Centrum Hubbard digs itself a great big hole

Posted on October 11, 2016 by danieldschell

They’re digging down below grade for Centrum Hubbard.

The tower crane’s in place, and now Power Construction crews are really getting down to it. Literally. There’s a big hole in the earth from which the 23-story Centrum Hubbard residential tower will rise. On the other end of the lot, 412 North Wells….well, let’s just say its time will come.

Quick reminder on Centrum Hubbard: 23 stories, 193 apartments, 91 parking spots, and 6,000 square feet of retail space. The design is by Hirsch Associates; the developer is Centrum Partners.

: There’s been a bit of digging going on at 412 North Wells, too.

: Do you mind? Trying to take photos here.

Construction Update: The Simpson-Querrey Biomedical Research Center

Posted on October 10, 2016 by danieldschell

https://vimeo.com/182715928

At the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, construction continues on the Simpson Querrey Biomedical Research Center. As the video above from Northwestern illustrates, work has been ongoing for over a year now. You know all about the two tower cranes on this job. What you should also know is the two-phase project will eventually provide 1.2-million square feet of research and support space next to the existing Lurie Medical Research Center at 303 East Superior Street.

Now that the digging, and more digging, and the last of the digging, are complete, those two tower cranes are starting to divvy up materials so Power Construction crews can get the 14-story tower of Phase One in the air. Designed by Perkins+Will, Phase Two will eventually bring 16 additional stories to the project, according to the SQBRC fact sheet.

Northwestern plans to have Phase One completed before the end of 2018. Here now, a few photos of progress.

: The old Prentice Women’s Hospital was demolished to make room for the research center.

: Early scraping of the ground, July 2015.

: Caisson work, December 2015.

625 West Adams, late-night edition

Posted on October 8, 2016 by danieldschell

625 West Adams, all aglow on West Loop Friday evening.

We’re getting to that time of year, when we have more free time after dark than we have during daylight hours. Fortunately for all of us, some construction looks darn cool after the sun goes down.

Join me for a quick walk around 625 West Adams in the West Loop, a Power Construction Production. 20 stories of offices when it’s complete; just a couple levels of lumber and supports right now. All aglow.

Permits in hand, no time’s being wasted at 1136 South Wabash

Posted on October 7, 2016 by danieldschell

A parking lot no more! Two days after the filing of permits, 1136 South Wabash is getting started.

This comes as no surprise.

Just two days after permits were filed for both the foundation and the full-build, crews are at work in the former parking lot at 1136 South Wabash Avenue in the South Loop. No reason to waste time now. They’ve likely been chomping at the bit for two months, ever since the tower crane permit was filed, with no place to put it. But now it’s safe to expect constant activity there by Lendlease, the general contractor on 1136 South Wabash, for the next 18-24 months. And the good news is, you can watch the fun happen from the Orange and Green Line trains at the Roosevelt station.

: This Flyboy is sure to soon disappear. Let’s hope Hebru Brantley can replace him somewhere.

Sedgwick Development begins work at confusing Chicago intersection

Posted on October 7, 2016 by danieldschell

301 West North Avenue is in the early staged of construction.

The corner of West North and North North Park, in Old Town. Come on, that’s a little awkward to say.

Regardless, Sedgwick Development (you know them from 1325 North Wells, if you’ve been keeping up with the blog) has begun the process of turning a surface parking lot at 301 West North Avenue into a 7-story residential building. As with the aforementioned North Wells project, Sedgwick is the architect, developer, and general contractor on 301 West North. It will include 69 dwelling units, ground-floor retail, and below-grade parking.

: The permit, on site.

: The permit, more user-friendly.

Soul City Church gets a permit to add on in the West Loop

Posted on October 7, 2016 by danieldschell

Soul City Church sits at the corner of Adams Street and Racine Avenue.

Soul City Church, at 1150 West Adams Street, is ready to undertake a major expansion of its facilities in the West Loop.

Wednesday, a permit was filed for Soul City to build a three-story addition in the empty lot next door to the east, as well as make renovations to the existing church. The construction will add a multi-level auditorium, church offices, lobbies, even a roof terrace for use by the Soul City congregation.

Neighbors of the West Loop was there when plans were presented back in June and has details of what’s to come now that the permit is filed, including Soul City’s plan to share use of its new addition with the neighboring community. Focus will serve as the general contractor.

: All renderings are from the Soul City Church website, iamforthelove.com

Construction Update: The Marriott Marquis Chicago at McCormick Place

Posted on October 6, 2016 by danieldschell

That’s the Marriott Marquis Chicago, way over there. Don’t worry; I’ll get you closer.

39 stories. 1,205 rooms. 25,000 square feet of ballroom space. 90,000 square feet of meeting space. Two pedestrian bridges. Lots of glass.

The Marriott Marquis Chicago will have it all when it opens in July of 2017. But for now, what it has are lots of photo ops. If you’re into that sort of thing.

I am.

: Attaching the Marriott Marquis to the old American Book Company building.

: The pedestrian bridge from the West Building of McCormick Place, to the Marriott Marquis.

: The other pedestrian bridge, connecting the Marriott Marquis to the McCormick Place Event Center.

1136 South Wabash gets permits to begin construction

Posted on October 5, 2016 by danieldschell

The cart has been here for a while; now there’s finally a horse to pull it.

1136 South Wabash is a 26-story apartment tower approved by the Chicago Plan Commission back in May. A development of Chicago’s CA Ventures, the project received a tower crane permit on August 3rd. That’s all well and good; every high rise needs a tower crane. But no one plants a tower crane before starting foundation work. And at long last, that permission has been granted. Yesterday, the foundation permit for 1136 South Wabash was filed, as well as the full-build permit, allowing general contractor Lendlease to begin work on the SCB-designed building.

That’s right, first came the tower crane, then, two months later, both the foundation permit and full-build permit, on the same day. That’s a new one to me.

Those permits tell us to expect 320 rental units, 143 parking spaces, and retail on the first floor. Expect work to begin sooner rather than later, so that tower crane permit can make itself useful.

Nothing to see here. Yet. But soon.

I hope Hebru Brantley can somehow save this work. Or, paint about 2,000 more around Chicago.

The tower crane permit, filed a full two months before the foundation permit.

The foundation permit. At last.

The full build permit.

In the War On Wells, 167 West Erie outglasses the competition

Posted on October 5, 2016 by danieldschell

Windows have arrived at 167 West Erie in River North.

Construction milestones. Let’s see, you have your first permit, groundbreaking, tower crane, topping off, and grand opening. And wedged in there between tower crane and topping off would be the first glass. Be it windows, cladding, skin, whatever your blueprints call it.

Up on Wells Street in River North, there’s been a battle brewing on opposite sides of the street. 640 North Wells is the 23-story apartment tower on the west side of the street, and 167 West Erie, which sits at 637 North Wells Street, or thereabouts, competes from the east side with its 39-story endeavor. Both started construction about the same time, both erected tower crane just days apart, and have been racing ever since toward completion. (My money’s on the tower that’s just over half as tall. Duh.)

But we can declare a winner in the battle for window supremacy. (Side note: 167 West Erie won the tower crane race too, per this from the Chicago Architecture Blog) And it ain’t even close. 167 West Erie has installed glass on a few floors, while 640 remains as open to the elements as the day it was born.

: Sorry, 640 North Wells, but we can’t count those.

Look up! The entrance to the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab outdoes itself

Posted on October 5, 2016 by danieldschell

This will be the main entrance to the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab at RIC.

The question isn’t “Is this the coolest ceiling above a building entrance in Chicago?” No, the question here is “Is there even a second place?”

When the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago opens in March of next year, motorists will need to use caution when driving in and out of the main entrance facing McClurg Court. That’s because the ceiling over that entrance is a work of art all its own, and folks are likely to be standing in the driveway, staring upwards to admire it. At least, that’s what I was doing Tuesday.

Please follow this link to learn all about the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. Then have a look at a few photos of that magnificent ceiling.