First of two tower cranes begins at The Lincoln Common

Posted on August 24, 2017 by danieldschell

The south tower crane starts to rise at The Lincoln Common, seen from the Fullerton “L” platform.

On the red, purple, or brown line today? Take a look to the east from the Fullerton station, and you’ll see the first of two tower cranes being erected at The Lincoln Common. That’s where I spotted it from, because for some reason, I wasn’t staring at my phone as we pulled up. I jumped out and walked over to take a look.

And Twitter noticed. Users @kgburke3 andi @ChiBuildings (too early for a #FollowFriday? You should be following Chicago Cityscape for all things Chicago development) pointed out the street closure of North Lincoln Avenue between Belden and Fullerton Avenues through Friday for the big event.

https://twitter.com/ChiBuildings/status/900581897985810432

Closed Wed thru Fri for installation of crane @AldermanSmith43

— Kathleen Burke (@kgburke3) August 24, 2017

There’s still a lot of foundation work going on for this dual-tower, 540-unit mixed use project. W.E. O’Neil is the general contractor, and they’ve got a busy site in the works. You’ll see that in the photos below. No word yet though on when to expect the north tower crane to arrive.

: The closed-off Lincoln Avenue.

: Tower crane in the distance, sheeting work up front.

Uplifting news: Two towers, two tower cranes at The Lincoln Common

Posted on August 5, 2017 by danieldschell

Caisson work at The Lincoln Common will include foundations for TWO tower cranes.

Friday was a busy day for important permits in Chicago.

You read in our August tower crane update that The Lincoln Common would soon be on the board with a tower crane for one of the two 20-story, 269-unit apartment towers going up on the site. Well, the City of Chicago just doubled down on that wager, permitting a second tower crane for the site.

We’ll need to work out some names for these. For now, the city’s permits dub them “East” and “West.” But since they’re in position to build the north and south (2335 and 2345 North Lincoln Ave) towers, we may need to use “North” and South” for them. Or, perhaps the cranes will share duties on each tower, as opposed to being dedicated to one single building. Minor details. East Crane and West Crane will suffice for now.

This means W.E. O’Neil will not only get on the board; they’ll storm it. And their two tower cranes will make up for the recent losses at Elevate Lincoln Park and the DePaul School of Music. And don’t forget, we could get a crane across the street when the Belmont Village senior-living facility gets rolling. Tower cranes galore for Lincoln Park.

East Crane

West Crane

Wandering Milwaukee: 777 North Van Buren, one year later, is 7SEVENTY7

Posted on July 28, 2017 by danieldschell

7SEVENTY7, at 777 North Van Buren Street, rises is the heart of downtown Milwaukee.

One year ago, we reported in this very space on the large hole in the earth at the corner of North Van Buren and East Mason Streets in downtown Milwaukee. It was there that Northwestern Mutual had just started construction on a 34-story apartment tower to compliment Northwestern Mutual Tower and Commons.

Now known as 7SEVENTY7, some familiar names in the booming Chicago construction scene are involved at 777 North Van Buren Street. Hines, who just broke ground on Wolf Point East, is the developer. The design is by Chicago architecture firm Solomon Cordwell Buenz. Structural engineering is by Magnusson Klemencic Associates, which seems to be on the job in every Chicago skyscraper, including the spectacular work going on at Vista Tower. Wisconsin’s own C.D. Smith Construction is the general contractor.

The 34 stories of 7SEVENTY7 will include 8 floors of parking, 1,400 spaces, meant to be used by employees of the new office tower, residents of the new apartment tower, and the public. Units will include 303 one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, plus 14 penthouse units.

A Summer 2018 opening means on next year’s visit to Summerfest, 7SEVENTY7 may well be open.

Caisson work is at full bore for The Lincoln Common

Posted on July 26, 2017 by danieldschell

Revcon is in, and in deep, as caisson work revs up at The Lincoln Common.

Here’s a ridiculous overhead view from Curtis Waltz at Aerialscapes.

The noisy red machines of Revcon are tearing into the soil at The Lincoln Common, the mixed-use development coming to the former Children’s Memorial Hospital site in Lincoln Park. Foundation permits were issued back in June, allowing general contractor W.E. O’Neil to get started on the project.

“Foundation permits, plural?” you might ask? Yep. The Lincoln Common seems to have a theme of pairs:

There will be two towers, addressed for now as 2335 and 2345 North Lincoln Avenue, each standing 20 stories tall and containing 269 apartments. (There will be some condos too, plus a senior-living facility across the street.)
There are two developers: Hines, and McCaffery Interests
There are two architecture firms involved in the design work: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, and Antunovich Associates.
There are two red Revcon caisson rigs and two caisson cranes working on the site
I went through two bottles of Gatorade while watching caisson work in the oppressive heat (how do crews stay out there all day in this weather?)

