HUGO digs a pair of foundations in River North

That is a looooooong tower crane.
The pesky 415 W Chicago via Google Streetview

What do you do when there’s a building in your way? HUGO around it.

That’s what LG Group is doing at HUGO in River North. There’s a pesky three-story structure at 415 West Chicago Avenue that LG won’t let get in the way of this dual-building development.

On the east side is 411 West Chicago. On the west side is 751 North Hudson. The two roughly-L-shaped nine-story buildings will combine for 227 apartments and 19,000 square feet of retail space. NORR is the design architect, while LG Group is doing their own build. Yep, a double-duty tower crane and a double-duty developer/GC. HUGO, LG!

Full building permits were issued for each half of HUGO: 411 West Chicago got one on 8/5/2021, and 751 North Hudson on 7/14/2021. The tower crane permit came through on 2/9/2022.

Foundation work is in progress, as evidenced the two large holes in the earth on either side of aforementioned existing structure.

Enjoying the photos? Metra and CTA rides (and Amtrak trains to Milwaukee), Zipcars, Divvy Bikes, camera lenses, domain fees, snacks & energy drinks, and comfortable walking shoes add up. You can help offset expenses by making a greatly-appreciated donation to Building Up Chicago.

A tower crane and one story of progress? Yes, that’s a Big Deahl

A tower crane and a very good dog at The Shops at Big Deahl

The new tower crane on West Blackhawk Street is pulling double duty. It’s building The Seng, a five-story condo building at 869 W Blackhawk, and Common Lincoln Park, a 10-story, 400-bed co-living building at 853 W Blackhawk. I know this because I read about it in REjournals; they’ve got all the details you could possibly want at that link.

The Shops at Big Deahl is a project by Structured Development. GREC Architects is the design architect; Power Construction is on the build.

With two buildings comes lots of permits, including:
A demo permit to make a fresh canvas on 4/23/2021
A tent permit for groundbreaking ceremonies on 12/2/2021
A permit for foundation piles on 12/16/2021
The full permit for 853 on 1/19/2022
A tower crane permit on 2/10/2022
The full build permit for 869 on 3/25/2022

I stopped by Sunday to take a look at early vertical progress:

Enjoying the photos? Metra and CTA rides (and Amtrak trains to Milwaukee), Zipcars, Divvy Bikes, camera lenses, domain fees, snacks & energy drinks, and comfortable walking shoes add up. You can help offset expenses by making a greatly-appreciated donation to Building Up Chicago.

The 808 Cleveland exercises its verticality in the Near North

The 808 Cleveland at 808 N. Cleveland Ave in Near North

I bet you’ve noticed a couple tower cranes straddling Chicago Avenue and River North/Near North lately. Well, the one that isn’t yellow, the white one on north side of the street, is taking 808 North Cleveland vertical.

The 808 Cleveland is a 22-story, 200-unit apartment tower from DAC Developments. The Pappageorge Haymes Partners-designed tower will include a mix of studio units, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and even four-bedroom co-living apartments. There’ll also be 28,000 square feet of office and retail space. The foundation permit, issued September 30 of last year, calls for 99 parking spaces. The tower crane was permitted October 29, and the full build permit arrived on December 6.

Focus is the general contractor; Pepper Construction is helping out on concrete.

Enjoying the photos? Metra and CTA rides (and Amtrak trains to Milwaukee), Zipcars, Divvy Bikes, camera lenses, domain fees, snacks & energy drinks, and comfortable walking shoes add up. You can help offset expenses by making a greatly-appreciated donation to Building Up Chicago.

160 North Morgan digs into the West Loop, snags a tower crane permit

Gone, but not forgotten. In a burned-into-my-retinas sort of way.

The hits keep coming for Sterling Bay, who just landed a tower crane permit for their tower development at 160 North Morgan in the West Loop. (Yes, that little {temporarily} purple building is gone now.)

160 North Morgan is going to be a 30-story residential tower. Designed by bKL Architecture, 160 will consist of 282 rental apartments, 89 parking spots, and about 2,600 square feet of retail space.

The Big Green W is the general contractor on 160 North Morgan. They have received:
a tower crane permit on March 30
and a caisson permit the following day, March 31.

I love this neighborhood.

Enjoying the photos? Metra and CTA rides (and Amtrak trains to Milwaukee), Zipcars, Divvy Bikes, camera lenses, domain fees, snacks & energy drinks, and comfortable walking shoes add up. You can help offset expenses by making a greatly-appreciated donation to Building Up Chicago.

Embry begins construction in the West Loop

A sea of rebar waits to be sunk into the earth at Embry.

I could tell the start of Embry was imminent over at 21 North May Street in the West Loop when I walked by Sunday. All the equipment was on hand for caissons, and rebar cages were made. Seemed to me all that was needed was a foundation permit.

Well, a little birdie tells me caissons are a-drillin’ as of this morning. That same birdie also says an entirely separate birdie says the permit was issued this morning. It all adds up. Embry is here.

Embry is being built by Sulo Development, which delivered Hayden West Loop just around the corner. As mentioned, I haven’t seen the foundation permit yet, but it doesn’t take a genius to see McHugh Construction banners on site; they must be the general contractor. My guess is their concrete division is also handling the concrete chores, but I shouldn’t assume. Lamar Johnson Collaborative is the design architect. Their website says to expect 16 stories and 58 luxury condos, which Sulo plans on delivering in 2023.

