind schedule. But not to worry. Demolition is a pretty good sign things are well underway.

The taggers got to Lincoln Centre before Taylor demo crews did.

A commuter’s view, from a CTA Brown Line train.

Somebody feed that excavator, stat!

Soil sampling rigs showed up on site back in September. A good sign it’s time to sell your condo.

Another angle of the carnage.

A rendering of Elevate Lincoln Park from Baker Development Company.

Old Children’s Memorial Hospital Demolition Begins in Lincoln Park

Posted on June 7, 2016 by danieldschell

Demolition of the old Children’s Memorial Hospital in Lincoln Park began at 8:00 am on June 7.

Empty and deteriorating for the past four years, workers this morning began the slow, tedious process of demolishing the old Children’s Memorial Hospital in Lincoln Park, just one day after a demolition permit was filed by the City of Chicago.

With a fleet of news vans and a few bystanders watching, some whose kids had gone through extensive stays under Children’s care, crews from Omega Demolition in Elgin started tearing apart the lower portions of the hospital complex along North Lincoln Avenue. Once they get the shorter buildings down and out of the way, they’ll have considerable more room to stage equipment for the seven-story portions of the hospital.

In its place will be The Lincoln Common, a venture from Hines and McCaffery Interests. Planned are two luxury apartment towers boasting 540 dwelling units, 60 low-rise condos, and over 100,000 square feet of retail space, designed by Antunovich Associates in collaboration with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. You can learn more about the project here on the Hines website.