Pre-construction demolition coming for Renelle on the River

Posted on August 14, 2016 by danieldschell

Chicago Architecture Blog had the details Monday about a new condo development, soon to be wedged alongside Trump Tower, at 403 North Wabash Avenue.

A renovation permit was issued August 2, reading:

“DEMOLITION ONLY: NON-STRUCTURAL DEMOLITION OF AN EXISTING PLAZA ABOVE A 4 LEVEL PARKING GARAGE INCLUDING REMOVAL OF PLANTERS, PAVING AND SITE ELEMENTS FOR FUTURE CONSTRUCTION”

That “future construction” is Renelle on the River. The 17-story-high Renelle will bring 45 three- and four-bedroom luxury condominiums to River North. Designed by bKL Architecture, Renelle is being developed by the Belgravia Realty Group (they’re building CA Washington in the West Loop.) McHugh Construction will be on the build.

: The doomed plaza, with 405 North Wabash in the background.

: Renelle has banners along Wabash Avenue.

: A rendering from the Renelle website.

: Another Renelle website rendering. All condos will have river views, even if the tower isn’t *on* the river.

: The demolition-as-renovation permit.

With caissons sunk, 3Eleven preps for a tower crane

Posted on August 11, 2016 by danieldschell

The tell-tale sign of a future tower crane, at 3Eleven

Revcon Construction has hauled away most of its caisson equipment, leaving the site at 311 West Illinois Street to Power Construction to start building the 24-story apartment tower from The John Buck Company.

A tower crane permit was filed for 3Eleven waaaay back on June 21. And now, we know where it’s going to stand: in the “back right” (southwest) corner of the lot. Expect the stub to be planted any day now.

: The tower crane foundation.

: The lot is a blank canvas again.

: Caisson equipment being hauled away Wednesday morning.

: See those guys hidden behind the truck? Yep, they’re setting the tower crane foundation.

Construction Update: 171 Aberdeen builds a foundation

Posted on August 10, 2016 by danieldschell

The non-tower crane (for now) at 171 Aberdeen casts a long shadow as morning work gets underway.

The Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture-designed 171 Aberdeen is having some foundation work done courtesy of Novak Construction, even without the benefit (yet) of the almighty tower crane. The new mixed-use project from MCZ Development (click that link. MCZ has a wonderful video introducing their building) will have 75 luxury apartments, 15,000 square feet of retail, and 40,000 square feet of office space. Plus 130 or so parking spaces to accommodate residents, shoppers, diners, and commuters.

: A render of 171 Aberdeen from MCZ Development.

: And my attempt to recreate that rendering. Without the unbuilt building, obviously.

: July’s caisson work, from the L.

: This is how you mark a photo so you don’t forget where you took it.

Construction Update: Caisson work at Hubbard and Wells

Posted on August 9, 2016 by danieldschell

A CTA Purple Line trains passes construction at Hubbard and Wells.

Case Foundation is on the case at Hubbard and Wells, where Centrum Partners is developing not one, but two new buildings for River North: a 9-story office building at 412 North Wells Street, and a 23-story, 193-unit apartment tower at 221 West Hubbard Street. You can get a great view off progress by hopping a Purple or Brown Line train at Merchandise Mart and riding north.

**Better yet, get on a train at Chicago Avenue, get in the last car, ride south, and take a lap through The Loop. Back-of-the-train views are the best.)**

The two Hirsch Associates projects got foundation permits a week apart at the end of June and early July, the parking lot it used to be was immediately fenced off, and Case brought their big toys in to start drilling caissons. Once that’s all done, Linn-Mathes takes full control of the process, getting these two glass edifices off the ground and heading skyward.

: This is the best way to watch construction, but most of us aren’t allowed to stand there.

: The construction site, from the northeast corner of Hubbard and Wells.

: The unmistakable blue and gold of Case Foundation.

: Rebar field.

: Waiting their turn.

: Train view.

Construction begins on 101-Unit Evanston TOD

Posted on August 8, 2016 by danieldschell

This rendering from Hirsch Associates depicts 1571 Maple from the CTA tracks, looking west on Davis Street.

It’s important, when visiting Edzo’s in Evanston, to make sure the staff isn’t on vacation before jumping on a Metra train to the northern suburbs. Oh well. At least there was a construction site to check out.

Work has just started on the Hirsch Associates Architects-designed TOD Centrum Evanston. Evanston has TODs, right? Because this would certainly qualify, situated as it is at the south end of the Davis Street Metra UP-N line, and the Davis Street CTA Purple Line station. The 12-story development from Centrum Partners (Centrum and Hirsch have teamed up before, most recently on the office/residential buildings at Hubbard and Wells in River North) will have 101 apartments, and 3,100 square feet of ground-floor retail space. Novak Construction is on the build. Completion is expected in early 2017.

