As it approaches completion, a big day for Fulton West

Posted on January 27, 2017 by danieldschell

Way out at the west end of the Fulton Market District (I know, it’s practically the suburbs, right?) Sterling Bay’s Fulton West, a 290,000-square-foot office building designed by Gensler, is moving steadily toward its scheduled April 2017 opening. The nine-story building, a combination of new construction and renovation to an existing structure, will also include more than 600 parking spaces and 20,000 square feet of green space.

And though the photos that follow may look gloomy, that was only the weather. Thursday was a bright, cheery day for Fulton West, as Crain’s Chicago reported that Dyson, the company famous for the swiveling vacuum you’ve seen on television, has signed on to lease almost 41,000 square feet of Fulton West space. Dyson currently resides at 600 West Chicago Avenue, and, as mentioned by Ryan Ori at Crain’s, would make the move by the end of the year.

So if there appears to be a little extra sparkle in the cladding around Fulton West, now you understand why. See for yourself, in the photos below showing how far Leopardo Construction has progressed on the project.

The Ronsley renovation gets serious

Posted on January 17, 2017 by danieldschell

The Ronsley, 676 North Kingsbury Street in River North. Render from The Ronsley website.

There’s quite an ambitious renovation taking place in River North, and after a long period of interior work, the outside is catching up with the inside.

The Ronsley, at 676 North Kingsbury Street, is well on its way to being transformed into a stellar condominium building. The Ronsley renovation was designed by Antunovich Associates for LG Development, and includes adding four additional stories atop the original 5-story timber loft office building, as well as putting additions on the west and south sides of the structure. All that work, which LG Construction is doing themselves, will result in 41 luxury condos ranging from two to four bedrooms, plus parking for 50 vehicles, including hydraulic lifts for stacking cars on cars.

The Ronsley in August of 2015. Sadly, the water tank is gone.

The water tank that is no more.

The back of the original loft timber office building, which faces south. It was…gritty.

The rear of the building under transformation, April 2016.

On to May of 2016, and the interior gutting:

A month later, more interior work, the west addition takes shape, and there’s more work going on around the back:

October 2016, and here come the windows! The west addition rises up the side of the original building, and the south addition gets off the ground:

Finally, January of 2017. Those new windows look great against the brick. There’s ironwork on top, to the west, and in the rear:

LG’s TOD taking shape at 1241 North Milwaukee in Wicker Park

Posted on January 11, 2017 by danieldschell

At the intersection of Ashland and Milwaukee Avenues, and just off Division Street, LG Development is building a seven-story rental building that will include 16,000 feet of retail space and the renovation of the existing two-story structure facing Ashland. Designed by Jonathan Splitt Architects (who also did the new Blue Plate Catering digs over in the Fulton Market District), 1241 North Milwaukee will have 60 apartments. As is often the case on LG projects, LG Construction is handling general contractor duties.

: Rendering of 1241 North Milwaukee from Jonathan Splitt Architecture.

: 1241 North Milwaukee. (This development needs a name.)

: August work.

: The Permit.

Essex Inn looks under all the mattresses, comes up with money to begin demolition

Posted on January 6, 2017 by danieldschell

It’s demo time! Goodbye parking garage and swimming pool, hello 475 apartments.

As Crain’s Chicago Business reported on Tuesday, Essex Inn at 800 South Michigan Avenue has secured the funding necessary to upgrade the hotel, and add a new a 56-story apartment tower as its new next-door neighbor.

The Demolition Permit.

And no sooner had the ink on the check dried, crews were out on Michigan Avenue, setting up barriers and scaffolding for the temporary sidewalk that will keep pedestrians safe during demolition of the 5-story garage next to the hotel, while also making sure bloggers and skyscraper nerds can’t get too close to the goings-on.

None other than Heneghan Wrecking (we need t-shirts with Heneghan Again on them) will be making space for the new tower, with a demolition permit having been filed way back on October 27.

The Chicago Plan Commission approved the development back in May of 2016, and I quote:

The Applicant intends to create two subareas within the overall 28,744 square foot site. Subarea A, located at 800 South Michigan Avenue consists of an existing 160’ hotel building and will be rehabbed to include a maximum of 290 hotel keys. Subarea B, located at approximately 812 South Michigan Avenue, will be redeveloped with an approximately 620’ residential building including a maximum of 476 dwelling units, 100 hotel keys as well as 100 parking spaces and commercial space.

Essex on The Park, the name of the Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture-designed tower according to Crain’s, should be complete in 2018, and coincide with completion of the hotel renovation.

This rendering, from the Crain’s story, is from Hartshorne Plunkard Architects. Too pretty not to include.

Punch Bowl Social picks up a spare, right up their alley

Posted on December 14, 2016 by danieldschell

The restored facade of ~~Brooklyn Bowl~~ Punch Bowl Social in the West Loop.

