1136 South Wabash keeps climbing into the South Loop sky

Posted on May 11, 2017 by danieldschell

One of Lendlease’s 8 Chicago tower cranes works above 1136 South Wabash in the South Loop.

Ever wonder which general contractors have the most tower cranes in the air around Chicago? Well, for right now, the leader in the clubhouse is Lendlease with 8. Power Construction and McHugh Construction are hot on their heels with 7 apiece.

One of Lendlease’s cranes is busy stacking floors atop floors at 1136 South Wabash. 1136 was previously best known for obscuring Hebru Brantley’s Flyboy mural on the wall of next-door neighbor 1132 South Wabash Avenue. But art lives on, and it’s time to recognize the new Solomon Cordwell Buenz-designed project for bringing 320 new apartments to the South Loop. Developed by CA Ventures, there will also be 143 parking spaces in the 26-story tower. Never mind that you’ll be able to fall out of bed and land in Stan’s Donuts, or Five Guys, or Belly Up Smokehouse, or Eleven City Diner, but 1136 South Wabash is also about 7 long strides from the Roosevelt CTA station. That’s delicious convenience right there.

The Crane Doctor to make a house call at Illume Chicago

Posted on May 10, 2017 by danieldschell

Putting the Ill in Illume…The tower crane at Illume Chicago needs some repairs.

Expect a street closure Thursday in the 100-block of South Peoria Street, as a street crane sets up to make repairs on the tower crane holding court above Illume Chicago. Weather permitting, repairs shouldn’t last more than a day, and Peoria Street will be back in business Friday.

There are no tower cranes in The Loop. Will 145 South Wells end the drought?

Posted on May 10, 2017 by danieldschell

Rendering of 145 South Wells from Thomas Roszak Architecture. Yep, that’ll need a tower crane.

For all the development in Chicago, none of it includes a tower crane in The Loop. The two most recent cranes, at Linea (215 West Lake Street) and 151 North Franklin, have been gone since December and April, respectively. So who will swoop in to save us from this wretched cranelessness?

145 South Wells could be the right candidate. After receiving a demolition permit in mid-March to tear down the small parking garage on site, the lot looks clean and ready to be prepped for the latest project from developer Moceri + Roszak: a boutique office building that will re-team them with design architect Thomas Roszak Architecture. (They worked on Linea together.) Renderings show a tower somewhere in the 15-20-story range. That’s sure tower-crane territory. As for when construction gets underway (looks like Clark Construction will be the general contractor) that remains to be seen; permits have yet to be issued to start construction.

: That’s nice scaffolding and all, but it won’t do a tower crane’s job.

: My hunch about the GC is based on this sign.

#33: Cook County Central Campus Health Center puts a tower crane in the air

Posted on May 10, 2017 by danieldschell

Cook County Central Campus Health Center tower crane

Looked out the window this morning, and there it was. Cook County Central Campus Health Center has a tower crane.

Before I took the time to post photos from Saturday of the tower crane stub at Cook County Central Campus Health Center, Clayco went ahead a put the darn thing up! That’ll teach me to procrastinate. (No, it won’t. It should though.) Not sure exactly which days saw work on the crane, but there it was outside the B.U.C. HQ window this morning, shining in the sunlight.

CCCCHC is now the 33rd active tower crane in Chicago.

: A close-up Wednesday morning.

: The construction site Saturday, May 6.

Construction Update: 1411 South Michigan

Posted on May 10, 2017 by danieldschell

An overhead view of 1411 South Michigan. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Healy.

Gravity seems to be no obstacle at 1411 South Michigan, as Lendlease workers (with assistance from Pepper Construction on the concrete work) continue erecting a 15-story residential tower for Russland Capital Group. BKV Group’s design will include 199 apartments for rent, plus more than 40,000 square feet of commercial space. Russland hopes to have 1411 South Michigan open before the calendar flips over into 2018.

: Tower crane over Lake Michigan. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Healy.