: A rendering from Hirsch Associates, looking across Maple Street.

: Another Hirsch render, looking southeast from the northwest corner of Davis and Maple.

: Looking south across Davis Street.

: Looking east across Maple Street.

: This expertly detailed Google map shows the lot where 1571 Maple is being constructed.

Vista Tower gets a foundation permit; construction nerds settle in for the long haul

Posted on August 4, 2016 by danieldschell

Rendering of Vista Tower from Studio Gang.

Please, stop by once in a while and make sure we’re hydrated and fed. And that our socks are dry. Because we’ll be out there for the next 4-5 years.

Yesterday, the City of Chicago issued a foundation permit for Vista Tower, the iconic 93-story condominium tower and Wanda Vista Hotel combination designed by Studio Gang and bKL Architecture. James McHugh Construction Co. has been named the general contractor for the Magellan Development Group project.

Everyone in Chicago has been on edge the last couple of weeks, waiting for work to get started at Vista. Now that we have a permit on file, don’t be surprised if they’re over there this morning getting ready for caisson work.

There was a soil sampling rig on site this week. Hopefully, no negative results.

Another render from Studio Gang, showing the Vista Tower from the Field Museum campus.

Vista Tower, straight up. Rendering from Studio Gang.

The Caisson Permit.

Aurélien glasses up North Clark Street

Posted on August 3, 2016 by danieldschell

That yellow light means “Caution: Approach Aurélien Slowly, Or You’ll Miss All The New Glass”

That’s right, Aurélien. You didn’t forget, did you? Two weeks ago, we learned that 833 North Clark Street in Near North got a name change when it topped out. Ryan Companies christened her Aurélien. And now Ryan has added something else to their new tower: glass. New name, new glass, new website. That’s the Construction Trifecta!

It seems to be a theme around here lately. A residential tower under construction gets a new name and some new glass at the same time. (See Level Apartments.) Okay, obviously a new building getting glass isn’t unexpected. It’s very difficult to see in or out of a structure without windows. But the name change, that’s always a surprise. Sometimes buildings just keep the mailing address as their name. I can make a case for either method.

Anyway, what were we talking about? Oh yeah, glass. Here ya go:

: Here’s a photo of a render of Aurélien.

: Corner glass.

: What’s that? Would I like to try? Oh, no thank you. I don’t hang off the edge of buildings.

: Looking up at the first row of glass along North Clark Street.

Before you build a building, you have to build a building-building crane

Posted on August 2, 2016 by danieldschell

A shiny yellow LaGrange Crane crane helps assemble a pretty red All Crane.

And you’ll need a crane-building crane to help you build that building. Which is what Onni Group is doing right now at Atrium Village in the Near North neighborhood. Now that it looks like the massive foundation digging is mostly complete, Onni can start going skyward on the 31-story tower. They put up the stem yesterday; today, they were adding pieces and parts.

And you can see more photos of the some-assembly-required tower crane and the big dig down below:

: They were trucking in tower crane parts faster than they could put them together…

: …or maybe you’ve got to have all the parts on hand…

: …so you *can* put them all together.

: And all those parts will go up there.

: Cranes helping cranes.

: They did a lot of digging here.

: A little more love for LaGrange Crane.

: DO NOT BUMP THE TOWER CRANE!

Quick Look: Level Apartments. Which came first, the glass? or the name?

Posted on August 1, 2016 by danieldschell

So far, there’s glass on only one level of Level Apartments.

Seems like it was only hours ago…and it was…that I wandered past 215 West Lake and drank in all the beautiful glass that has been installed on the first residential floor. And because I can’t leave well enough alone, I walked past there again Monday evening. And was pleased to see confirmation of what I thought I’d seen recently: 215 West Lake is now called Level Apartments.

I first noticed Level being used for 215 West Lake last week on Thomas Roszak Architecture‘s website. Now the name must be official. Because not only is there a website, but there are signs on site. And that’s all you really need to make anything official: signs and a website. And maybe a Twitter account.

So say hello, officially, to Level Apartments.

Signs. A sign Level Apartments is on its way to Chicago.

Glazing all the glass is a gas, baby. Can you dig it?

Posted on August 1, 2016 by danieldschell

215 West lake has new glass. And like all new glass, it’s glorious.

215 West Lake can.

Not to be outshone by the brand new, sitting-on-the-coolest-of-cool-steel-truss-work tower crane at 151 North Franklin, Clark Construction has started installing glass in 215 West Lake on the first level above its podium. And while any building getting its first glass is always a major event, it feels even sweeter when it’s a residential tower, when the panels aren’t all exactly alike. A little variety adds character.