Construction Progress: Wicker Park Connection

Posted on August 29, 2017 by danieldschell

A growth spurt at the Wicker Park Connection, 1640 West Division Street.

When last we dropped in on the Wicker Park Connection, Linn-Mathes had just erected a tower crane, and construction was starting to poke up out of the ground. My, how times have changed.

Foundation work seems to be completed on the Centrum Partners & Hirsch Associates project, and now steel and slab work is approaching the fifth floor, on its way to 15 stories and 140 apartments.

: Wicker Park Connection rendering courtesy of Hirsch Associates.

: Wicker Park Connection rendering courtesy of Hirsch Associates.

A mini Hayden West Loop completes construction

Posted on August 29, 2017 by danieldschell

There’s a sexy model on display at the Hayden West Loop.

On the 8th of this month, the City of Chicago issued a foundation permit for the Hayden West Loop, a nine-story, 28-unit condominium building at 1115 West Washington Boulevard in the West Loop. (I bet you’d already figured out the “West Loop” part, but I included it anyway. Clarity.) While the site, formerly part of the Harpo Studios campus, has been leveled in preparation for construction, we’re still waiting on work to begin.

However, what The Hayden has begun is a new sales office around the corner on May Street, featuring a model of the finished Booth Hansen project, complete with folks relaxing on their seventh-floor terrace. Proving, once again, that architectural models are cool, even when they aren’t skyscrapers.

**DISCLAIMER: Photos of the architectural model were taken, and are being used, with the permission of the staff at the sales center.

: Hayden West Loop rendering from Booth Hansen.

: The Model.

: Chillin’ on the roof.

: The Permit.

1407 On Michigan is glassing up the South Loop

Posted on August 25, 2017 by danieldschell

New glass of 1407 On Michigan hovers above the Chicago Firehouse Restaurant.

The newly-renamed 1407 On Michigan now has some newly-installed cladding to show off. The 15-story rental tower from Russland Capital Group looks to have reached the underside of the 15th floor, so it should be topping out very soon. Unless, of course, we missed a floor of the podium, and it already has topped out.

And that would mean Lendlease is that much closer to having the 199 apartments and 40,000 square feet of commercial space open. As you can see from the signage, Rush Primary And Specialty Care will be included in that space.

Russland originally planned to have 1407 On Michigan open before the year was out. There’s a lot of work to do in the next four months; we’ll see if construction extends into 2018, or if that goal will be met. Stay tuned.

Wandering Milwaukee: Will The Couture be Milwaukee’s next tower crane?

Posted on August 24, 2017 by danieldschell

Signage proclaims The Couture’s arrival, as the newly-opened Northwestern Mutual Tower glimmers in the background.

Rumors are swirling around the Skyscraperpage forum that The Couture is about to begin construction on one of Milwaukee’s marquee corners.

On land that used to be the Milwaukee Transit Center, Barrett Lo Visionary Development is building the 44-story, 537-foot-tall residential tower in an ideal location between the Milwaukee Art Museum and Henry W. Maier Festival Park, home of Summerfest. Designed by the Milwaukee firm of Rinka Chung Architecture, The Couture will bring 600 new units to the lakefront location.

J.H. Findorff & Son is the general contractor. We just checked out some of their work at Marquette University, and we stayed in the newly completed Westin Milwaukee, last month. (We also profiled the Westin’s construction back in 2016.)

Curtis Waltz at Aerialscapes sent over two great overhead shots of the site from the past, when it was still the MKE Transit Center, and the site now, which is a bare concrete slab. We noticed the empty slab, and The Couture signage, back in July. Here’s hoping that tower crane will still be there during Summerfest 2018!

: The Milwaukee Transit Center used to occupy the property at Michigan Street and Lincoln Memorial Drive. Photo courtesy Aerialscapes.

: It is now a bare slab, awaiting The Couture to begin. Photo courtesy Aerialscapes.

: Rendering of The Couture from Rinka Chung Architecture.

: Rendering of The Couture from Rinka Chung Architecture.

: Rendering of The Couture from Rinka Chung Architecture.

: A billboard illustration of the Lakefront Gateway Project.

: Signage proclaims The Couture’s arrival, as the newly-opened Northwestern Mutual Tower glimmers in the background.

Renelle On The River begins prep work in River North

Posted on August 22, 2017 by danieldschell

The plaza park has given way, making space for Renelle On The River.

More than a year after the City of Chicago issued a renovation permit for demolition of the small plaza park at 403 North Wabash Avenue in River North, and a second reinstatement of said permit later, site prep has begun for Renelle On The River.

Designed by bKL Architecture, Renelle On The River will be a 17-story tower featuring 50 3-bed and 4-bedroom condominiums. There’s been quite a sales push for Renelle in recent months, and a banner on site boasts that 40% of the units have been spoken for.

Belgravia Group, which also brought us the still-spectacularly-yellow CA Washington in the West Loop, is the developer. McHugh Construction will handle general contractor duties. As of August 22, no construction permit has been issued. Let’s hope for one soon; we’d love to see a tower crane fill that little space.