Congrats, Embry team. Let’s go.

Enjoying the photos? Metra and CTA rides (and Amtrak trains to Milwaukee), Zipcars, Divvy Bikes, camera lenses, domain fees, snacks & energy drinks, and comfortable walking shoes add up. You can help offset expenses by making a greatly-appreciated donation to Building Up Chicago.

🏗🏗🏗 We have three new tower cranes coming, Chicago 🏗🏗🏗

The City of Chicago has issued three new tower crane permits in the span of six days, the kind of growth spurt that warms hearts here at the B.U.C.

Rendering of 1044 West Van Buren by Antunovich Associates.

Last week, Tandem got a crane permit for 1044 West Van Buren. They’re building an 18-stort, 196-unit apartment tower designed by Antunovich Associates. Tandem will be their own general contractor, just as they were at Avra West Loop across the street.

Rendering of 3501 North Halsted by Eckenhoff Saunders.

Monday, Howard Brown Health got a crane permit for 3501 North Halsted. They’re building a five-story clinic with offices and a pharmacy designed by Eckenhoff Saunders. McHugh Construction is the general contractor.

Rendering of 160 North Morgan by bKL Architecture.

And Wednesday, Sterling Bay got a crane permit for 160 North Morgan. They’re building a 30-story, 282-unit apartment tower where that purple monster was for a few weeks back in 2020. bKL Architecture designed the tower, and Walsh Construction is the general contractor.

So, you know, LET’S GO!

160 North Elizabeth is starting to climb in the West Loop

160 North Elizabeth is a brand-spanking-new 27-story, 375-unit West Loop apartment tower from Moceri + Roszak. You know that name from the office building at 145 South Wells, apartment towers Parkline Chicago and Linea, and other developments.

The former NW corner of Randolph & Elizabeth..

Clark Construction is the general contractor at 160, with a concrete assist from Adjustable Concrete Construction. Thomas Rozsak Architecture is the design architect.

160 North Elizabeth was approved by the Chicago Plan Commission on March 18, 2021. To date, it has received:
a foundation permit on 11/24/2021
a tower crane permit on 11/30/2021
a full build permit on 2/4/2022.

The following photos were taken back on March 21.


Enjoying the photos? Metra and CTA rides (and Amtrak trains to Milwaukee), Zipcars, Divvy Bikes, camera lenses, domain fees, snacks & energy drinks, and comfortable walking shoes add up. You can help offset expenses by making a greatly-appreciated donation to Building Up Chicago.

1400 South Wabash: An insider’s view

Hey, do you all remember that time I posted a photo of 1400 South Wabash sent to me by Chad Czerwinski at Pepper Construction? Of course you do, because it was yesterday.

Well, I just hit the jackpot. Or Chadpot, if you will. Because Chad sent over a whole slew of photos documenting the early stages of construction, beginning February 2 and continuing through this past week.

There are some BIG files in the following gallery, all courtesy of Chad, but they’re fantastic images, so I included them all.

Thanks again SO MUCH, Chad!

513 South Damen is *how* tall already?

Marquette Companies’ 513 South Damen rises in the Illinois Medical District

Maybe it’s been longer than I realized since 513 South Damen got started, but it surprised me last Monday to see how much progress has been made. But I guess that’s what “progress” means, eh?

The empty 513 South Damen lot the last time I walked by, in October of 2021.

513 South Damen is a 22-story, 279-unit apartment tower from Marquette Companies, who’ve recently put up Evo Union Park and Park Fulton in the far-West Loop. The other two big players on those two projects, general contractor Power Construction and design architect Brininstool + Lynch, round out the 513 team as well.

513 South Damen received:
the caisson permit on 7-26-2021
the tower crane permit on 10-13-2021
the foundation permit on 10-29-2021
the full build permit on 12-17-2021

Enjoying the photos? Metra and CTA rides (and Amtrak trains to Milwaukee), Zipcars, Divvy Bikes, camera lenses, domain fees, snacks & energy drinks, and comfortable walking shoes add up. You can help offset expenses by making a greatly-appreciated donation to Building Up Chicago.

1400 South Wabash rises beneath Chicago’s newest tower crane

Chad Czerwinski from Pepper Construction sent over this photo, looking down at the first signs of three-dimensionalness (it’s a word now) at 1400 South Wabash.

Chicago’s newest tower crane is at 1400 South Wabash, and it’s just beginning to send this new South Loop tower vertical.

A 30-story tower from CMK Companies, 1400 South Wabash will deliver 299 rental apartments to the neighborhood. If “CMK” and “South Wabash” sound like a familiar combination, then you’ve heard of Coeval, they’re recently-opened development on the east side of Wabash.

Lendlease is the general contractor on 1400 South Wabash, with the assist on concrete by the aforementioned Pepper Construction. Pappageorge Haymes Partners is the design architect.

There are two permits issued here: the foundation permit came through 11/30/2021, and the ever-important tower crane permit was issued 1/20/2022. The crane was erected a couple weeks ago, which Chad also documented on his Linkedin page.