Imprint raises the glass, drops the crane

Posted on March 9, 2020 by danieldschell

Move along, folks. No tower cranes to see here.

Make it 17.

One of Chicago’s 18 March tower cranes is already gone, with Imprint (717 South Clark) now topped out and craneless. The good news is, we won’t have to wait long to replace that 18th crane, and add a 19th. But more on that later.

As you can see in the photos, curtain wall progress is inching toward the top of the 30-story Imprint. A Spring 2020 opening is planned, though not all units will be available for immediate occupancy in the spring. Click on the Imprint link and you’ll see what’s gonna be ready when.

A sunny day at Old Town Park Tower 3

Posted on March 4, 2020 by danieldschell

Tower 3 rises at Old Town Park. Immediately to the left is Tower 2. Remember, 3 will be taller.

Yesterday we watched Onni Group and Adjustable Concrete jump the tower crane at Old Town Park. Today, a look at progress on the 41-story Hartshorne Plunkard-designed tower from a pair of sunny afternoons.

Onni, Adjustable jump the tower crane at Old Town Park

Posted on March 3, 2020 by danieldschell

Another section of the tower crane slides into place at Old Town Park.

General contractor/developer Onni Group and concrete contractor Adjustable Concrete are sending the tower crane a little higher this week at Old Town Park Tower 3, which will, of course, allow the tower itself to go a little higher. At 41 stories, Tower 3 is the tallest and final of the Old Town Park phases.

: NOOOOPE

: Lined up, ready to go.

: L shot.

60 East Benton tears up a parking lot for MDA 2

Posted on February 25, 2020 by danieldschell

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7EJX6QFVlk/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

The parking lot at 60 East Benton that used to be next to the parking garage that used to be at 50 West Randolph is no more. Confused? Suffice it to say Chicago has successfully erased another surface parking lot from existence, right next to a parking garage that was recently demolished.

The above Instagram post from Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture announced back on January 8 that MDA 2 was on its way. 60 East Benton sits along Wabash Avenue between the Parkline construction site to the south, and Elephant & Castle to the north. The latter occupies space at ground level of MDA City Club Apartments, to which MDA 2 will be connected by a sixth-floor pedestrian bridge.

January 30 saw a foundation permit issued by the City of Chicago, allowing for work to begin for seven stories and 81 units. As you can see in the photos, site prep is underway.

: January 19

: February 2

1000M foundation work pivots to piles with caissons complete

Posted on February 24, 2020 by danieldschell

No longer on site.

Caisson work is complete at 1000M in the South Loop. Now, foundation work continues as piles are driven and earth is moved. In fact, the pile driving might be done; I didn’t notice the Keller rig I saw earlier this month still on site Sunday with which to pound them into the ground.

A tower crane permit was issued January 16 for 1000 South Michigan, so that’s another milestone to keep an eye out for. I wish could say I spotted the caissons sticking up out of the ground that I think will be the crane’s location, but I ain’t that smart. I’ll keep guesses, assumptions, and speculation to myself.

The basics on 1000M: Designed by Helmut Jahn. James McHugh Construction is the general contractor. There’s a three-member development team — Time Equities, JK Equities, and Oak Capitals. It will be 74 stories and 832 feet tall, and if you live there, I will invite myself over constantly. Now you know that.

Chicago’s newest newest tower crane is ready to send Panorama vertical

Posted on February 24, 2020 by danieldschell

Rush’s reign as newest tower crane was short-lived.

Panorama, at 3300 North Clark in Lake View, is on the board as the newest kid on the block, having completed assembly of its tower crane last week. Power Construction is the GC here; Adjustable Concrete Construction is doing the concrete.

Stuff That’s Done (And Already Changing): The Mason

Posted on February 23, 2020 by danieldschell

The Mason is a 13-story, 263-unit apartment building in the West Loop that began its life known as 180 North Ada. The L-shaped structure was designed by Brininstool + Lynch for Marquette Companies, with Power Construction on the build. The Mason opened to residents in Spring 2019.

Last week, the Chicago Plan Commission unanimously approved a zoning change for The Mason:

The Applicant is proposing to rezone the property from the current Planned Development #1384 to Planned Development #1384, as amended, to allow for a restaurant and tavern use to be established on the ground floor.

Helping move Restaurant Row further west in the West Loop is a good thing for hungry Chicagoans.

: 180 North Ada

: Power Construction has everything they need to send 180 North Ada vertical.

: 180 North Ada, seen here from a Green Line train, has begun digging in to the West Loop.

Stuff That’s Done: 61 Banks Street is open on Lake Shore Drive

Posted on February 20, 2020 by danieldschell

There aren’t many surface parking lots along the west side of Lake Shore Drive. And at the end of 2017, one of them was torn up to make room for a new apartment building.

61 Banks Street in a 58-unit rental development at 61 East Banks St., obvs. At eight stories, it’s short enough that it doesn’t block many views behind it, but since it sits right on the lakefront, its own views must be amazing.

Draper & Kramer, who we just dropped in on recently at 2111 South Wabash, is 61’s developer. Booth Hansen is the design architect; Leopardo Companies was on the build. The building opened to tenants in June 2019.

: 61 East Banks

: 61 East Banks has begun to rise at Lake Shore Drive and Banks Street.

There is a Superior House in River North nearing completion

Posted on February 19, 2020 by danieldschell

A rendering of Superior House from FitzGerald.

A Superior House with superior homes is coming this spring to River North. 34 of them, in fact.

Ascend Real Estate Group is developing the condominium building at 360 West Superior. Once existing structures were demolished, construction got started with a permit back in January of 2019.

Superior House is a design by FitzGerald. They’ve teamed up with Ascend previously on Niche 905 in Near North, among other projects. Power Construction is the general contractor.

: Sept 2019

: Sept 2019

: Sept 2019

: Sept 2019

The Balcony is Closed: A February update at Cirrus and Cascade

Posted on February 18, 2020 by danieldschell

Twilight shot over Lake Shore Drive, courtesy of Derek Svehla up in the tower crane.

That means you, Daniel.

The last time Cirrus Condominiums and Cascade Apartments appeared on this blog, I pointed out the need to get as many photos as possible before construction rose above “theater level” from N. Harbor Drive. Well, here’s the thing about that. With construction looming so close to that elevated walkway, you can’t have construction nerds standing within an arm’s length of carpenters and iron workers, offering our advice on how work should be done. And so, the sidewalks have been (understandably) walled off to provide a safety buffer between pedestrians and professionals, limiting us tower crane enthusiasts to get shots where we can. Which is still pretty cool, tbh.