If you’re clad and you know it… you might be 151 North Franklin

Posted on January 16, 2017 by danieldschell

There’s an embarrassment of riches of new glass around Chicago these days. The latest to show up for the party? 151 North Franklin. But you have to look carefully. There are a few panels visible from the corner of Franklin and Randolph, and then a couple rows along Couch Place (aka the alley between Randolph and Lake.)

Have a look:

: The glass along Franklin…

: …is hidden under the corner of Franklin and Randolph.

: Alley glass, from an unsafe angle.

: Alley glass.

Return to New York City: 3 World Trade Center

Posted on January 5, 2017 by danieldschell

3 World Trade Center, New York City.

3 World Trade Center will be an 80-story office tower at 175 Greenwich Street. Two-and-a-half million square feet of office space, plus 150,000 square feet of retail space — over 5 floors — it’s expected to open in 2018. The design is by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners of London. The developer is Silverstein Properties.

For more on 3 World Trade Center, please follow these links:

New York YIMBY

Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat

The Real Deal

: 3 World Trade Center, One World Trade Center, New York by Gehry.

: The view at night, from Brooklyn Bridge Park.

: The amazing Oculus, right next door to 3 World Trade Center.

: Peering through the exterior of The Oculus.

How about a McDouble? There will be a pair of tower cranes at McDonald’s headquarters

Posted on January 4, 2017 by danieldschell

That tower crane obscured by all the caisson equipment doesn’t belong to the McDonald’s HQ site. But soon, there will be two of them here.

By now you know, tower cranes are a favorite of mine. Two tower cranes? I can barely contain my bliss. We’ve seen them here in Chicago within the past 12 months at The Sinclair, the Simpson-Querrey Biomedical Research Center, and most recently, at Vista Tower. And coming soon, McDonald’s HQ. (HQ stand for headquarters, not headquarter-pounders)

On December 15, the City of Chicago filed permits for the two cranes at 110 North Carpenter Street in the West Loop, and look what they did! They’ve already named them West Crane and East Crane! Which really takes the pressure to come up with clever crane monikers off me.

They’re still busy with caisson work at the new Home of the Golden Arches, so don’t expect cranes to sprout right away. But they’ll be here soon enough. Now, if that completes your order, please pull up to the next window.

East Crane.

West Crane.

Obvious Update: Driving piles at McDonald’s headquarters is noisy

Video

Crank up the volume on your pc/tablet/phone, and you’ll be able to enjoy what West Loopers are hearing, as piles are driven into the ground at the new McDonald’s headquarters at 110 North Carpenter Street.

But don’t worry. Locals know the importance of bringing such a high-profile company to the neighborhood, so they’re willing to put up with the noise for a few days. Besides, all major construction projects are noisy, and the folks on adjacent properties are always understanding of the temporary inconveniences.

Right?

: This guy was working much more quietly, not disturbing a soul…

: …despite working right beside the pile driver.

Cubs continue to get their office in order

Posted on December 23, 2016 by danieldschell

THE CUBS WON THE WORLD SERIES!

Also, construction continues on the “triangle lot” site at Wrigley Field for what will be the new office building of the Chicago Cubs, the Major League Baseball team that won the 2016 World Series.

FACT: Every team in every major sport has waited longer for a championship season than the Chicago Cubs.

The six-story office building already houses the new 30,000-square-foot clubhouse, which provides the modern amenities and creature comforts the team clearly needed to push them to the 2016 World Series Championship.

And now, a photo gallery of construction progress, featuring 17 pictures. 17. Kris Bryant, #17 of the World Series Champion Chicago Cubs, and reigning National League Most Valuable Player.

Coincidence? Probably not.

: Winter rendering of the office building and plaza from Hickory Street Capital.

: Summer rendering of the office building and plaza from Hickory Street Capital.

Construction Update: 151 North Franklin

Posted on December 16, 2016 by danieldschell

The tower crane that isn’t a tower crane at 151 North Franklin still soars high above Randolph Street.

I missed the memo that said 151 North Franklin would be growing like a weed in spring, despite Chicago heading into winter. On the lot that only yesterday still seemed to anchor that worn-out old Walgreen’s store, the future CNA Center already appears to be about 18 stories into the sky. You can credit Lendlease for that miracle growth, for even in Thursday’s inhuman temperatures, there was still a construction crew on site. That’s not just a core shooting up through the center of The John Buck Company’s 820,000-square-foot office tower, that’s hard-core.

Here are a few shots on 151 North Franklin, which has outgrown all the adjacent parking garages, and their prime vantage points.

: Lendlease. Still Flying The W!

