Kenect kenstruction kentinues toward kempletion

Posted on September 15, 2016 by danieldschell

Kenect looks ready to open. And look at that beautiful subway entrance!

Kenect is a residential development from Akara Partners at 500 North Milwaukee Avenue in River West comprised of a 14-story tower on the west side of the 500-block of North Green Street with 179 apartments, and a 4-story structure on the east side of Green Street with 48 units. Designed by Pappageorge Haymes Partners, Kenect also includes 122 parking spots and 14,000 square feet of retail space. Tishman Construction is the general contractor.

Kenect is throwing a big Grand Opening bash on October 6, 2016. Both buildings look close to being done, especially the taller of the two, the “west” tower. There’s even some furniture and grills on a few balconies. Even the Blue Line entrance on the sidewalk at Milwaukee and Chicago, right out in front of Kenect, looks great.

: Patio furniture. (Not the Tower of Pisa)

Construction Update: Aurélien drops its tower crane

Posted on September 14, 2016 by danieldschell

The tower crane starts the long journey back to earth at Aurélien.

Aurélien, the 368-unit luxury apartment tower Ryan Companies designed, developed, and is constructing at 833 North Clark Street in the Near North neighborhood, reached another milestone this week, albeit a sad one for construction nerds. On Tuesday, the tower crane atop the topped-out 31-story structure began its slow descent back to earth. That means most of the progress photos you’ll see below, taken Sunday when the tower crane was at full staff, are already obsolete. Such is life.

Gallery I: Tuesday’s tower crane descent

: Tower crane sections stacked along North Clark Street.

Gallery II: Sunday’s progress photos

Construction Update: The Hudson tops out in River North

Posted on September 14, 2016 by danieldschell

The Hudson, at 750 North Hudson Avenue, topped out last week.

Onni Group, the developer and general contractor building The Hudson in River North, hit a milestone last week with the topping out of the 25-story apartment tower. The fine folks at Pappageorge Haymes Partners, the Chicago firm that designed the Hudson, tell me topping out was achieved on Thursday of last week.

When it’s done, The Hudson will have 240 one-, two-, and three-bedroom rental units and 240 parking spots (that’s a one-to-one ratio, for the math-impaired), with 10,000 square feet of retail space at ground level.

: These fancy escape pods were set on the roof late last week.

1001 West Chicago plants itself a tower crane

Posted on September 14, 2016 by danieldschell

A crane builds a crane at 1001 West Chicago.

If it seems Power Construction is everywhere around Chicago these days, it’s because Power Construction is everywhere around Chicago these days. Tuesday, while most of the crew continued work on the foundations for 1001 West Chicago, the rest of the gang took part in yet another tower crane erection. The design from FitzGerald Associates brings 360 apartments in two mid-rise towers, 10,000 square feet of retail (including a grocery store) and 300 parking spaces for all those residents and shoppers.

: Spotted from the Building Up Chicago HQ.

: NOPE

: Let’s give the non-tower crane a little love. It’s important, too.

: Foundation work continues.

Construction Update: 640 North Wells

Posted on September 13, 2016 by danieldschell

640 North Wells continues to grow in River North.

Progress continues on the 23-story apartment tower JDL Development is building in River North, designed by Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture. When completed, 640 North Wells will have 251 units and 12,000 square feet of retail space. Expect about 140 parking spots too, if the building permit is to be believed. Lendlease is the general contractor. They’re working on a completion goal of Spring 2017.

: Looking at 640 North Wells through the tower crane at 3Eleven.

: 640 North Wells on the left, 167 West Erie on the right.

The Sinclair loses a tower crane, but gains some glass

Posted on September 12, 2016 by danieldschell

On Tuesday of last week, The Sinclair had two tower cranes. By the weekend, this one had been dismantled.

The Sinclair made news up in the Gold Coast for a couple reasons. First, it tore down that old Jewel store from the 1700s. Then, it erected two tower cranes on one construction lot.

Now, one of those tower cranes is gone. But in order to keep the excitement going, McHugh Construction has begun hanging glass on the first two levels. Not bad for a tower that appears to have only reached nine or ten floors.

