A 4-pack on Aberdeen Street

Posted on February 9, 2017 by danieldschell

Look look south down Aberdeen Street past Lake Street reveals four new developments.

How busy are things in the West Loop? Look through the snowflakes in the above photo, taken January 26, and you’ll see four new projects lined up along Aberdeen Street.

They are, beginning in the foreground and working south:

165 North Aberdeen

An 11-story mixed-use building from MCZ Development, featuring 90 residential units, with 40,000 square feet of office space and 15,000 square feet of retail space.

McDonald’s Corporation Headquarters

Barley noticeable are the tops of caisson equipment. Sterling Bay is building a new HQ for the McDonald’s Corporation where Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Studios once stood. The 9-story, nearly 500,000-square-foot facility will have McDonald’s as its only tenant.

CA Washington

Look very closely beneath the elevated CTA tracks, and you’ll see the skeleton of CA Washington. Developed by Belgravia Realty Group, CA Washington brings six stories and 60 condos to the neighborhood.

1035 West Van Buren

Finally, way off in the distance you see the yellow forms and tower crane atop 1035 West Van Buren, a 30-story, 300-unit rental tower from Related Midwest.

A sunny day at: The Gallery On Wells

Posted on February 8, 2017 by danieldschell

Today, I present another segment in the A Sunny Day At series. In what has been a relatively drab winter in Chicago, when you get a sunny day, you go outside and take pictures of everything under the sun. Literally. Doesn’t matter if a particular building has just been updated on the blog; if the next day is sunny, then you post more pictures. Period. And so, enjoy a few photos of The Gallery On Wells, at 637 North Wells Street in River North, in good lighting.

More from the two-floor Apple Store

Posted on February 8, 2017 by danieldschell

The new Apple Store in Pioneer Court features Chicago’s lowest tower crane.

You can handle more pictures of the Apple Store construction, right? It’s still cool, and it still has that tower crane where you can just about reach your hand up and high-five the crane operator. The only negative I can find right now with this project is that the lower-level sidewalk of the Michigan Avenue Bridge is closed for work, so that’s one less vantage point for viewing.

A Tuesday update at One South Halsted

Posted on February 7, 2017 by danieldschell

Both excavators have been busy Tuesday at the Crowne Plaza parking lot/One South Halsted construction site.

If you didn’t think they were serious about moving your car out of the Crowne Plaza parking lot, it’s too late now.

Asphalt continues getting torn up at the future One South Halsted, even in Tuesday’s rain and fog. One interesting change, aside from the digging: the sidewalk protection on Halsted Street has been removed. It remains on the Madison Street (north) side.

: Halsted Street sidewalk protection, gone.

: It remains in place on Madison.

: The Halsted Street sidewalk protection of days gone by.

: UPDATE: A mini-excavator — with jack hammer — showed up for work just after lunchtime.

Riverline’s Ancora tower ramps up construction progress

Posted on February 7, 2017 by danieldschell

A ramp takes shape and form on the Ancora tower site at Riverline in the South Loop.

Ancora, the first building of the Riverline development in the South Loop, continues to jut out of the ground like stalagmites in a cave. General contractor Lendlease‘s handiwork is starting to peek above the secretive fencing that lines South Wells Street, so those of us curious about construction progress don’t need to stand on the roof of our buddy’s van as he slowly drives by anymore. And you kids shouldn’t try that.

: Gratuitous tower crane shot.

Construction Progress: Centrum Hubbard and 412 North Wells

Posted on February 6, 2017 by danieldschell

Conveniently located right next door to 225 West Hubbard (foreground, with water tank), aka HQ for both Centrum Partners and Hirsch Associates, Centrum Hubbard is rising in River North.

There may not be a whole lot to report as far as progress goes on 412 North Wells, the 9-story office building from Centrum Partners and Hirsch Associates. But that’s because work efforts are being concentrated on the 23-story, 193-unit apartment tower Centrum Hubbard next door. These are the closest projects to downtown for the dynamic duo, which is also currently building Centrum Bucktown, Centrum Wicker Park, and the Wicker Park Connection, among others.

The Moxy Hotel rests in the calm before the storm

Posted on February 6, 2017 by danieldschell

Sure, have a drink. Then let’s get back to work on the Moxy Hotel.

Following the somewhat secretive whirlwind of caisson work, all’s quiet at the future grounds of what is believed to be the Moxy Hotel at 530 North LaSalle Drive in River North. Save for one lone excavator, the lot is empty of equipment, and more resembles freshly-plowed farmland than an 8-story boutique hotel site.

Quick Look: The Wanda Vista Tower concrete pour, after the fact

Posted on February 5, 2017 by danieldschell

I wanted to use “The After Mat” but decided against it.

Moon and crane above the Wanda Vista Tower construction site, Sunday evening.

The word of the day is… CONCRETE. At least at Wanda Vista Tower

Posted on February 4, 2017 by danieldschell

The big pour is underway at Wanda Vista Tower.

It’s happening. The gigantic mat pour everyone’s been talking about is going on now at Wanda Vista Tower. All manner of concrete distribution is being utilized, the coolest being a line of troughs at the west end of the mat, sending concrete flowing directly from the trucks into the mass of rebar below.

Missed the fun? No you didn’t. They’ll be at it for awhile. You’ve got time to get over there.

One South Halsted ain’t messing around

Posted on February 3, 2017 by danieldschell

Twitter user @henjealy spotted the temporary sidewalks on Monday.

Disregard any talk you may have heard about One South Halsted taking its sweet time getting started. A week after the foundation permit was filed by the City of Chicago, the apartment tower from Fifield Companies and F&F Realty has emptied and cordoned off the parking lot, set up temporary sidewalks on Halsted and Madison Streets, and knocked down trees on the site. There are excavators on site, plus dump trucks, equipment trailers, even a cement mixer. And, as of 9:20 this morning, one of those excavators is tearing up the asphalt.

The former Crowne Plaza parking lot has been a flurry of activity all week. Yep, One South Halsted is ready to roll into the West Loop.