Essex Inn looks under all the mattresses, comes up with money to begin demolition

Posted on January 6, 2017 by danieldschell

It’s demo time! Goodbye parking garage and swimming pool, hello 475 apartments.

As Crain’s Chicago Business reported on Tuesday, Essex Inn at 800 South Michigan Avenue has secured the funding necessary to upgrade the hotel, and add a new a 56-story apartment tower as its new next-door neighbor.

The Demolition Permit.

And no sooner had the ink on the check dried, crews were out on Michigan Avenue, setting up barriers and scaffolding for the temporary sidewalk that will keep pedestrians safe during demolition of the 5-story garage next to the hotel, while also making sure bloggers and skyscraper nerds can’t get too close to the goings-on.

None other than Heneghan Wrecking (we need t-shirts with Heneghan Again on them) will be making space for the new tower, with a demolition permit having been filed way back on October 27.

The Chicago Plan Commission approved the development back in May of 2016, and I quote:

The Applicant intends to create two subareas within the overall 28,744 square foot site. Subarea A, located at 800 South Michigan Avenue consists of an existing 160’ hotel building and will be rehabbed to include a maximum of 290 hotel keys. Subarea B, located at approximately 812 South Michigan Avenue, will be redeveloped with an approximately 620’ residential building including a maximum of 476 dwelling units, 100 hotel keys as well as 100 parking spaces and commercial space.

Essex on The Park, the name of the Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture-designed tower according to Crain’s, should be complete in 2018, and coincide with completion of the hotel renovation.

This rendering, from the Crain’s story, is from Hartshorne Plunkard Architects. Too pretty not to include.

1411 South Michigan gets in on the tower crane fun

Posted on January 6, 2017 by danieldschell

I see you over there.

What is it, Spring already?

Tower crane seedlings are sprouting all over Chicago, proving there’s no season like Construction Season. You may have read a thing or two about the pair of cranes being erected at Vista Tower, but those aren’t the only ones in town. 1411 South Michigan planted its own tower crane stub Thursday in the South Loop, marking the next big step in the development process for Russland Capital Group’s 15-story, 199-apartment tower. Lendlease is on the build, responsible for getting the design from Boarman Kroos Vogel Group completed in time for opening late this year.

Return to New York City: 3 World Trade Center

Posted on January 5, 2017 by danieldschell

3 World Trade Center, New York City.

3 World Trade Center will be an 80-story office tower at 175 Greenwich Street. Two-and-a-half million square feet of office space, plus 150,000 square feet of retail space — over 5 floors — it’s expected to open in 2018. The design is by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners of London. The developer is Silverstein Properties.

For more on 3 World Trade Center, please follow these links:

New York YIMBY

Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat

The Real Deal

: 3 World Trade Center, One World Trade Center, New York by Gehry.

: The view at night, from Brooklyn Bridge Park.

: The amazing Oculus, right next door to 3 World Trade Center.

: Peering through the exterior of The Oculus.

851 West Grand takes shape alongside the Kennedy Expressway

Posted on January 5, 2017 by danieldschell

851 West Grand in River West, up to floor #3 of 6.

The 851 West logo.

Over in River West, construction crews are busy erecting 851 West, a six-story apartment building at 851 West Grand Avenue from developer Monroe Residential Partners. Designed by FitzGerald Associates Architects, 851 West will bring 36 “boutique apartments” with 18 parking spaces across West Grand Avenue from the newly-opened Kenect Apartments.

The City of Chicago filed the construction permit back in June, and Summit Design + Build has been on the job ever since, with work having now reached the third floor.

There are lots of great construction photos over on 851 West’s Facebook page.

: Rendering of 851 West from Monroe Residential Partners.

: The view of 851 West from the B.U.C. HQ.

Illume Chicago not going light on the caisson work

Posted on January 5, 2017 by danieldschell

The big blue Stalworth caisson rig drills caissons for Illume Chicago.