All the work that went into preserving the historic facade at West Fulton and North Peoria in the West Loop’s Fulton market District isn’t for Brooklyn Bowl, as it turns out. The space, which looks nearly complete, will now be occupied by Punch Bowl Social.

That’s the news we got from Eater Chicago last week. A quick walk around the facility this week shows a venue that looks close to being open; the Punch Bowl Social website says to expect it in 2017. And remember, 2017 is less than three weeks away.

: You can see from here, still some work to do on the top level.

Condo construction, Fajardo, Puerto Rico (no, I’m not really here looking for construction)

Posted on November 14, 2016 by danieldschell

Gut rehab of the condo across the street from our balcony. Though it’s hard to tell from a still photo. Take that red work truck as proof.

They’re doing some work on the condominium across the street from our room here in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. It’s not as loud or dusty as skyscraper construction, but it’s construction, so now I can write this trip off as a blog expense.

We haven’t seen all of Puerto Rico, but what we have seen makes us want to come back and see the rest. You should get down here.

The Super Moon rises above the Atlantic over Fajardo, Puerto Rico.

Yep, that’s a crane waaaaaaay over there across the water.

Renovation Update: The American Book Company building

Posted on October 21, 2016 by danieldschell

The American Book Company building, 330 East Cermak Road.

Being rehabbed as part of the Marriott Marquis Chicago in the Prairie District of the South Loop, the American Book Company building is being re-purposed as meeting rooms, office space, and retail.

Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998, the American Book Company building, designed by architect Nelson Max Dunning, was on the endangered list as recently as 2008, when a proposal for the block on which it’s located called for its demolition. It was then designated a Chicago Landmark in 2009.

Speaking of 330 East Cermak Road, Crain’s Chicago reported Thursday that a new data center is coming to this address, and would be situated directly behind the American Book Company building, just north on Calumet Avenue.

Construction Update: Fulton West adds glass

Posted on September 28, 2016 by danieldschell

Fulton West, now with windows installed.

Fulton West, the nine-story, 290,00-square-foot office building from Sterling Bay, has reached another milestone in the West Loop. And since it’s also reached its full height, that means the tower crane’s days at 1330 West Fulton are numbered.

Leopardo Construction crews have been installing glass along the south facing of the part renovation, part new construction project. Designed by Gensler, the development will include 600 parking spots, plus 20,000 square feet of green space. Sterling Bay plans to have Fulton West open in Spring 2017.

: The new glass on Fulton West, from a distance.

: That tower crane might be gone soon.

: The back of Fulton West. Yet strangely, not called “Fulton North”.

Addition by subtraction at 168 North Michigan

Posted on September 14, 2016 by danieldschell

Back in July, the Chicago Plan Commission approved plans to finally get the renovation of the former Atlantic Bank Building at 168 North Michigan Avenue restarted. The design to turn the building into a 210-room hotel, by Hirsch Associates Architects, calls for five additional floors to be added to the existing structure. But first, the 13th floor penthouse and everything occupying the roof has to be removed, and that work is taking place now on 168 North Michigan’s rooftop.

W.E. O’Neil is the general contractor (have you checked out the job they did at LondonHouse?!) on the renovations, having replaced the original contractor back in May.

The renovation permit, allowing for removal of the 13th floor penthouse.

This is what the rooftop looked like in July.

As of this week, there isn’t much left up there.

A look from street level.

City of Chicago files a permit, determining the hot dog is not a sandwich

Posted on September 7, 2016 by danieldschell

The Hot Dog Permit

The debate got heated, like a Vienna Beef frank in boiling water. And just when you thought a clear-cut winner would never emerge from the rubble, the City of Chicago steps in. And with the filing of one simple permit yesterday, the argument has come to an end, and a final determination has been reached. A hot dog, though nestled as it is between halves of a bread-like container, is not a sandwich.

As you can see from the photo above, the aforementioned permit, issued the 6th of September, in the year of our Lord 2016, allows for the renovation of a “former sandwich shop” at 4379 West 26th Street into a “hot dog restaurant.” Obviously, if hot dogs were sandwiches, said renovation would be entirely unnecessary. You just continue to make a new kind of sandwich in your old sandwich-making space. But that can’t be done in this case. Or casing.

With one simple word — “former” — this single permit proves hot dogs have no business occupying an establishment meant for the construction of sandwiches. And while many will be displeased by this determination, it allows Chicago as a whole to heal, and move on to the next dilemma; whether or not ketchup belongs on non-sandwiches.

——— ORRRRRRRR ————

Could it be this permit pertains merely to the renovation of a “shop” to a “restaurant” and has nothing to do with anything produced within said establishment? Shoot. It’s like we’re right back where we started.

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Category Archives: Renovation