The Tower Crane Pipeline Still Runneth Over [Updated]

Posted on July 12, 2016 by danieldschell

Last week, I got pretty excited (okay, way excited — overstimulated even) about the three tower crane stubs being set in the ground around Chicago. One was for the DePaul School of Music, one for the new Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ meetinghouse at 822 North Clark Street, and the third at 8 East Huron Street in River North. But lest you think that puts a wrap on what to watch for, think again.

We still have half a dozen projects out there with tower crane permits itching to climb into the sky. They are:

Atrium Village

Atrium Village received a tower crane permit last week to erect a 31-story apartment building.

Atrium Village, which I also posted about last week, will rise soon in the Near North. The 31-story rental tower, which is Phase One of the multi-phase project by Onni Group to rebuild the entire Atrium Village development, got its tower crane permit July 5th.

625 West Adams

625 West Adams is a busy lot again this morning, following a slow weekend after wrapping up caisson work.

625 West Adams in the West Loop got its tower crane permit on June 28th. The 20-story office tower from CA Ventures and White Oak Realty Partners is happening right outside the buildingupchicago office.

165 North Desplaines

Caisson work is ongoing at 165 North Desplaines in the West Loop.

Also in the West Loop, Gerding Edlen’s 165 North Desplaines continues caisson work, while waiting to install its tower crane. The permit was filed on June 28th, the same day as 625 West Adams. Two brand-spankin’ new tower cranes four blocks apart. Nice. 165 North Desplaines will be a 14-story apartment building with 199 units.

3Eleven

3Eleven still looks like that movie “Holes”

In the early stages of construction, 3Eleven still looks like just a random series of holes. Soon, it will be a 23-story apartment tower from the John Buck Company at 311 West Illinois Street in River North, in what, up until a couple weeks ago, was the parking lot for Assumption Roman Catholic Church.

Apple Store

The new Apple Store at 401 North Michigan Avenue, both upper and lower.

Does Chicago need a new Apple Store? Or just an Apple Store with more space for people to camp out overnight for each new iPhone? Well, Chicago is getting both. At 401 North Michigan Avenue, in Pioneer Court. And it’s getting a tower crane as well, permitted on May 23rd.

171 North Aberdeen

171 North Aberdeen in the West Loop.

The West Loop is a busy place. But you knew that. 171 North Aberdeen is another project in the early stages. They’ve done some scraping, but it may be a while yet until it gets the tower crane it was permitted to have back on May 10th. 171 North Aberdeen, from MCZ Development, will be a mid-rise, mixed-use building combining luxury apartments, retail space, office space, and parking.

[Curiously, the tower permit is the only permit on file so far. No foundation permit has been issued as yet.]

That sentence from the original story is completely, thoroughly wrong. 171 North Aberdeen received a foundation permit on June 6th. I missed it. Sorry for my mistake.

One Bennett Park Gets One Big Permit

Posted on July 12, 2016 by danieldschell

A render of One Bennett Park from Related Midwest.

One Bennett Park, the 69-story skyscraper currently burying caissons at 451 East Grand Avenue in Streeterville, received its next level of achievement (if construction was one of those silly games you play on your phone) yesterday with a full-build permit from the City of Chicago.

Being developed by Related Midwest, the tower was designed by New York’s Robert A.M. Stern Architects, with an assist from Chicago’s own GREC Architects. One Bennett Park will have a mix of 348 luxury condominiums and rental apartments, plus a brand new 1.7-acre park from landscape architect Michael Van Valkenburgh & Associates.

Related Midwest plans to have One Bennett Park move-in ready in 2019. Lendlease is the general contractor that’ll make that completion goal happen.

Hovering above One Bennett Park

There it is. The Permit.

Townhomes of Prairie Court Pushing Dirt

Posted on July 11, 2016 by danieldschell

Prairie Court is underway.

If progress is a thing you’re into, construction in Chicago is a nice hobby to have. When obsolete buildings and parking lots become empty lots, and those lots turn into something brand new, few things in life are more enjoyable than pulling up a lawn char and note pad and watching contractors go to work.

But that process takes time. Case in point: Prairie Court.

