The Three Tower Cranes of the Obama Presidential Center

Posted on March 6, 2023 by danieldschell

There are three tower cranes building the Obama Presidential Center.

Took me awhile to get to Jackson Park, but I got there. And if you’re thinking of going, know that road construction makes walking a lap around the Obama Presidential Center construction site a rather grueling task.

Side Note: From here, I walked up to Hyde Park, where I’m *pretty* sure I had catfish for the first time in my life. (I’m a picky eater; it’s hard to explain.) So a shout-out to Daisy’s Po-Boy and Tavern on South Harper. Delicious.

I’d be lying if I said I understood who all is involved, and how they’re involved, in the construction here. What I do know is where you can go to learn some of that very information. First, visit Lakeside Alliance. To me, that’s sorta like your general contractor information. Next, visit Concrete Collective. That’s got your concrete contractor info.

Enjoying the photos? Metra and CTA rides (and Amtrak trains to Milwaukee), Zipcars, Divvy Bikes, camera lenses, domain fees, snacks & energy drinks, and comfortable walking shoes add up. You can help offset expenses by making a greatly-appreciated donation to Building Up Chicago.

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Sun’s out, One’s out

Posted on March 5, 2023 by danieldschell

That’s “One” as in “One Thousand M,” though most folks ’round these parts refer to it as 1000M.

I know I was just here, but it wasn’t sunny that day. So I came back. Nuff said. Here are the pics:

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360 North Green is going skyward in a hurry

Posted on February 2, 2023 by danieldschell

Sterling Bay’s 360 North Green office tower.

You won’t be a tad surprised to hear that Sterling Bay continues to be busy in the Fulton Market District/West Loop neighborhoods. We caught up on 160 North Morgan yesterday; today, it’s 360 North Green.

360 North Green is a 24-story office building just across the street from Sterling Bay’s recently-completed 333 North Green. Designed by Gensler, this 500,000-square-foot tower still has about 235,000 available rentable office space. The remaining office space, across the upper 10 levels, will be occupied by Boston Consulting Group. 5,500 square feet of retail space will be included at ground level, while parking for 92 vehicles will be built into the second and third floors. Tenant amenities will occupy levels 4 and 5. A 21,000-square-foot park will surround the building.

Power Construction is on the build.

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The Row Fulton Market picks up where 900 Randolph left off

Posted on February 2, 2023 by danieldschell

Latest rendering of The Row Fulton Market courtesy of Related Midwest.

New name, same tall slim apartment tower in the West Loop, as what used to be known during construction as 900 Randolph, at 164 North Peoria, is now The Row Fulton Market, though the North Peoria address remains.

I saw the topped out tower for the first time since late summer this past weekend. As you know, Sunday wasn’t a very pleasant day. Thankfully, there’s a new batch of renderings available, courtesy of Related Midwest, that depict the new tower on warm sunny days. Which I think we’re all looking forward to.

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In today’s edition of They Grow Up So Fast, it’s Sterling Bay’s 160 North Morgan

Posted on February 1, 2023 by danieldschell

160 North Morgan in the Fulton Market District.

Turn your back on these kids for two seconds, and I’m telling you, they grow out of control.

160 North Morgan is a development from Sterling Bay
A creation by bKL Architecture.
A project for The Big Green W.

It will be 30 stories tall.
It will have 282 apartments.
It will contain parking for 89 cars.
It will have 2,657 square feet of retail space.
It will sit right in the middle of my favorite neighborhood.
It still has a tower crane.
It has a lot of curtain wall installed.
It looks like it’s reached the 23rd or 24th floor.

Progress photos, taken January 29, 2023:

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732 West Randolph’s purple reign in the West Loop

Posted on February 1, 2023 by danieldschell

732 West Randolph, looking pretty in purple.

The tower crane is gone from 732 West Randolph as the eight-story office building nears exterior completion. And granted, I don’t live in the West Loop, so I don’t see this building every day. But if I did, I’d be fine with keeping it mildly purple. Food for thought.

Catching up on 1000M, the sky-high apartments coming to the South Loop

Posted on February 1, 2023 by danieldschell

1000M construction progress, taken from Grant Park, looking west.

1000M got started, then it stopped. And we had to wait a long time for it to getting revved up again. Sort of like when the sequel to your favorite movie is announced, but then the release is delayed. Once it comes out, you’re the first in line to see it. Then you see it 17 more times over the nest week and a half. That’s what II was going to do; watch progress at the rejuvenated 1000M. But, well, I didn’t.

But I did take a look this past Sunday, in the cold of late January. The JAHN-designed tower bringing apartments in the sky to the South Loop looks to have reached the high 30s in floor count, with glazing covering about 20 0f those. And here are some photos to prove I was there:

Is that light? Is that blue sky? This was taken the same day as all the others.

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Cloudy-day construction update: Cassidy on Canal

Posted on January 31, 2023 by danieldschell

It’s pretty easy to remember when I was last at Cassidy on Canal; just scroll back a couple pages. In mid-September, caisson work had just begun on The Habitat Company’s 33-story, 343-unit, SCB-designed apartment tower where Cassidy Tire once stood in the Fulton River District.

Now, McHugh & McHugh have reached the underside of the fifth floor. Have a look at their progress on a cold, cloudy January ’23 Sunday (I love having the Fulton House condo building as a backdrop):

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It isn’t Spring yet

Posted on January 29, 2023 by danieldschell

Helmut Jahn's 1000M — Helmut Jahn’s 1000M in the South Loop.

I surprised myself Sunday and took the camera out for a spin. I was pretty sure I wouldn’t do that again until spring arrived, but my main man Carlos wanted to meet for breakfast in the South Loop, so I bundled up and headed downtown. A couple things to point out:

It’s cold.
Due to inactivity, I forgot how to use my Canon.
That same inactivity has that Canon acting up a little bit.
The operating system on my PC updated a couple weeks ago; the photo program has changed again, and uploading pics from the camera didn’t go well.
The photo-editing program has changed, including no longer having a blemish removal tool, and for someone who can’t keep his camera clean, that’s a big deal.
Clearly, I need to start getting more sophisticated about editing photos.
I walked too much in the cold. My back, my knees, they’re not happy with me. I might have to go back to my plan of staying inside until the warm weather returns. We’ll see. I *did* enjoy being out there for awhile.

I’ll get a few of these pictures into posts over the coming days. I hit a half-dozen or so construction sites before I had to give up the chase.

Cassidy on Canal has begun construction at 350 North Canal

Posted on September 17, 2022 by danieldschell

The first permit has been issued for Cassidy on Canal, the 33-story apartment tower from The Habitat Company, and crews are on site ready to drill into the earth. I’m told caissons aren’t quite ready to go into the ground just yet, but you can see rebar cages being prepped, so they’ll be ready when shafts start drilling. That process is expected to begin Monday.

I learned some fascinating things this week about those old freight tunnels running under the city, including this site. Caissons can be drilled through the tunnels, but not until the tunnels themselves are filled. Bulkheads are framed and filled at each end of the tunnel, and then the entire tunnel is filled with grout. (It’s a lot of grout.) Once the grout sets, then the caissons can be drilled & filled.

Anyway, that’s what Stalworth Underground is up to. I guess when you put the word “Underground” in your name, you’re prepared for anything and everything that pops up beneath the surface.