Category Archives: Residential

180 North Ada begins construction along the Lake Street elevated tracks

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180 North Ada

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

Yesterday in this very space, we talked about the two walls of development going up on either side of the CTA’s elevated tracks along Lake Street in the West Loop. That development isn’t going to slow any time soon.

One project that’s just getting started is 180 North Ada. Approved by the Chicago Plan Commission back in August, 180 North Ada got its first building permit on December 18, 2017. That permit allows for the foundation through Level 2 of a “14-story, 263-unit apartment building with 148 parking spaces.” The permit doesn’t mention retail space, but that was included in the August approval.

180 North Ada caisson work

Foundation work is precisely what’s happening now, as Revcon has their big red rigs on site, drilling into the earth. When they’re done, Power Construction (very busy in the West Loop, with the Hoxton Chicago, 900 West, and 811 Fulton all in progress) will set about the task of sending the Marquette Companies development upward. The tower crane permit issued February 9 will help facilitate that growth.

Neighbors of the West Loop posted about 180 North Ada back in April. You can see their information, including a rendering from design firm Brininstool + Lynch, at the link here.

 

 

Power Construction brings the pane to (a topped out?) 900 West

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900 West

The green & glass of home at 900 West.

What stands out to you more at 900 West in the West Loop, the fresh glass? or the green insulation?

There’s no wrong answer here, as both features are rather striking. We suggest putting your sunglasses on if you plan to drive across Washington Boulevard any time soon.

Power Construction has been working on Taris Real Estate’s 10-story, 22-unit condominium tower since the foundation permit was issued back in July 2017. Designed by Northworks Architects + Planners, the building was the subject of a major transaction back in May, when Crain’s reported a penthouse sale for over $5 million.

Wolf Point East is allowed to go big

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Wolf Point East

Sorry folks, site’s closed. The moose out front should have told ya.

Monday, we shared a few photos of the construction pit at Wolf Point East. We then walked by the site Tuesday, just to confirm it was pouring down rain and no one was working. Little did we know that at the very moment we were there (maybe) the City of Chicago was issuing the $350,000,000.00 permit that allows Walsh Construction to build beyond the ground floor, all the way up to the top of the 60th floor.

Wolf Point East

The full-build permit for Wolf Point East, issued Tuesday, February 20, 2018.

Wolf Point East

The shiny yellow tower crane stands tall above Wolf Point East during Tuesday’s gloomy weather.

Essex on the Park enters the Roaring Twenties

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Essex on the Park February 2018

Floor markings on the skip show Essex on the Park progress has reached beyond the 20th floor.

Stories, that is. The 20s of the eventual 56 stories to which Essex on the Park will rise.

Power Construction has the new apartment tower at 808 South Michigan Avenue up to the 26th-or-so floor. We know this because level numbers can be seen on the “skip” hoist at the front of the site. That’s an ideal way for us looky-lous to track height progress. It also means Power is dangerously close to the half-way point of Hartshorne Plunkard Associates’ 56-story design.

 

Bidding a foggy adieu to the Ancora tower crane at Riverline

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Ancora at Riverline

The tower crane servicing Ancora at Riverline was at half-mast last week.

The skies over Chicago weren’t very cooperative last Thursday, as we made the pilgrimage down to Riverline to bid a fond farewell to the tower crane that has topped out Ancora, the 29-story apartment tower representing Phase One of CMK Companies’ and Lendlease’s South Loop community. We shouldn’t have to wait too long for another crane to show up on site; there’s already quite a bit of earth moving to prep the site for more development, which may or may not be a tower named “Current.”

Looking down at Wolf Point East going up

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The fascinating construction pit that is Wolf Point East.

Let me tell you what I know about what’s going on down in the pit that is the Wolf Point East construction site.

…………………………….

Okay, I have no idea what’s going on down there. But I do know there are a whole bunch of people doing a whole bunch of stuff, and it’s fascinating to watch. The best I can do, instead of confusing us all with words, is to let you see a few photos of The Big Green W at work.

One Grant Park continues its climb into the South Loop heights

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One Grant Park February 2018

One Grant Park pushes upward into Thursday’s fog.

That headline isn’t meant to be a play on developer Crescent Heights’ name; it is only to say that One Grant Park is going to be really tall.

We’re still awaiting the arrival of the first pieces of curtain wall to the exterior of the Rafael Viñoly Architects creation at 1200 South Indiana, McHugh Construction keeps stacking floors on top of each other, on their way to 76 levels in total. We’ve captured photographic evidence, naturally.

 

1326 South Michigan gets some glass, and a name change. Say hello to The Paragon Chicago!

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The Paragon Chicago, 1326 South Michigan Avenue

There’s a gorgeous new rendering of The Paragon Chicago at theparagonchicago.com

1326 South Michigan is now The Paragon Chicago!

That news was delivered to us this evening by Murphy Development Group, which hinted about a name change for the SCB-designed tower way back in August, then kept us in suspense until now. This was the second big news we got Thursday about 1326 South Michigan, the first being the discovery of all that new glass on the front facade.

That glass, plus the height the core has risen to, proves Walsh Construction has been busy in the South Loop this winter. The 47-story Paragon Chicago, a co-development from Murphy and CIM Group, will deliver 500 luxury apartments to the neighborhood. “Luxury” means you should expect all the high-end amenities today’s rental construction demands, including an outdoor deck with swimming pool, a dog park, fitness center, cabanas, grill stations, and a library. The 47th floor will also include a fitness center overlooking Lake Michigan, and an entertainment room.

You’re going to have to wait a little while before moving your stuff in though; The Paragon Chicago is slated for a Spring 2019 opening. Be patient though; it sure looks like it will be worth the wait.

Now, let’s get you some photos, from a very foggy Chicago morning, of what The Big Green W has been doing these last few months…

 

A look at progress on Renelle on the River

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You don’t need to me to tell you about the progress McHugh Construction is making with Renelle on the River; just tune in to the bKL Architecture Twitter feed at this link right here.

Of course, I took a few shots, from ground level, too; you can see them now.

61 East Banks puts up Chicago’s newest tower crane

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61 East Banks tower crane

This shiny new tower crane recently debuted above 61 East Banks in the Gold Coast neighborhood.

There’s been a lot of activity out at 61 East Banks since we went by the site in December. Caisson work is a distant memory, and Chicago’s newest tower crane looms above the future 8-story, 60-unit apartment development. Pretty sure this is Chicago’s 33rd tower crane of 2018 (remember, we started the year with 30 already in the sky.)

61 East Banks is a project from Draper & Kramer, with designs from Booth Hansen. Leopardo Companies (sure, you know them. They’re building their new offices over at 210 North Carpenter) is the general contractor. You may notice McHugh Construction signage on the tower crane; that’s because McHugh is the concrete subcontractor, and therefore responsible for assembly of the crane.