The view from the B.U.C. HQ is still somewhat limited, until McDonald’s rises a few more floors.
If you live in a West Loop condo with a nice balcony (or a drone), you might just have a great view of construction from above the new McDonald’s Headquarters. For the rest of us, circling the block bounded by Randolph, Carpenter, Washington, and Aberdeen is the only way to get a good look at proceedings. So that’s what I did.
You can get a train’s-eye view of 412 North Wells right now by taking a relaxing Brown Line ride from the Merchandise Mart up to the Chicago Ave stop. Linn-Mathes is pushing the 9-story office building skyward, now that the residential tower next door, Hubbard221, is nearly topped out. (Is that 22 stories I count?)
Hubbard221 is the 193-unit apartment tower from developer Centrum Partners and designer Hirsch Associates Architects, the team that just saw a tower crane rise on their Wicker Park Connection property. As for this tower crane, it now has double duty to pull, as it tops off the taller tower while beginning to stretch the smaller structure vertically.
Alta Roosevelt cuts an imposing figure in the South Loop.
If you walk through the South Loop this weekend, stop by Alta Roosevelt at 801 South Financial Place and tell me if you think that is one tall tower. Spoiler Alert: It is. And here’s why: Walsh Construction has stacked a whole bunch of floors atop other floors.
I waited around long enough this week for Alta Roosevelt herself to start whispering secrets, and she tells me the 27th floor of the tower has been poured. She also said structural pours for the garage are complete after recently doing the last deck. She is quite proud of accomplishing that feat.
A reminder to you that Alta Roosevelt is a development from Wood Partners, and a design by Pappageorge Haymes Partners. bringing 496 new apartments to the neighborhood where Financial Place and Polk Street meet, one small block east of South Wells. While there’s no immediate danger of losing its pretty yellow tower crane, topping out is likely by early June.
Can I hang out down there, if I promise to be reaaaalllly careful?
One Grant Park looks like a playground. It isn’t, of course. Unless you’re skilled laborers paid to work there, and then I bet it’s all-day fun.
For now, One Grant Park is still seeing most of its action below street level. There are tunnels and rings of rebar running throughout the site, like a corn maze on an Iowa farm, minus the tractor rides and hay bales. It’s cool enough to stand around and watch, that maybe McHugh Construction will put a gift shop at the exit. Some hot apple cider and a scale model of Rafael Viñoly Architects‘ tower would make nice Christmas gifts, no?
The finished tower crane over the Wicker Park Connection, Monday evening.
It got started over the weekend, and by Monday evening it was completed. The Wicker Park Connection can begin going vertical, now that there’s a tower crane on site. We watched most of the erecting from the B.U.C. HQ, but a well-timed going-away dinner (Bon Voyage, Steve!) on Division Street meant a good look at the new kid on that block.
A new tower crane hovers over 1101 South Wabash.
No longer just a large excavation pit, 1101 South Wabash now has a tower crane to help erect the 30-story hotel coming to the South Loop site. Apparently the shiny red crane has been there almost a week now, but I neglected it for a few days. Sorry, crane. Nothing personal. Ya know I love ya.
According to the CTBUH, this is a development from SB Yen management Group in Hinsdale, and will be the Hilton Homewood Suites and Wabash Suites Hotel.
Chicago, say hello to my new favorite construction crew member.
Tuesday was a big day in the life of The Ardus. A crew from Michels Corporation began drilling caissons at 676 North LaSalle Street in River North, even as the existing building next door continues its gutting and transformation. Booth Hanson has designed 149 apartments to be built into the new and existing structures for Cedar Street Companies. One of those companies, Method Construction, is the general contractor.
Also yesterday, The Ardus received its full building permit from the City of Chicago.
The full building permit arrived in the mail yesterday.
The Caissons
The Renovation
The Simpson Querrey Biomedical Research Center rises in Streeterville.
More iron, more concrete, more fun for spectators. The Simpson Querrey Biomedical Research Center continues to grow in Streeterville. Northwestern University’s new facility, on the site where Prentice Women’s Hospital once stood, is growing toward its goal of 14 stories. (Phase Two will add up to 16 additional floors.)
Power Construction has been hard at work on this one since ground was broken back in May 2015. Designed by Perkins+Will, construction has included extensive foundation work below grade, now hidden by all the superstructure we see today. And there remains a lot of work to be done, with the goal of a late-2018 opening.
Springtime at Mary Bartleme Park. With tower crane and Sears Tower.
It’s been exactly one month since Norcon grew a tower crane at its Illume Chicago site in West Loop. Now, that crane is contributing to the foundation being shored up for the new condominiums from LG Development.
Located at 111 South Peoria Street, Illume Chicago will be ten stories containing 79 condos, with parking in the basement and first floor, designed by Pappageorge Haymes Architects.
Looking east to west across the ever-changing scene of Vista Tower.They
Three weeks is far too long to go between photo galleries of what’s going on at Vista Tower. Especially when the landscape changes on a daily basis. McHugh Construction continues to entertain with lumber, rebar, concrete, and tower cranes. There’s a lot happening here, as you’re about to see.
Building Up Chicago 