Is 171 North Aberdeen now 165 North Aberdeen? Either way, it’s halfway high

Posted on January 4, 2017 by danieldschell

165 North Aberdeen from the Morgan Street CTA platform.

There’s a new twist on the mixed-use project in the West Loop from MCZ Development. Nothing earth-shattering, like having to move any more caissons in order to properly support a tower crane. No, this change is about the address, which formerly had been 171 North Aberdeen Street (that’s what the City of Chicago lists on the permits) but MCZ’s own website now shows the project as 165 North Aberdeen.

What hasn’t changed is that Novak Construction continues to make progress on the Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture-designed building, reaching the sixth floor of what will be 11 levels when complete. Expect 90 residential units, with 40,000 square feet of office space and 15,000 square feet of retail space as well. Throw in about 130 parking spots for good measure.

Centrum Bucktown looming large above the Bloomingdale Trail

Posted on December 29, 2016 by danieldschell

Centrum Bucktown rises at the intersection of Milwaukee Avenue and The 606.

Centrum Bucktown is an under-construction development at 1767 North Milwaukee Avenue that will have 606 residential units, with 606 parking spaces and 606 square feet of retail space.

None of that is true, of course. But 606 is a key number in the development of Centrum Bucktown, as it sits right along side the Bloomingdale — or “606” — Trail. What the joint effort from Centrum Partners and Hirsch Associates (with an assist from Forum Studio) will have is 100 units in its six stories, plus retail space for a new Aldi store, replacing the one demolished for the project.

ARCO/Murray is the general contractor.

1001 West Chicago filling up old Gonnella site

Posted on December 28, 2016 by danieldschell

The pair of towers at 1001 West Chicago rise in River West.

The dual-tower, 363-unit apartment development 1001 West Chicago from Bond Companies and Morgan Holdings keeps rising in River West, as Power Construction crews have reached the eighth and ninth floors on the respective structures, on their way to 15 and 13 stories. Not bad for having only broken ground in September.

The FitzGerald Associates project will also include 10,000 square feet of retail space and parking for 300 cars. Remember, some of that parking is necessary for the retail space, especially considering a grocery store will take some of that allotment.

Gallery I: Construction Progress

Gallery II: Anatomy of a Beam Lift

A permit makes it official: Motor Row is getting a new hotel

Posted on December 20, 2016 by danieldschell

Fresh off the presses, Monday’s permit for 22 stories and 466 units at 123 East Cermak Road.

Last week, a permit to prep the lot at 123 East Cermak Road was filed by the City of Chicago, and it appeared at the time there would be a new hotel coming to the north end of Motor Row. Now it’s official.

A permit was filed Monday, allowing for:

466 UNITS, 22 STORIES, MIXED USE-HOTELS, ASSEMBLY AND MERCANTILE, NO PARKING

As mentioned last week, McHugh Construction owns the lot, and they’ll serve as their own general contractor. Antunovich Associates handled design duties.

Now that construction can begin, it’s time to crowd-source a name. The Hughtel?

Return to New York City: Hudson Yards

Posted on December 20, 2016 by danieldschell

I will spend absolutely no space here trying to explain the scope of Hudson Yards, on Manhattan’s Far West Side. Suffice it to say, it’s a project of mind-boggling proportions, underway since 2012, that could continue until 2025. What I will do, however, is compile the following list of online resources, should you decide you’d like to explore Hudson Yards on your own. And, show you the photos from our October visit to Hudson Yards and the High Line.

Hudson Yards (all the fun, juicy statistics here)

New York YIMBY (lots of construction coverage)

6SQFT (heavy on Real Estate news)

Wikipedia? (Sure, why not)

Hudson Yards Development Corporation

Curbed New York

And now, photos:

New hotel coming to Motor Row?

Posted on December 14, 2016 by danieldschell

Looks like it’s finally time to move some soil at 123 East Cermak.

Yesterday, a permit was filed by the City of Chicago for “SITE PREPARATION WITH SOIL RELOCATION AND RE-GRADING” at 123 East Cermak Road. That’s a lot owned by McHugh Construction, and a site where Antunovich Associates has helped design a mixed-use development along East Cermak between Michigan and Indiana Avenues.

A couple years ago, those plans included a hotel, data center, and retail space, all to be located within a block of the new Wintrust Arena. Which of these plans are becoming reality? Could it be all of them?

The small empty lot in the background is 123 East Cermak, with 111 up front.

1411 South Michigan starts driving piles into the South Loop

Posted on December 14, 2016 by danieldschell

Those are H-piles that have been driven into the ground at 1411 South Michigan.

If you’re within a 4-to-6-block radius of 1411 South Michigan Avenue in the South Loop, then you’re fully aware that piles are being driven into the ground as work has begun on Russland Capital Group’s 15-story apartment tower. That’s where we’ll see 199 new units, along with 40,000 square feet of commercial space, opening late in 2017. The ever-busy Lendlease is the general contractor for the Boarman Kroos Vogel Group-designed project.

: The foundation permit, filed October 24.

: The former home of the Chicago Department of Children and Family Services, demolished to make way for the new apartments.

1411 South Michigan gets a foundation permit

Posted on October 25, 2016 by danieldschell

The lot is ready at 1411 South Michigan.

A foundation permit was filed Monday by the City of Chicago, allowing construction to begin at 1411 South Michigan Avenue in the South Loop. It may be one of the wordiest foundation permits in recent history:

DIRECT DEVELOPER SERVICES. SCOPE OF WORK : CAISSONS, CAISSON CAPS, GRADE BEAMS AND SUPERSTRUCTURE OF FLOORS 1 TO THE TOP OF 6TH FLOOR SLAB. THE GROUND FLOOR SLAB IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE SCOPE OF THIS PERMIT. PROJECT DESCRIPTION : NEW TYPE 1-A 15-STORY , FULLY SPRINKLERED BLDG. WITH NO BASEMENT, MIXED -USE OCCUPANCY WITH 141 PARKING SPACES ON LEVELS 1-3, MEDICAL OFFICE TENANT ON LEVELS 1,4 & 5 AND 199 RESIDENTIAL APARTMENTS (68 EFFICIENCY UNITS + 131 DWELLING UNITS)

1411 South Michigan will be a 15-story residential tower from Chicago developer Russland Capital Group. Designed by the architecture firm of Boarman Kroos Vogel Group, 1411 South Michigan will have 199 apartments ranging from studios to 3-bedroom units. 40,000 square feet of commercial space is included in the plans as well. Lendlease will serve as the general contractor.

: Rendering of 1411 South Michigan from Russland Capital Group.

: The Foundation Permit.

: The former home of the Chicago Department of Children and Family Services, now demolished.

: 1411

Lakeview 3200 eyes March 2017 opening at Clark and Belmont

Posted on October 20, 2016 by danieldschell

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.

: Early, moody, tower crane shot.

: Early wood work.

: May 2016

: May 2016, from the Belmont L platform.

Addison & Clark has a clean slate to start building

Posted on October 19, 2016 by danieldschell

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.