Category Archives: New Construction

Ground is broken and stirring at Union Station Tower

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Goettsch Partners rendering of Union Station Tower, or BMO Tower. Work has begun next to Union Station in the West Loop.

Cubs. Bulls. Bears. White Sox. Blackhawks. Most folks around Chicago know the names of those local teams. But there’s another team in town making a lasting impression on the city, and in particular, the city’s skyline.

Riverside Investment & Development, Goettsch Partners, and Clark Construction are teaming up again for the third in a trio of eye-popping office buildings along the Chicago River. Union Station Tower will join 150 North Riverside (completed in 2017) and 110 North Wacker (in progress, with completion slated for this year) in making Chicago River Architecture boat cruises much more attractive in the coming years.

They’re doing foundation work as we speak where that ugly parking garage used to be, next to the new CTA bus terminal in the West Loop. The lot, bounded by Clinton Street to the west, Van Buren Street to the south, Canal Street to the east, and the bus terminal to the north, is huge. And it looks even bigger despite the foundation equipment spread to all four corners. Heneghan Wrecking even has rigs on the site, as they finish up demolition work of the previously-mentioned ugly parking deck.

Now, about the tower. It’ll be 50 stories and 700 feet tall. There will be about a million-and-a-half square feet of office space, with a 1.5-acre public park at street level. Also known as BMO Tower, for its anchor tenant, its team celebrated with a groundbreaking ceremony December 20th. Completion and opening is expected in 2022.

 

410 South Wabash has a permit for 25 stories and 344 units in the South Loop

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The parking has been locked down, and a lone piece of construction equipment stands at the ready on the future site of 410 South Wabash in the South Loop.

College students don’t need parking lots. College students do need beds. That might be a little oversimplified, but that’s how I prefer to look at 410 South Wabash in the South Loop.

A foundation permit issued by the City of Chicago beck in December launched the beginning of 410 South Wabash. Developed by Lennar Multifamily, or LMC, this new residential building in the South Loop promises to deliver 344 dwelling units in a 25-story, 260-foot-tall tower.

The site sits at the foot of the T intersection of the CTA’s elevated train lines at Wabash Avenue and Van Buren Street, offering future residents unlimited opportunities to take cool Instagram shots of the L coming and going into and out of The Loop. Orange, Pink, Green, Brown, and Purple Line trains all pass through here, and when the Christmas Train passes by at night, lucky tower dwellers will be directly above the action.

4th Ward Alderman Sophia King held a community meeting in May, from which there comes a veritable cavalcade of information on 410 South Wabash. Floor plans show a mix of 1-bed, 2-bed, and 3-bed units, plus studios, convertibles, and micro-apartments. Though no indication is given that this tower is targeting the South Loop student population, those smaller units sure seem to be good options for the college kids.

410 South Wabash will also include 103 parking spaces, which goes against my thoughts on students needing to park, but definitely fits in with 3-bedroom homes. There will also be about 8,000 square feet of commercial space.

Antunovich Associates is the architect of record; Pepper Construction is the general contractor.

That little yellow dynamo pictured above may or may not start tearing up the parking lot at any minute. As always, sooner is better than later.

The Lot

The Lot, with Pink Line train

The Lot, from under the L

The foundation permit, issued 12/17/2019

Is the Toyoko Inn Chicago still a thing?

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Is this recent work at the Toyoko Inn Chicago site?

There should be a hotel standing at 320 South Clinton by now. Guests should be having Beggar’s Pizza delivered to their rooms from next door, then stopping around the corner for breakfast at Lou Mitchell’s in the morning. Then returning to their rooms to watch construction across the street on the new Union Station Tower. But nope. What was supposed to be the Toyoko Inn Chicago is still an empty lot, albeit an empty lot with enough caissons sunk into the ground to support the weight of a 24-story hotel.

The only progress made at the Toyoko is a small hole in the ground where the foundation may (or may not) have been started. It can’t be a pool; all that rebar sticking up would be extremely prohibitive to swimming. And diving would be downright dangerous. What I don’t know is how recently that hole was created.

So what gives? Will Toyoko Inn Chicago ever happen? Is the hole a sign it’s happening now? Is this still even going to be the Toyoko still? Or is the site destined to the purgatory that is Spireville? More questions than answers, I have.

Caisson work, May 2018

Caisson crews at work, May 2018

Caissons are done, but where’s the tower crane? June 2018

Peoria Green wants to squeeze its way into the West Loop

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A ZSD rendering of Peoria Green, as it would be seen looking east from Mary Bartelme Park.

Remember NIMBY heads exploding in the West Loop when Illume wanted to plant itself in the parking lot at 111 South Peoria Street? (Remember the fancy numerals in the 111ume name?) “It will block views of the skyline from Mary Bartelme Park!” was the best line locals screamed in an effort to keep the builders at bay.

Well, Illume is open now. The tiny parking lot immediately to its south is open too. But the construction fence around it says maybe it won’t be open much longer.

This is ZSD’s rendering of the Green Street elevation.

Signage on the site says Peoria Green wants to wedge its way into the neighborhood. Peoria Green already has a website. Peoria Green already has a flyer box on the fence so passers-by can get the scoop. Peoria Green has a sales center (located at 112 S. Sangamon Street.) Peoria Green is a thing.