: This gratuitous tower crane shot was taken from a rooftop across the street.

: As was this one.

Construction Update: Ancora at Riverline

Posted on May 9, 2017 by danieldschell

Ancora at Riverline, at sunset, from the Harrison Street bridge.

Ancora from above, courtesy Olin Eargle of @properties.

Call it Ancora, call it Phase One of Riverline, call it whatever you want, but it’s growing. And will continue to do so until it reaches 29 stories. CMK Companies’ first portion of the Riverline development along the Chicago River is making its presence known in the South Loop. The podium has reached the fourth level, while a pair of cores shoot up through the center. You’ll find the best spots to view Lendlease’s handiwork along the Harrison Street bridge.

Pile driving has begun at 1326 South Michigan

Posted on May 8, 2017 by danieldschell

A few of the first H-piles at 1326 South Michigan.

If you’re out searching for caisson work, don’t waste your time at 1326 South Michigan. The 46-story, 500-unit tower from Murphy Development Group and CIM Group won’t have them. Instead, the SCB-designed tower will sit atop H-piles, which Stalworth Underground is on site attending to now. According to Stalworth, the South Loop soil simply isn’t made for caisson work, so H-piles will be driven about 90 feet down into the bedrock.

How many H-piles does it take to support a 47-story building? 360, again according to the folks at Stalworth. Each pile is capable of supporting 350 tons, so that’s 252 million pounds of concrete and steel and glass and sofas and appliances that can be supported. Oh, and 190 cars. That’s a decent amount of weight there, too.

Stalworth started driving piles at 1326 South Michigan last week.

: A view of the pile-driving rig, from above.

: The same rig, hiding in the shadows.

Lots more glass as 465 North Park continues to grow

Posted on May 8, 2017 by danieldschell

Glassin’ up the joint at 465 North Park in Streeterville.

Back in early April, cladding made an appearance at 465 North Park in Streeterville. Now, as Jupiter Realty’s apartment tower continues to push upward, the glass is spreading throughout the podium. When completed, the 48-story tower designed by Pappageorge Haymes will have (sorry, I chickened out on the math) a whole bunch of windows adorning it’s 444 glassy rental units. Maybe I can’t count all those panels, but I assure you, the Windex people are licking their chops. But if statistics are your thing, there will also be 181 parking spaces and nearly 12,000 square feet of retail and commercial space within 465 North Park. Power Construction is on the build; their task is having the tower ready to open early in 2018.

: Looks like we’re getting more tower crane soon.

More from Vista Tower, just because

Posted on May 5, 2017 by danieldschell

The two cores of Wanda Vista Tower, Chicago’s best free entertainment.

I could do three posts a week on the changing landscape that is Vista Tower construction. The site looks that different from day to day. The number of small individual projects going into making this one huge project a living, breathing being are fascinating to watch, even when I have no idea what most of it is. Combine that with the viewing platforms of Upper Wacker Drive to the north and the walkways along the south, and Vista Theater provides hours of entertainment for passing construction nerds.

But pulling up a lawn chair and camping out is not only discouraged by nearby residents and construction firms alike, but somewhat impractical in spring’s temperamental weather conditions. I can still offer to go by a few times each month though, and when I do, I’ll share bunches and bunches of photos with you, and then it’s like we’re all camped out there. And remember, when this thing climbs above Upper Wacker level, there won’t be nearly as much to see. You won’t get tired of photos before that happens.

Sound like a plan?

And then there were 32: The Landmark West Loop lowers the tower crane

Posted on May 4, 2017 by danieldschell

When the crane disappears behind its own building, that’s a good indication it’s coming down.

Chicago’s ever-fluid tower crane count has changed again, as Landmark West Loop begins to lower its crane at 1035 West Van Buren Street. Landmark topped out March 23, so we knew this day was coming. The loss of this shiny yellow Liebherr EC-12 Litronic model brings our count down to 32.