You get the idea.

There was *one* tower-crane permit issued on July 17; will there be a second tower crane for the second tower? We’ll have to wait and see about that prospective pair.

1411 South Michigan is so last-week. Say hello to 1407 On Michigan

Posted on July 25, 2017 by danieldschell

1407 On Michigan has taken over what 1411 South Michigan began.

That’s right. What we’ve all known as 1411 S. Michigan now has a new name and some new signage in the South Loop. 1407 On Michigan has taken over, and it continues upward toward its ultimate 15-story height. The mixed-use tower from Russland Capital Group will include 199 apartments and 40,000 square feet of commercial space. And at least a portion of that space will be Rush Primary And Specialty Care.

Lendlease is the contractor responsible for the progress at 1407 On Michigan, which to the naked eye appears to have reached the 11th floor. Sunshine made this the prefect day to stop by and take a look.

: Rush signage at 1407 On Michigan.

Addison & Clark has begun its climb into the Lake View skyline

Posted on June 27, 2017 by danieldschell

Addison & Clark on the rise in Wrigleyville.

No longer a large demolition and excavation site, old buildings and sand have given way to new construction, as Addison & Clark makes its way into the Lake View neighborhood.

Power Construction has gone three-dimensional across the sprawling, odd-shaped lot at — you guessed it — Addison and Clark Streets. SCB designed a mixed-use development for M&R Development and Bucksbaum Retail Properties that will include 148 apartments, 146,000 square feet of retail space, and enough parking for 400+ cars. (Remember, Wrigley Field is right next door, so 81 days out of the year, those parking spaces will be full.)

: Flyover.

: Pourover.

1001 West Chicago (Spoke) buttons up the exterior

Posted on June 19, 2017 by danieldschell

Spoke, at 1001 West Chicago Avenue, as well as 728 and 738 North Morgan Street. Yeah, it’s big.

Perhaps you’ve heard folks speak of Spoke, the mixed-use development from Bond Companies formerly referred to as 1001 West Chicago, on the grounds of the former Gonnella Baking Company. Though we haven’t Spoken to an official Spokesman for Spoke, it has its own website now, so that name must be official.

I made the Spokes of a Divvy bike go round and round to get up to River West and check on Power Construction’s progress. With the tower crane long gone (Spoke topped out on March 9), glass and brick have taken over the site, and the exterior is close to being finished. The FitzGerald Associates design for the dual-tower project brings 15- and 13-story buildings containing 363 apartments, 300 parking spots, and 10,000 square feet of retail space.

Upward progress continues at 1411 South Michigan

Posted on June 15, 2017 by danieldschell

1411 South Michigan rises toward 15 stories in the South Loop.

1411 South Michigan continues to climb into the South Loop sky, as Lendlease works on the 15-story, 199-unit apartment tower. Pepper Construction is overseeing the concrete pour, as mixers move in and out of the site. The project from Russland Capital Group will include 40,000 square feet of commercial space, and is expected to be open before the year is out.

The Lincoln Common scores a permit

Posted on June 15, 2017 by danieldschell

The farmland that used to be Children’s Memorial Hospital will soon be transformed into the Lincoln Common.

The Lincoln Common project is ready to roll onto the site formerly occupied by Children’s Memorial Hospital in Lincoln Park.

The first permit, issued Wednesday, calls for a 20-story mixed-use tower, with 269 dwelling units and ZERO parking spaces. A collaboration between Hines and McCaffery Interests, The Lincoln Common also combines the talents of two design firms: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, and Antunovich Associates. W.E. O’Neil will be the general contractor.

A rendering of The Lincoln Common from Antunovich Associates.

The foundation permit.

Will that ugly parking garage go too?

171 Aberdeen drops the tower crane

Posted on May 27, 2017 by danieldschell

A street crane prepares to take down the tower crane at 171 Aberdeen in the West Loop Friday morning.

The last Friday of May was also the last day the tower crane at 171 Aberdeen stood above the West Loop. A crew started bright and early in the morning bringing the crane down, making the West Loop American Flag, Tower Crane, and Water Tank photo opp much more difficult.

171 Aberdeen (165 N Aberdeen now?) is a mixed-use building from MCZ Development, delivering 90 residential units, with 40,000 square feet of office space and 15,000 square feet of retail space, plus 130 parking spots, to the neighborhood. Novak Construction is the GC. Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture the designer.