333 North Green puts Chicago’s newest tower crane to work

Posted on May 22, 2018 by danieldschell

The tower crane’s tower rises up from the GR333N construction site.

333 North Green (or GR333N if you prefer), the 19-story office tower Sterling Bay is putting up in Fulton Market, has Chicago’s newest tower crane working hard, as progress starts to push its way off street level. The lot at Green and Wayman Streets (yep, 333 North Green’s address for permit purposes is 810 West Wayman) is no small site, so the crane’s reach comes in handy as work spreads out. That’s Power Construction in charge of the goings-on. That shouldn’t be much of a surprise; Power is very busy in the West Loop.

***This tower crane snuck up on me. I knew there was a permit issued, but I didn’t know the stub had been planted until after the rest of the crane had been erected. So I have no stub photos. Sorry if I let you down, loyal readers.

With 6 other West Loop tower cranes playing back-up-singer roles, 333 North Green’s crane stands tall along N. Halsted Street.

Milieu has a clean West Loop slate to begin construction

Posted on May 22, 2018 by danieldschell

Demolition is complete at the corner of Adams and Peoria Streets in the West Loop, leaving just a silky-smooth lot with which to begin Milieu, the 275-unit apartment project from co-developers White Oak Realty Partners and Crayton Advisors.

It looks like Stalworth Underground will hit the site first, as they’re equipment is already on the lot. They’ll help take care of foundation work for GC Power Construction, tasked with sending Milieu up to its desired 19-story height. Designed by the West Loop’s own FitzGerald, Milieu brings 13,000 square fete of retail space, as well as parking spots for nearly 200 cars.

For now, Power has a permit to build up to the 5th floor. Soon they’ll get a tower crane permit as well, then the full-build will follow. Milieu is expecting a Summer 2019 opening.

Foundation work for the Toyoko Inn Chicago is underway

Posted on May 21, 2018 by danieldschell

320 South Clinton is officially no longer a parking lot, as foundation work begins for the Toyoko Inn Chicago.

Stalworth Underground is on site at 320 South Clinton Street in the West Loop, drilling caissons upon which will stand the Toyoko Inn Chicago. A foundation permit was issued by the City of Chicago April 11. That permit shows the general contractor to be Denken USA, Inc., located in the Civic Opera Building at 20 North Wacker Drive, which also happens to be the address of the hotel’s ownership, again according to the permit.

The permit calls for a 24-story hotel, so of course there will be a tower crane. Not unusual lately for the West Loop, but a bit of an oddball in that it will be east of the Kennedy Expressway. We haven’t seen one of those since EMME at 165 North Desplaines, and 625 West Adams.

Caissons are underway at 145 South Wells

Posted on May 21, 2018 by danieldschell

Caissons are going into the ground where this lame old parking deck once stood, at 145 South Wells.

The Loop’s next tower crane is right around the corner, as foundation work has begun at 145 South Wells. Case Foundation, whose rigs we spotted on site a week or so ago, have started drilling caissons to support the 20-story office building from Moceri + Roszak.

145 South Wells replaces a modest four-story parking garage in The Loop, and will replace it with a measly 24 parking spots. That’s a pretty good trade-off.

210 North Carpenter drops its tower crane

Posted on May 21, 2018 by danieldschell

A train goes by as a crane goes bye-bye at 210 North Carpenter.

“Why is that big tall street crane in my shot?” I said to myself as I aimed the camera over the Chicago River into the West Loop. I knew I was looking at tower cranes from the Hoxton Chicago hotel and 210 North Carpenter, but couldn’t figure out what construction site I had missed that would have such a big crane. Then I zoomed in. Noticed the people up on top of the more distant crane. And realized 210 North Carpenter was, in fact, on its way down.

See? Those are people up there, removing the counterweights from the counterjib.

I had just been in the West Loop earlier in the day, and that street crane wasn’t erected yet. So this came as a surprise. Plus, it meant I had to walk all the way back over there to check things out. Central Contractors Service was on site with GC Leopardo Companies and concrete contractor Adjustable Forms starting to dismantle Manitowoc MD485 (don’t be impressed; I copied that info from the permit.) Leopardo is now one step closer to finishing their new headquarters.

***Whilst in the area of the West Loop Saturday, I stopped at the new McDonald’s HQ and had a go at those new Australian bacon-cheese fries everyone’s been talking about. I suggest you try them.

Lendlease drops the tower crane at 1101 South Wabash

Posted on May 21, 2018 by danieldschell

The tower crane sinks below the top of the 2 Hiltons in the South Loop. You know that means doom.

The Hilton Homewood Suites and Hilton Garden Inn aren’t finished yet, but the tower crane is. We got word last week that the tower crane would be removed any day now, and sure enough, crews from Central Contractors Service, Lendlease, and Pepper Construction (as the concrete contractor, it’s technically their crane) were out there Sunday, taking sections down and hauling them off the site.

There remains quite a bit of work to do to make this tower a hotel. Or two. But now the heavy lifting will be up to the skip hoist.

Renelle on the River drops its tower crane

Posted on May 21, 2018 by danieldschell

Is a tower crane still a tower crane if only the cab remains on the tower? I think not.

It was only November when Renelle on the River made news by erecting Chicago’s 60th tower crane of 2017. It took McHugh Construction and that tower crane just six months to erect the 18-story bKL Architecture design that will soon contain 50 of the city’s newest, nicest condominiums. last week, it came down.

Don’t worry though, there’s still a lot of work to be done here. Only one level of curtain wall has been installed so far, so we’ll have that to watch before all that’s left to do is interior work on those 50 condos.

Essex on the Park approaches 40 stories in the South Loop

Posted on May 16, 2018 by danieldschell

Essex on the Park rises above the South Loop.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: If you want a magnificent mile, you might be too far north.

While tourists are shopping, walk down to Grant Park and take a look west at how the skyline is changing in the South Loop, as skyscraper after skyscraper goes up. And on a sunny day, there are none better to gaze upon than Essex on the Park.

It appears Power Construction is on or near the 36th floor, while the curtain wall has risen a full 20 stories above that wonderful 7th-floor winter garden.

: Essex on the Park rises above the South Loop.

: From 18th Street.

Touch ‘em all, Jeanne: Studio Gang knocks another one out of the…well, you know…

Posted on May 15, 2018 by danieldschell

From the Solstice on the Park website, this is the view from high up in the tower, facing north. It is beyond stunning.

Last week’s visit to Hyde Park to check out the new tower crane at 5252 South Cornell provided another chance to check on progress at Solstice On The Park, the 27-story, 250-unit apartment tower designed by Jeanne Gang at Studio Gang. I’m a sucker for this building, especially on sunny days with blue skies as a backdrop. I wasn’t disappointed. The angles, the glass, the lines. It all works.

General contractor Linn-Mathes looks to be putting the finishing touches on the tower. The view shown above is still available for rent, just so you know.

110 North Wacker gets its foundations on

Posted on May 15, 2018 by danieldschell

Foundation work is underway at 110 North Wacker, as Case Foundation gets busy in The Loop.

The rubble of the old Morton Salt Building (or the GGP Building–Don’t @ me) is long gone, and now Case Foundation is on the job, doing the dirty work to get 110 North Wacker started.

A permit was issued by the City of Chicago on April 9, allowing work to be done on the two below-grade levels, on up to the 4th floor. We’re hoping for a tower crane permit sooner rather than later to get this one up to its ultimate 54-story height, but that might take some time. But don’t worry; there’s already plenty to see. Get yourself a comfy lawn chair and go hang out on the Washington Street Bridge and watch the show.