To the laborers: A Labor Day appreciation post

Posted on September 5, 2022 by danieldschell

https://twitter.com/BuildingChi/status/1565020165758226436

I’ve made the “NOPE” joke many times. But it’s not really a joke. I don’t do well with heights.

Fun Fact: In the mid-to-late ’80s I was this close to moving to Chicago (from Pittsburgh) to work in construction for a bricklayer. Gave my two-week notice and everything. I changed my mind, in part because I realized construction workers have to climb ladders and work from swing-stages and dangle from more than five feet off the ground. Nope. Not for me. Can’t do it.

Many of you have told me you’re no fan of heights either, but “you get used to it.” I’ll take your word for that. Don’t get me wrong, I can go up in a skyscraper, stand behind a safe pane of glass, and look down and around. Those are *protected heights* to me. No glass? No go.

Now, someday I’ll be offered an invitation to climb into a tower crane. That’s an opportunity I won’t pass up. But in the meantime, I’m staying here on terra firma.

As for the rest of you up there high above the streets and the rivers, mad respect from me. Not just for what you do, but where you do it.

Happy Labor Day. Stay safe up there.

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.

Howard Brown Health passes the halfway mark in Lake View

Posted on September 2, 2022 by danieldschell

The Howard Brown Health facility rising at 3501 North Halsted

The legal-firm-sounding team of McHugh & McHugh have passed the halfway point on the five-story Howard Brown Health healthcare facility in Lake View. That leaves just two levels of concrete to pour until the Eckenhoff Saunders Architects-designed clinic tops out.

Permits received for this project include:
Demolition for 3501 N Halsted – 8/18/2021
Demolition for 3513 N Halsted – 8/18/2021
Caissons – 2/15/2022
Tower crane – 3/28/2022
Core & shell – 5/9/2022
Interior build-out – 6/17/2022

And now, the pictures:

360 North Green plants a tower crane

Posted on September 1, 2022 by danieldschell

The tower crane base is set at 360 North Green.

360 North Green isn’t wasting any time. When last I climbed Halsted Street to check out construction progress, just 10 days ago, caissons were going full bore. Now, I go by again and not only are caissons done, but there’s a giant excavation underway, and, most importantly, the tower crane base has been planted near the northeast corner of the construction site. And as you know, we have some tower cranes to replace in the sky.

At Fulbrix, glazing is still going up. And coming down.

Posted on September 1, 2022 by danieldschell

160 North Elizabeth shall henceforth be known as Fulbrix.

You’re excused if you don’t know what the heck I’m talking about with “Fulbrix.” It was news to me too.

Fulbrix is the new moniker for 160 North Elizabeth. If if the “glazing coming down” thing sounds like a typo to you, that’s my way of pointing out that as glass continues to rise up the sides of Fulbrix, it’s also working its way down from the top. And there’s always something cool to me about seeing glazing up top with unglazed floors below.

Anyway, congrats to the development team of Moceri + Roszak, Thomas Roszak Architecture, Clark Construction, and Adjustable Concrete Construction on the new name, topping out, glassing up, and all the other milestones you’ve reached. There was a big crew meeting outside just before I walked around the site Wednesday, and I bet they were all celebrating their achievements.

210 North Aberdeen puts its tower crane in the air

Posted on August 31, 2022 by danieldschell

Just in the nick of time, before August ended, 210 North Aberdeen got the tower crane up in the air. Work was supposed to have started Monday, but weather may certainly have hampered those proceedings. But Tuesday and Wednesday were beautiful days, and it looked like the finished touches were being wrapped up Wednesday afternoon. My guess is that crane is lifting all manner of heavy stuff by Thursday morning. Shout-out to Power Construction and All Crane for breaking our mini-Chicago-tower-crane slump.

Hoist one for 160 North Morgan

Posted on August 30, 2022 by danieldschell

A month ago, 160 North Morgan got its hoist permit. Its skip permit. Its construction elevator permit. Its “red thing right there in front” permit. And it’s newly-installed since the last time I dropped by mid-month. I don’t often point out hoist permits, but maybe I should. Besides, now I know what a dual-car Tornborg FC8000 Per/Mat counter-weight hoist tower looks like, so I can point them out to folks on the street when I see them.

210 North Aberdeen set to erect Chicago’s first new tower crane in forever

Posted on August 29, 2022 by danieldschell

Sorry to be so dramatic. It hasn’t really been that long. But since we’ve lost three tower cranes (160 N Elizabeth, 166 North Aberdeen, 853 West Blackhawk) this month, it’s nice to see one going up.

And that’s going to happen starting Monday at 210 North Aberdeen. (h/t to Chris for dropping the hint.) That tower crane base is well-hidden, but the behemoth ALL Crane next to it gives away the story.

Caisson news abounds, as 150 North Ashland gets in on the fun

Posted on August 29, 2022 by danieldschell

We’ve lost three tower cranes (160 N Elizabeth, One Six Six, Common Lincoln Park) in Chicago during the month of August, but be heartened by the amount of caisson work being done as we speak. It means more cranes are on the way. The one with the longest-standing tower crane permit (from April 14, and that’s among projects that are actually being built) is 150 North Ashland.

150 North Ashland is another joint effort between developer Marquette Companies and design architects Brininstool + Lynch. This dup is known for hits like 513 South Damen, Parq Fulton, and EVO Union Park.

Along with rehabbing a five-story 1930s-era building immediately south on the 100-block, 150 North Ashland will be a new-construction, 12-story apartment building. There will be 210 new apartments, and parking for 62 cars. Power Construction is the general contractor. Those are Thatcher Foundations caisson rigs doing the drilling. (Omega handled the demolition work.)

Other permits for this one include:
Renovation for 140 N Ashland on 11/1/2021
3-story demolition on 3/30/2022
Caissons on 6/9/2022
Foundation on 8/3/2022
The entire project was approved by the Chicago Plan Commission in April of 2021.

I’ve got some caisson shots for you, as well as a bunch of late-in-the-process demolition photos, along with a few pics of the building being rehabbed at 140 North Ashland.

Common Lincoln Park has lost its tower crane, while The Senn has found its windows

Posted on August 29, 2022 by danieldschell

I’m not upset the pretty lights in the sky at Big Deahl are gone; I’m upset the tower crane at Common Lincoln Park holding the pretty lights at Big Deahl is gone. Alas, lots of good things come to an end. It’s at least nice to see lots of windows on The Seng.

Construction on Northwestern Medicine’s Irving Park healthcare facility ramps up

Posted on August 28, 2022 by danieldschell

At 4445 West Irving Park, work on the parking-deck ramp is pun-derway.

The team of Power Construction and UJAMAA Construction have been hard at work getting the new Northwestern Medicine healthcare facility above street level at 4445 West Irving Park. This one’s only going up to four stories, as CannonDesign creation will top out relatively soon-ish, with just three more levels to go.