Prairie Court is a joint project in the South Loop from Golub and Company and Sandz Development bringing 55 townhomes to the Prairie Avenue, between 16th Street and 18th Street. The seven-story building previously occupying this long lot was permitted for demolition back in march of 2015. A year later, on March 31, 2016, nine new construction permits were filed by the City of Chicago to begin building the townhomes. And now, large amounts of dirt are moving around as foundation work gets underway.

The nine different addresses, from 1626 South Prairie Avenue north through 1736 SOuth Prairie, with 220 east 18th Street thrown in for good measure, will have between five and nine units per structure, all with their own private parking garages.

Sullivan Goulette & Wilson provided the designs for Prairie Court. Richard Builders in Lincoln Park were hired to be the general contractor.

: Permits are nice. But once a project has a billboard, you know it’s Go Time.

Double-Duty Tower Crane Gone From 1333 South Wabash Avenue

Posted on July 10, 2016 by danieldschell

Noticeable for its absence: the tower crane that used to stand between 1345 South Wabash (left) and 1333 South Wabash (right)

The tower crane that schooled us all in stamina and stick-to-itiveness is now gone from the side-by-side towers at 1333 and 1345 South Wabash Avenue in the South Loop.

Planted smack dab in the middle of the double site, the crane built the south tower, 1345 Wabash first, then turned its attention — and boom — north to work on 1333 Wabash.

CMK Companies is the developer of both residential towers. 1345 is a 15-story condominium tower with 144 units (the website says only 2 are left!) while 1333 will feature 28 stories and 307 rental apartments. Both were designed by Chicago architecture firm Brininstool + Lynch, and both are being built by general contractor Lendlease.

: The double-duty tower crane, seen here working on 1345 Wabash in June 2015.

: The tower crane and its two creations.

: The top of 1333 Wabash.

: 1333 Wabash, looking south down Wabash Avenue.

: Work continues on the podium along Wabash Avenue.

: 1333 and 1345, looking north up Wabash Avenue.

: The back of 1333 Wabash, from Michigan Avenue.

625 West Adams Pours Foundation Equipment Into 465 North Park

Video

Case Foundation made quick work of the caissons for the new office tower at 625 West Adams Street in the West Loop. So what does one do with all that equipment? Well, this is Chicago, and all those tools and toys are in high demand.

Which is why most of it poured into the construction site at 465 North Park Drive in Streeterville. That’s where Power Construction (625’s general contractor as well) has begun foundation work on the 47-story, 444-apartment tower designed by Pappageorge Haymes Partners. There, it will all be reassembled so holes can be dug and caissons can be sunk and a tower can be built.

: These lonely excavators from last week have some company.

: Reassembling the caisson driller.

: A clandestine view from the back of the lot. (I stayed behind the protective fencing like a good stalker.)

The Benchmark, A Half-Victory For Preservation in Lincoln Park

Posted on July 8, 2016 by danieldschell

The unmistakable gap-toothed smile of a building that knows it’s escaped the wrecking ball. 2746 North Magnolia will be the centerpiece of The Benchmark.

A church at 2750 North Magnolia Avenue that stood since 1884, deemed “not worth saving,” was demolished in March. As with any demolition of a church, that didn’t sit well with many folks. But a small victory was won with the preservation of the parish house next door, at 2746 North Magnolia, which was released from the City of Chicago Demolition Delay Hold List on Wednesday, as it’s in the midst of a complete overhaul into a single-family home.

A joint effort from Noah Properties and Sergio & Banks Real Estate is erecting The Benchmark, a 5-building development that will see single family homes constructed on either side of the existing former parish house. At 2742 and 2744 North Magnolia will be two single-family homes, while to the north at 2752 and 2756 North Magnolia will rise two 5-unit condo structures.

All five projects are designs from architect Bill Kokalias at Axios Architects & Consultants, in The Loop. ALL Builders of Chicago is the general contractor.

: A rendering of the 5-building The Benchmark, from Sergio & Banks.

: The church at 2750 North Magnolia. Now gone.

: The church, from Diversey Parkway.

: DEMOLISHED 2016

: The parish house pre-renovation.

: The parish house, with the church lot next door now empty.

: The Benchmark.