Buildings are heavy. Buildings need support. Which explains the presence of the big blue Stalworth machine at 111 South Peoria Street in the West Loop, site of the now-underway Illume Chicago. That’s the beast responsible for drilling caissons into the earth for the future 10-story, 79-condominium project from LG Development and Pappageorge Haymes Partners to rest upon. And rest it will — everyone will — once things quiet down a little bit. Caisson work is loud.

How about a McDouble? There will be a pair of tower cranes at McDonald’s headquarters

Posted on January 4, 2017 by danieldschell

That tower crane obscured by all the caisson equipment doesn’t belong to the McDonald’s HQ site. But soon, there will be two of them here.

By now you know, tower cranes are a favorite of mine. Two tower cranes? I can barely contain my bliss. We’ve seen them here in Chicago within the past 12 months at The Sinclair, the Simpson-Querrey Biomedical Research Center, and most recently, at Vista Tower. And coming soon, McDonald’s HQ. (HQ stand for headquarters, not headquarter-pounders)

On December 15, the City of Chicago filed permits for the two cranes at 110 North Carpenter Street in the West Loop, and look what they did! They’ve already named them West Crane and East Crane! Which really takes the pressure to come up with clever crane monikers off me.

They’re still busy with caisson work at the new Home of the Golden Arches, so don’t expect cranes to sprout right away. But they’ll be here soon enough. Now, if that completes your order, please pull up to the next window.

East Crane.

West Crane.

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.

Obvious Update: Driving piles at McDonald’s headquarters is noisy

Video

Crank up the volume on your pc/tablet/phone, and you’ll be able to enjoy what West Loopers are hearing, as piles are driven into the ground at the new McDonald’s headquarters at 110 North Carpenter Street.

But don’t worry. Locals know the importance of bringing such a high-profile company to the neighborhood, so they’re willing to put up with the noise for a few days. Besides, all major construction projects are noisy, and the folks on adjacent properties are always understanding of the temporary inconveniences.

Right?

: This guy was working much more quietly, not disturbing a soul…

: …despite working right beside the pile driver.

First of two Vista Tower cranes is in the ground

Posted on January 3, 2017 by danieldschell

The two cranes of Vista Tower. West Crane, on the right, is set in its foundation. East Crane, to the left, is awaiting its turn.

Not only does Vista Tower win the First Tower Crane of 2017 Award, it wins the second tower crane of the year plaque as well.

Just as the City of Chicago promised us with the two permits filed on the last day of October and the second day of November, Vista Tower is putting two tower cranes into the freshly-caissoned ground in the New East Side neighborhood.

You’ll notice a striking difference between the two stub sections of crane that are now on site. “West Crane” where the taller towers of Vista will stand, looks like it’s on steroids when compared to “East Crane.” I wouldn’t advise messing with either of them, though.

Shout-out to bKL Architecture for being on-scene Tuesday morning and breaking the big crane news with an Instagram photo.

: In the distance, West Crane.

: Crews secure West Crane into position atop its foundation.

: East Crane looks on and waits.

: Lower Wacker Drive is a staging area of tower crane parts.

: Working on the foundation for East Crane.

: Another large hole in the ground.

: Upper Wacker Drive is getting some work done of its own.

Construction Progress: Optima II surpasses Optima

Posted on January 3, 2017 by danieldschell

Optima Center Chicago II stands up on its heels, accentuating the height difference between it and Little Brother to its right.

It was never a matter of if Optima II would rise higher than its predecessor, Optima Chicago Center, but a matter of when. That’s because we knew from the get-go that Optima Chicago Center II, at 220 East Illinois Street in Streeterville, was expected to rise a full 12 floors higher than the first tower, at 200 East. And 54 stories opposed to 42 stories, when compared apples-to-apples (apartment tower-to-apartment tower, in this case) will always win the height battle.

All that math a side, it’s been several weeks since 220 caught and passed 200, on its way to the aforementioned 54 floors (and 381 apartments.) Optima Chicago Center II is a design, development, and construction project of the multi-talented Optima, Inc.