: last time we stopped by here, there were tower crane pieces awaiting assembly.

Like the bottom bun, McDonald’s foundation off to a good start

Posted on December 5, 2016 by danieldschell

Lots of irons in the fire at the new McDonald’s HQ.

With Harpo Studios a distant memory, foundation work is underway in the West Loop on what will be the new headquarters for the McDonald’s Corporation. And you know, you can’t start building a burger without a good bottom bun.

The foundation permit, issued November 7.

A foundation permit was issued by the city on November 7. Equipment from Michels Corporation (they did the caisson work on the newly-opened River Point Plaza) is tearing away at the soil in the block surrounded by Carpenter, Randolph, and Aberdeen Streets, and Washington Boulevard. Once that work is done, general contractor McHugh Construction will start going vertical with the Gensler-designed HQ.

: You’re just making it harder for spectators, aren’t you

River Point is open!

Posted on December 1, 2016 by danieldschell

Looking north through River Point Plaza, with the Kinzie Street railroad bridge standing at attention on the right.

River Point, the 52-story office tower from Hines, is now open. That’s likely uncontrollably exciting to those of you who have or will have your new office at 444 West Lake Street in the West Loop, but it’s quite a spectacle for the rest of us, too.

I haven’t been inside yet (insert hopeful emoji here), but I took a stroll through River Point Plaza Thursday evening. The one-and-a-half-acre park, designed by landscape architect The Office of James Burnett, sits above the fork in the Chicago River, offering views to the east past the Merchandise Mart, and to the north toward the Kinzie Street railroad bridge. During construction of River Point, Hines promised us a spectacular public park at the foot of the tower. What Hines delivered is, in fact, a spectacular park at the foot of the tower. But don’t take my word for it. Take my photos that follow instead, then get yourselves over and see for yourself.

Kudos to everyone involved in the River Point project, including design architect Pickard Chilton, civil engineer Magnusson Klemencic Associates, and contractors Lendlease and Clark Construction. Magnificent work, all around!

: Looking east along the Chicago River, with the red-and-green-topped Merchandise Mart on the left.

: Paths and trees and lights on the River Point Plaza.

: Looking south across the plaza, with 150 North Riverside in the distance.

: More plaza, more Chicago River scenery.

: Wreaths and arch.

: The view of River Point from Wacker Drive.

: The north elevation, an angle I’ve been waiting to see.

: Looking up at corners.

: Humble beginnings. Seems like forever ago.

: This was a handsome child.

Old 7-story brick building in Lincoln Park to be demolished for 7-story brick building

Posted on November 8, 2016 by danieldschell

Scaffolding has been erected on the east facade of the Nellie A. Black Pavilion.

On the final day of October, the City of Chicago issued a demolition permit for the Nellie A. Black Memorial Pavilion, at 700 West Fullerton Parkway in Lincoln Park. Built in the 1932, it made Preservation Chicago’s “Chicago 7” list in 2016, along with its neighbor across the street, the Martha Wilson Memorial Pavilion. That building is already rubble, along with most of the old Children’s Memorial Hospital.

The rendering from Crain’s Chicago’s story of the new Belmont Village Senior Living building. Look familiar?

Crain’s Chicago posted back in June that Chicago-based Harrison Street Capital and Houston-based Belmont Village Senior Living bought the building, with the intent of constructing a senior-living facility on the site. The rendering Crain’s included in the story, seen to the right, looks remarkably similar to the Nellie Black Pavilion. I could be oversimplifying things, but maybe that 80-year-old edifice could have been re-purposed for the senior living project? Eh, what do I know.

Monday, workers were constructing scaffolding on the facade. Expect dust and pallets of used bricks to follow shortly. American Demolition will do the dirty work.

: Children’s Memorial Hospital demolition. That’s the Nellie Black Pavilion on the right.

: 710 West Fullerton is the same building as 700.

: The Martha Wilson Memorial Pavilion has already been demolished.

River Point Plaza is starting to look like a park of dreams

Posted on November 2, 2016 by danieldschell

Some day soon, we’ll be able to hang out in River Point Plaza, gazing up at the glorious new tower.

The one-and-a-half-acre park at the foot of River Point looks more and more inviting every day. That means soon, on days like Tuesday when it was in the high 70s in Chicago, the public will be able to take a book out onto the elevated plaza and enjoy the views of the Chicago River below, and the new office tower directly overhead. Developer Hines (remember our visit to 53W53 last week?) plans to have River Point and its plaza open in early 2017.

: River Point Plaza from a swift-moving Green Line train.

Building Up Chicago

An Eye on Chicago Construction.

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