Apparently, this has been a thing for awhile. But when you’re not paying attention, stuff gets past you. Crain’s and Dennis Rodkin were all over this project back in March. And The Real Deal posted about Peoria Green’s approval back in June. They even mentioned it being “controversial” and receiving “heated opposition from some neighbors.” (See first paragraph above. I am the opposite of surprised.)

ZSD Corp is planning 25 condos here, all with at least 4 bedrooms. That’s a lot of bedrooms. A childless couple could AirBnB the heck out of one of these. The on-site brochure claims a Fall 2020 opening for Peoria Green. I’m still efforting to find an architect for this project, plus a GC. Keep your ears open, if not your empty lots. A fall opening means they’d need to get started right soon.

A neon-green banner announces Peoria Green.

Looking west to east, Peoria to Green, at the full length of the lot.

Peoria Green ZSD site plan

The site plan from ZSD shows Peoria Green’s unusual shape.

I made a fancy Google Maps site plan, with the Peoria Green footprint outlined in red. I should get a drone.

Parkline is getting ready to rise at Randolph and Wabash

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Parkline Chicago Randolph Wabash

Bird’s-eye view of Parkline construction at Randolph Street and Wabash Avenue in the Chicago Loop.

Permits are in hand, foundations are set, and the tower crane is up at 50 East Randolph Street in The Loop. That’s where Moceri + Roszak are replacing a parking garage and cheap food (though I admit to having been a fan of the Qdoba that was here) with a 26-story residential tower at the corner of Randolph and Wabash.

Parkline is a design by Thomas Roszak Architecture. It will consist of 214 units. 24 will be condos; 190 will be rental apartments. Also included will be 68 parking spots and ground-floor commercial space, all with an anticipated opening in 2021.

Crain’s Chicago had a lot of information about Parkline in May of last year (holy moley, 2019 was last year already.)

Clark Construction is the general contractor for this tower. And, in names that don’t get enough shout-outs on this blog, Adjustable Concrete Construction is in charge of the concrete and tower crane, while Thornton Tomasetti is the structural engineer. They did work for The Vessel at Hudson Yards in Manhattan. That alone makes them heroes. Have you seen that thing?

I didn’t go to Hudson Yards on New Year’s Day, but I did stop by the Parkline construction site. Want proof? It’s in the photos below, along with a batch of Parkline renderings from Thomas Roszak Architecture.

 

Thought you might wanna see some photos from Cirrus/Cascade, IJKL, all that stuff

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Cascade Cirrus IJKL construction

3 gloomy tower cranes are still 3 tower cranes!

Another gloomy weather day in Chicago, perfect for taking pictures with lousy cameras. I had to be downtown Monday, so I took a few detours, one of which was the three-crane wonder that is Cirrus Chicago construction. And Cascade Chicago construction. Honestly, I don’t know which is which over here, and I think there’s gonna be a third tower at some point too. What I do know is, this is one of two Chicago construction sites featuring 3 tower cranes, the other being One Chicago Square in River North.

I snapped off a bunch of iPhone pics, if you want to see them. I won’t win any awards for these, but at least now you can see what the early stages of construction look like over here, without having to make the trip to Lakeshore East.

A few particulars:

Lendlease is the general contractor here, as well as co-developer with Magellan Development. (Side note: “IJKL LLC” sounds like something that would be chanted at a college football game. I’m getting a t-shirt made.) They’re getting help with the concrete from McHugh Construction. bKL Architecture is the design architect.

 

Foundation work is underway at 1000M in the South Loop

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1000M Foundation work

Foundation work has begun on the Helmut Jahn’s 74-story 1000M in the South Loop.

1000M did an unusual thing for its groundbreaking celebration: it broke ground before ground was actually broken. You know, like an actual breaking-of-the-ground party to kick off construction. And now stuff’s getting done.

The JAHN-designed tower for Chicago’s South Loop neighborhood is getting its foundation on, thanks to the labors of Stalworth Underground and general contractor McHugh Construction. When all the work is complete, some time in 2022, 1000M will have risen to 74 stories and 832 feet. That’s 11.24324 feet per story, which is way more math than was at all necessary. Or relevant. I just like numbers. The building permit to start foundation work was issued November 29, so crews haven’t been wasting time. We’re waiting patiently for a tower crane permit.

Wanna see some iPhone photos of what’s going on? Here ya go:

 

 

 

 

I’ve missed a lot; Milieu West Loop Edition

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Milieu on the Park

Milieu (on the Park?) has risen to its full height at Adams & Peoria (205 S. Peoria) in the West Loop.

The last time I walked around Milieu in the West Loop, Power Construction had just set up the tower crane. Now, the tower crane is gone, and Milieu (Is it Milieu on the Park? That’s what White Oak Realty Partners calls it. I kinda like it.) is up. The FitzGerald-designed apartment building is slated to open this summer.

 

110 North Wacker at night

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110 North Wacker

110 North Wacker is rising along the Chicago River on the former site of the Morton Salt building.

Want to know what I did last weekend?

Yep. I went to 110 North Wacker and snapped some photos in the dark. Haven’t been here since it was barely more than a hole in the ground. Nice work on the build so far by Clark Construction.

Have a look: