Category Archives: Office

It’s a whole new block for 800 Fulton

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This building though.

If memory serves correctly, this is the first construction site I’ve covered for Thor Equities. But they must have gotten word that I’d be around, because 800 Fulton is really tough to get a good look at so far. Could be I’m just paranoid, but the fences seem too high, the foundation too deep, and heck, they’ve even gotten the weather to conspire against me with gloomy, overcast days.

Well, January brought some sunshine, so I’ve done the best I can. 800 Fulton is a 19-story office building designed by SOM. If this thing turns out the way renderings look, it will be nothing short of a spectacular addition to the still-booming Fulton Market area of the West Loop. Seriously, this one’s fantastic. This one occupies a full Fulton block, bounded by Fulton Market, Green Street, Wayman Street, and Halsted Street. It’s between the Fulton Market District sign and what used to be The Mid nightclub, if that helps you get oriented.

When an office building looks like a place you’d want to live, that’s a good sign. Living there would be a great idea anyway. You won’t want to drive to work at 800 Fulton. There will only be parking for 34 cars. There will, however, be 150 bicycle-parking spots. And we all need the exercise.

Expect me to move into 800 Fulton in 2021.

 

 

Something’s going down at LaSalle and Illinois — What’s going up?

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A tower crane permit was issued November 22nd by the City of Chicago for 151 West Illinois Street in River North. Guess what? There’s no tower crane at 151 West Illinois Street in River North. Nor is there one in the 400 block of North LaSalle. But that might change very soon.

Workers from Pepper Construction have been at this intersection the past couple days, getting the lot ready for what could be a new office building. Is it this one Curbed Chicago posted about back in February of last year? The one The Real Deal posted about in March? The one the Chicago Architecture Blog posted about in April? Cuz darned if I can find anything on my own. I can tell you that crane permit names Midwest Property Group as the developer, and Lendlease as the general contractor. And it looks like Pepper is the concrete contractor, so that would help explain their people and vehicle on site this week.

Here’s a dropbox presentation from Alderman Reilly’s office, shared in March of last year. Sure looks like a go to me.

I say, let’s go with the four above-named sources, and assume there’s an office building about to get started at LaSalle & Illinois in River North. Consider this my expressed written consent to start site prep. (In other words, tear up that parking lot.)

Ground is broken and stirring at Union Station Tower

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Goettsch Partners rendering of Union Station Tower, or BMO Tower. Work has begun next to Union Station in the West Loop.

Cubs. Bulls. Bears. White Sox. Blackhawks. Most folks around Chicago know the names of those local teams. But there’s another team in town making a lasting impression on the city, and in particular, the city’s skyline.

Riverside Investment & Development, Goettsch Partners, and Clark Construction are teaming up again for the third in a trio of eye-popping office buildings along the Chicago River. Union Station Tower will join 150 North Riverside (completed in 2017) and 110 North Wacker (in progress, with completion slated for this year) in making Chicago River Architecture boat cruises much more attractive in the coming years.

They’re doing foundation work as we speak where that ugly parking garage used to be, next to the new CTA bus terminal in the West Loop. The lot, bounded by Clinton Street to the west, Van Buren Street to the south, Canal Street to the east, and the bus terminal to the north, is huge. And it looks even bigger despite the foundation equipment spread to all four corners. Heneghan Wrecking even has rigs on the site, as they finish up demolition work of the previously-mentioned ugly parking deck.

Now, about the tower. It’ll be 50 stories and 700 feet tall. There will be about a million-and-a-half square feet of office space, with a 1.5-acre public park at street level. Also known as BMO Tower, for its anchor tenant, its team celebrated with a groundbreaking ceremony December 20th. Completion and opening is expected in 2022.

 

110 North Wacker at night

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110 North Wacker

110 North Wacker is rising along the Chicago River on the former site of the Morton Salt building.

Want to know what I did last weekend?

Yep. I went to 110 North Wacker and snapped some photos in the dark. Haven’t been here since it was barely more than a hole in the ground. Nice work on the build so far by Clark Construction.

Have a look:

At long last, The Loop has a tower crane again, courtesy of 145 South Wells

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145 South Wells tower crane

Chicago’s newest tower crane is at 145 South Wells. And it’s a shiny yellow one!

The 20-story office tower Moceri + Roszak is building at 145 South Wells has erected The Loop’s first tower crane since we waved bye-bye to the sidewalk-hovering iron beast at 151 North Franklin more than a year ago. Now the real fun begins for Clark Construction, what with the crane being operational and caissons having been sunk into the earth. That means it’s time for some verticality at 145 South Wells.

Do what you do, shiny yellow crane.

145 South Wells has planted a tower crane, which should be blossoming any minute now

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145 South Wells tower crane stub

The tower crane stub (and wading pool?) is ready to go at 145 South Wells.

Today is expected to be the first day of assemblage for the tower crane at 145 South Wells, the 20-story boutique office tower Clark Construction is building for Moceri + Roszak in The Loop. We’ve waited a long time for a tower crane in what amounts to Chicago’s Central Business District. (We don’t call it that here, but I’ve always liked the way that sounds. Lots of other cities use it; why not us? Is it like putting ketchup on a hot dog? Doing the wave at Wrigley? Riding a bike on the sidewalk? Oh wait…everyone does that here.)

So here’s a quick look at that stub before it becomes a full-grown tower crane.

The GR333N-ing of the Fulton Market District continues

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GR333N 333 North Green June 2018

Looking across the tracks at 333 North Green.

Office buildings are a big deal in the West Loop these days. No longer confined to The Loop, Chicago’s professional palaces are sprawling out to other neighborhoods now, and the West Loop leads the way. Not surprising, as this part of town seems to be out in front of most every aspect of development.

We’re keeping a close eye on 333 North Green, or GR333N as it’s been dubbed, partly because it’s cool to look down on Power Construction at work from up on the Halsted Street Bridge. One of Sterling Bay’s recent additions to West Town’s office-building portfolio, 333 North Green will be 19 stories tall and contain 555,000 square feet of office space.

We took a stroll past the site last week, and can offer you these views of progress:

It’s a Caisson Fest at 110 North Wacker

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110 North Wacker caissons June 2018

Picture yourself, on a rebarge, by the river.

There’s something you should know about ongoing caisson work at 110 North Wacker.

Case Foundation is doing the dirty work at The Loop construction site. They have a crew on a barge making the rebar cages that will be sunk into the ground to reinforce the caissons. You know what that means?

They’re using a REBARGE! Sorry, not sorry.

Clark Construction is the GC on this one. They’re tasked with getting the Goettsch Partners-designed office tower to rise to its 54-story goal.

One more thing you should know is that caisson work along the river is very photogenic. Especially on a bridge-lift day. Have a look for yourself in the gallery below.

 

145 South Wells digs in for the long haul

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Caissons are as done as caissons get at 145 South Wells, and now it’s time to start getting foundation work started. Which is exactly what’s going on this very minute in The Loop at Wells and Adams. Soon, this former parking garage site will start going vertical with Moceri + Roszak’s 20-story office tower.

We’re eagerly anticipating The Loop’s next tower crane, as it’s been a while since we’ve seen one in the heart of downtown. Then Clark Construction can start sending this tower skyward.

Speaking of not having tower cranes in The Loop, it’s been some time since we’ve seen Clark Construction with one of their own in the air. But suddenly, they’re about to have a glut of them. 145 South Wells got a permit for one on May 11, 110 North Wacker will require one, and the two buildings just getting started at 1415 South Wabash will be in need as well. Congrats, Clark! You’re about to have 3 cranes in the skyline!

Here are a few more caisson photos from Case Foundation’s work at the end of May, and a couple showing work on once-again-barren lot, as digging commenceth.