The park was still visible in April, but the Fence Of Doom made it clear the future was limited.

: Rendering of Renelle On The River from bKL Architecture.

: The twice-reinstated permit.

So this is what One South Halsted looks like from the ground

Posted on August 22, 2017 by danieldschell

727 West Madison, seen here from a *bit* of elevation, is starting to grow in the West Loop.

There are two things we need to get used to about One South Halsted around the B.U.C. South Loop Bureau. First, we no longer have our stellar overhead perspective of the 44-story apartment tower from Fifield Companies and F&F Realty. And second, it looks like we’ll need to stop using One South Halsted as a moniker, as it appears 727 West Madison is not only the address, but the name, of the project. No one asked us, but the extra syllables from that pair of 7s just don’t flow well as when you have a one-word number in the there. “One” plays. “One” works. Oh well. We’ll adjust.

A June view of 727 West Madison from the original B.U.C. HQ. #neverforget

We took a walk around One Sou— ugh, See? There I go again — 727 West Madison last week to check on Lendlease’s progress, and the curvyness of the tower’s elliptical shape is coming into view. The tower itself is heading toward the sixth floor, while the podium is up and off the ground as well.

If you’ve gotten the feeling that curved shape is becoming a trend along the West Loop section of the Kennedy Expressway, you’re on to something. 727 West Madison joins The Parker Fulton Market in adding some rounded lines to all the right angles in the neighborhood. A brief conversation with Steve McFadden at design firm FitzGerald reveals he went with the elliptical shape to allow extra interior space within the units along those long east and west facings. Little known fact: There was to be a circular ramp leading in and out of the parking podium in the original plans (one of which went to City Council way back in October of 2012; 727 West Madison has been in the works for quite some time!) but that was rejected in favor of an easier-to-maneuver straight ramp.

Vist-AHHHHH

Posted on August 18, 2017 by danieldschell

A view of Vista Tower from the lower deck of the Lake Shore Drive bridge.

I know I get carried away when I walk around Vista Tower, but come on. So much going on, in such a large area. Think about the skyscrapers being built in New York City: straight up in the air, over tiny footprints. (Well, except Hudson Yards, of course.) Not Vista. That’s a big, sprawling site. With beams and columns and scaffold and concrete rigs. Oh, that’s right, don’t forget the two tower cranes.

So, with yet another hearty “Thank You” to Magellan Development Group for bringing the project together, Studio Gang and bKL Architecture for designing it, and McHugh Construction for doing all that hard, pretty work, here we go with another set of Vista Tower progress photos:

808 West Van Buren digs in to Greektown

Posted on August 18, 2017 by danieldschell

Revcon moves caisson equipment around the lot at 808 West Van Buren in the West Loop’s Greektown sub-neighborhood.

The unsightly pit formerly known as a Greektown garbage dump has come alive with caisson work, as Revcon and Lendlease set about laying the foundation for 808 West Van Buren. bKL Architecture has designed a 12-story, 148-unit residential building here for Loukas Development that the City of Chicago permitted back in April. Also included will be 65 parking spots and some ground-level retail space.

Maybe some of that space will be a new bakery, to replace the beloved Pan Hellenic Pastry Shop, which closed earlier this summer. The website says “New Location To Be Announced” so, fingers crossed!

: Rendering of 808 West Van Buren courtesy of bKL Architecture.

: The Foundation Permit.

Wolf Point East presents Caisson Theater

Posted on August 17, 2017 by danieldschell

Across the Chicago River, Case Foundation continues caisson work for Wolf Point East.

It’s Air & Water Show weekend in Chicago. Thousands of people will flock to the Lake Michigan waterfront to watch the boats and fighter jets do their thing. But if you’re looking for entertainment while still being able to move from side-to-side, get thee over to Wacker Drive and the Franklin Street bridge, from where you’ll get a great view of Case Foundation’s caisson work on Wolf Point East.

Case had 50 bell caissons to do (those are almost done) and 14 rock caissons to drill (seven of those are done.) Once foundation work is complete, The Big Green W can set about the task of sending the 60-story, 700-unit apartment tower skyward.

: I love this farmstead porch loo.

: Fresh from a Hot Wheels package. Collect all 4!

: I’ve seen some rebar tubes, but I just can’t get oval this one.

900 West digs in, and scores another permit

Posted on August 17, 2017 by danieldschell

Stalworth Underground drills caisson at 900 West in the West Loop.

900 West, the 10-story, 22-unit condominium building coming to the West Loop from Taris Real Estate, has permission to go vertical, after receiving its full-build permit Wednesday from the City of Chicago. (They thought they could trick me by using 904 West Washington Blvd as the address, but I catch on quick.)

In the meantime, Stalworth Underground continues to rip holes in the earth and then fill said holes with concrete. Then once they’re done with caissons, Power Construction will start bringing the Northworks Architects + Planners design to life, with the goal of a Summer 2018 opening.

And yes, Power Construction assures us there *will* be a tower crane at 900 West.