With caissons complete, Illume Chicago digs in its heels

Posted on January 30, 2017 by danieldschell

Foundation work at Illume Chicago, as seen from the desk of B.U.C. HQ.

Whether the neighbors like it or not, Illume Chicago has powered through caisson work, and is now digging out the foundation. The 79 condominiums from LG Development and Pappageorge Haymes Partners broke ground in early December, and now the site has been dug a few feet below street level at 111 South Peoria in the West Loop.

There’s a large pile of pilings sitting in the dirt these days. I wonder if it will be noisy at all when those are pounded into the ground.

: Hello, pile driver.

: Hello, Digger.

One South Halsted is on the way to Greektown

Posted on January 28, 2017 by danieldschell

Rendering of One South Halsted from FitzGerald Associates.

Friday, the City of Chicago filed a foundation permit for One South Halsted, the 44-story apartment tower designed by the West Loop’s very own FitzGerald Associates Architects. That must mean the latest round of soil sampling just a week and a half ago was successful. Or, at least it wasn’t unsuccessful.

Anyway, expect several floors of parking structure to be part of the foundation deal, as the FitzGerald plan calls for 375 parking spaces, so as to replace the Crowne Plaza parking lot One South Halsted will replace. Look for nearly 500 apartments atop retail space when all is said and done. Lendlease has been hired on as the general contractor.

The Foundation Permit.

Rendering of One South Halsted from FitzGerald Associates.

Soil sampling on January 17 of this year.

Bye bye, parking lot. Hello, ANOTHER TOWER RIGHT OUTSIDE THE B.U.C. WINDOW!!

More from One Bennett Park, especially yellow

Posted on January 27, 2017 by danieldschell

One Bennett Park, 451 East Grand Avenue in Streeterville.

As One Bennett Park continues to sprout up through Streeterville, it seems to get brighter as well. Which isn’t a bad thing, since the sun doesn’t shine in Chicago anymore. Might as well have something in the sky that’s yellow and shiny. Not that One Bennett park is that high yet. Hard to tell with that golden shroud wrapped around it, but the core seems to be about 6 or 7 floors up. But oh, how high it will rise. 69 stories. And no, it won’t be yellow.

Why won’t the Wanda Vista tower cranes joust? Because they’re luffers, not fighters

Posted on January 27, 2017 by danieldschell

The two tower cranes of Wanda Vista Tower.

Wow. You clicked on this story, even after reading that headline? I owe you a drink or something.

Wanda Vista Tower has its two tower cranes up and running. Both are luffing cranes, with jibs that angle toward the sky, rather than staying parallel to the ground at all times.

Down at ground level, there’s enough rebar being installed in the foundation mat. If you feel the earth tilt a little extra in the coming days, it’ll be from all the concrete being poured into that thing.

Top that glass off for ya? Aurélien nears full glazing

Posted on January 26, 2017 by danieldschell

Glass nears the top of Aurélien, 833 North Clark Street in Near North.

Aurélien, the 31-story, 368-unit apartment tower Ryan Companies is developing and building at 833 North Clark Street in Near North continues to move closer to moving in tenants. Window installations have reached within a couple floors of the top. Pretty soon, they’re be installing appliances, tiling back splashes, and hanging shower curtains. The Aurélien website promises an early-2017 opening for the Antunovich Associates-designed rental project.

CA Washington making its presence felt in a very busy West Loop

Posted on January 26, 2017 by danieldschell

All that iron work that keeps showing up in the background of McDonald’s construction photos? Yep, that’s CA Washington.

It can be difficult to get noticed in the West Loop these days, as developers buy up property and turn it over into new construction on seemingly every block. So one of the best ways to make waves to to erect a whole bunch of steel on a lot.

Rendering of CA Washington from Belgravia Realty Group.

Enter CA Washington. CA Washington is one of the latest projects from Belgravia Realty Group. Belgravia is building 69 condominiums in a six-story structure designed by Sullivan Goullette & Wilson Architects. All condos will have three bedrooms and three baths, and each will have its own private balcony, terrace, or roof deck, per Belgravia’s website. Maris Construction is the general contractor.

1035 West Van Buren brings the pane

Posted on January 25, 2017 by danieldschell

The first few panes of glazing have been installed at 1035 West Van Buren in the West Loop.

1035 West Van Buren, the 30-story apartment tower Related Midwest is developing in the West Loop, has reached a milestone moment: glass has made its first appearance, one level above the podium.

Designed by the combined forces of New York’s Morris Adjmi Architects and Chicago’s very own GREC Architects, the new tower sits alongside the Eisenhower Expressway, and will deliver 300 rental units to the neighborhood. Lendlease is the general contractor. It is the hope that 1035 West Van Buren will be open before 2017 is closed.

: Spotted the new glass from the B.U.C. office. That earns me a cookie.

: BUC Zoom.

: The first few panes of glazing have been installed at 1035 West Van Buren in the West Loop.

The Sinclair is getting along just fine with only one tower crane

Posted on January 24, 2017 by danieldschell

The Sinclair rises into its place in the Chicago skyline.

Remember when The Sinclair thrilled us all by installing two tower cranes for erecting the 35 stories worth of sparkling new apartments in the Gold Coast? Alas, one tower crane made quick work of the podium toward the northeast side of The Sinclair grounds, and was soon gone from sight. But that second crane is still hard at work, helping McHugh Construction hoist the heavy lifting.

Designed by SCB, The Sinclair will have a 350-space parking garage and a 55,000-square-foot Jewel-Osco store in that aforementioned podium, replacing the Jewel at Clark and Division that was demolished to make room for the project. There will be 390 apartments, from studios to three-bedroom units.

: Tower cranes from Atrium Village, right, and The Sinclair, left.

: NOPE

: The view from Near North.

Putting the “Elevate” in Elevate Lincoln Park

Posted on January 24, 2017 by danieldschell

A sea of rebar at Elevate Lincoln Park.

On the heels of a big demolition, and then lots of digging, Baker Development’s latest project has finally risen to street level.

Elevate Lincoln Park will eventually rise 10 stories above Lincoln Avenue in Lincoln Park, bringing with it 191 luxury apartments, three levels of parking, and ground-floor retail space. SCB took care of designing for Elevate Lincoln Park, while McHugh Construction has been seeing to the general contracting duties. The original goal was to have the apartments ready for tenants this summer, but since construction got started a tad behind schedule, that might not be attainable.

: Gratuitous tower crane shot, from the Fullerton L platform.

Construction Progress: No. 9 Walton nears 30 stories

Posted on January 23, 2017 by danieldschell

No. 9 Walton plays peek-a-boo with its new Gold Coast neighbors.

Rendering of No. 9 Walton from JDL Development.

In a very short period of time, No. 9 Walton has gone from vacant lot, to huge hole in the ground, to nearly 30 stories of Gold Coast high-rise. Originally approved as a 35-story tower with 67 uber-luxurious condominiums, the Chicago Plan Commission later filed approval to tack on two additional stories, though it isn’t know if those two extra stories will go on top of the tower, or somewhere in the middle. Say, one between the 17th and 18th floors, and one between floors 24 and 25, for example.

Wherever those floors appear, JDL Development is so excited about this new endeavor, company president and founder Jim Letchinger has reserved one of the units for his own full-time residence. Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture took care of the design for this one; Lendlease is taking care of the construction.