Upon reaching its ultimate height, the Solomon Cordwell Buenz-designed Sinclair will have 35 stories and 390 apartments, with an anticipated opening of Summer 2017.

: My last-known picture of The Sinclair with two tower cranes, from 360 Chicago at the John Hancock Center

: The corner of LaSalle and Division. The Sinclair’s official address, for now, is 1201 North LaSalle Street.

: The tower crane building the actual residential tower will remain on site for the duration.

: Clark and Division.

: The parking podium along Clark Street. It was the tower crane that built this section that is now gone.

: Glass along Division Street.

: Glass at the corner of Clark and Division.

: Since its earliest days of construction, The Sinclair has had a top-notch scaffold game.

: Tell-tale signs of where a tower crane once stood.

Elevate Lincoln Park gets a building permit

Posted on September 9, 2016 by danieldschell

A rendering from Baker Development of Elevate Lincoln Park, which received a building permit Thursday.

You may not recognize the address (930 West Altgeld Street) but Baker Development‘s latest project, Elevate Lincoln Park, is a go. It will occupy the spaces previously known as 2518-2534 North Lincoln Avenue. On the way are 191 apartments, three levels of parking, and ground-floor commercial space, designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz.

The original schedule of events for Elevate Lincoln Park had foundation work beginning in June, so things are still a tad behind schedule. McHugh Construction may not be able to catch up to those lofty plans, but fear not. They’ll complete work all in good time.

: The Permit, issued September 8, 2016.

: Remember the tennis courts along the Red/Brown/Purple Line tracks? Yep, they’re gone.

: Demolition started in May.

: This is the blank canvas on which McHugh Construction will build Elevate Lincoln Park.

Planet Hollywood a distant memory as 167 West Erie rises

Posted on September 8, 2016 by danieldschell

167 West Erie rises in River North.

Planet Hollywood? What, I’m just glossing over the old Gino’s location that occupied 167 West Erie Street most recently? Doesn’t matter. They’re both gone. You know this because the giant slices of pizza no longer litter the east side of the street along the 600 block of North Wells. Besides, Gino’s still exists in Chicago.

Instead, 167 West Erie is being erected on that site. It will be a 39-story, 440-unit apartment tower from Magellan Development. Designed by Chicago’s Loewenberg Architects, the building will also include about 130 parking spots, and some ground-floor retail space. Linn-Mathes is the general contractor.

I’d be willing to bet small amount of currency that 167 West Erie will have a non-address name in the near future. Considering its full-build permit was issued to the address 637 North Wells Street, there seems to be enough confusion about its location to slap a fancy moniker on it.

: On the right, 167 West Erie. On the left, 640 North Wells.

: The Full-build Permit, with 637 North Wells as the address.

: Nothing to see here. Just two luffing-jib cranes jousting for position above North Wells Street.

: In the background, 167 West Erie. In the foreground, some sort of motion picture. Animated, I believe.

8 East Huron is getting so real, it has a website

Posted on September 7, 2016 by danieldschell

Banners announce the arrival of EightEastHuron.com

Because that’s how you know a project really exists. Besides the tower crane, of course. And all that racket from caisson work. And the core. And all the rebar.

8 East Huron (I’ll let you guess the address) in River North has a brand-spanking new website now. Click on that link, have a gander at a bunch of renderings (check out that pool!), give them your email address so you can get updates on apartment availability, and when you get back, there will be a bunch of construction progress photos waiting for you. Enjoy.

: First, two photos from last week, pre-banner.

351 West Huron (finally) moving earth to make way for condos

Posted on September 7, 2016 by danieldschell

Demolition happened in 2012. This is what the lot at 351 West Huron had looked like since then. Until now.

It took some time, but the new 7-story condo building slated for 351 West Huron Street in River North is starting to make some headway. 351 West Huron, from Regency Development Group of Northbrook, IL., will boast just six condominiums, each with four bedrooms, and its own parking. According to @Properties, each unit will have 4,528 square feet of space, with 1,530 of that being outdoors.

Designed by Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture, 351 West Huron received a building permit back on May 10. But the vacant lot sat idle until this month, after a new permit was filed, back on August 16, that, among other changes, transferred the general contractor duties to Summit Design + Build.