: Peeking inside the parish house, 2746 North Magnolia Avenue.

: The rear of the parish house.

: On the left, 2742 North Magnolia will be one of the 6-bedroom single-family homes.

: From the alley, looking at construction on 2742 North Magnolia.

: ALL Builders working on 2756 North Magnolia, one of the 5-unit condo buildings.

: This will be 2752 North Magnolia.

: Church tower demolition in April.

The Day The Tower Cranes Took Over

Posted on July 7, 2016 by danieldschell

For many, the appeal of living in Chicago is the change of seasons. But what we should be promoting is the change of tower cranes. For just when one comes down, another (or three) goes up.

With lots of new construction comes lots of tower cranes. There isn’t much that can be built around town without the use of one (or two – looking at you, Sinclair.) A long walk on my regular rounds turned up no fewer than three seedlings being planted for future tower cranes.

Up in Lincoln Park, DePaul is building a new facility for music education. The DePaul School of Music won’t be a very tall structure, but it will be spread out over a large lot. Bulley & Andrews is erecting its tower crane near the middle of the lot, so it’ll reach 360 degrees around the site.

At 822 North Clark Street in the Near North neighborhood, McHugh Construction is setting up a tower crane to erect a 7-story Mormon church. I’ll have more about this project once I know for sure what I’m talking about.

Finally, at 8 East Huron in River North, Clark Construction has begun putting up a tower crane for the 26-story residential tower from CA Ventures. Designed by Valerio Dewalt Train Associates, 8 East Huron has been sitting on its tower crane permit since May 24. I was getting a little antsy waiting for this one.

: Way over there is the tower crane seedling for the DePaul School of Music.

: Another shot of the starter kit for the tower crane at the new Mormon church at 822 North Clark Street.

: A profile photo of the tower crane at 8 East Huron.

As Atrium Village Foundation Work Continues…A Tower Crane

Posted on July 6, 2016 by danieldschell

Onni Group works on the foundation for Atrium Village.

Ready for another tower crane in Chicago?

Onni Group sure is. Onni is up at 1140 North Wells Street in the Near North neighborhood, working on the redevelopment of Atrium Village. It’s a huge, multi-phase plan to transform the entire development. And Phase One is in full effect.

Onni has been digging through the dirt since February, when the City of Chicago filed a foundation permit for Phase One, which will be a 31-story apartment tower designed by Hartshorne Plunkard Architects. It will have 400 rental units, ground-floor retail, and some 300+ parking spaces.

And since it’s a high-rise, it’ll need a tower crane, which was permitted by the City of Chicago yesterday. If you’re familiar at all with Onni Group, then you probably already figured it’s the general contractor on this development as well.

: Atrium Village needs updating, and ONNI IS ON IT!

Can You Dig 465 North Park? This Permit Says Indeed You May

Posted on July 6, 2016 by danieldschell

A straight-up rendering of 465 North Park from Pappageorge Haymes Partners.

It’s Showtime for 465 North Park.

That dirt being shoved around last month wasn’t just for fun. Yesterday, the City of Chicago filed a foundation permit for the new apartment tower at 465 North Park Drive in Streeterville. That’s right next door to the new Loews Hotel, and just across Illinois Street from the AMC River East.

Another design from Pappageorge Haymes Partners, 465 North Park will stand 47 stories tall and weigh…actually, I don’t have stats on weight. But expect 444 apartments, with 181 parking spaces. The permit says parking will be on levels one through four, an amentiy deck on the 6th floor, apartments for regular folks on 7-35, penthouse units on 38-46, and a mechanical floor at the 47th level.

Jupiter Realty Company is the developer. Power Construction has the general contractor reins. Expect to see caisson equipment start pouring into the lot any minute now.

Power Construction and Pappageorge Haymes Partners. How’s that for a Power Couple?

Reinforcements are on the way.

The Foundation Permit for 465 North Park.

The Hudson Flows Into Chicago

Posted on July 5, 2016 by danieldschell

The Hudson, 750 North Hudson Avenue, will sit on the corner of Hudson and Chicago.

The Hudson is a 25-story apartment tower at 750 North Hudson Avenue being developed by the Onni Group of Companies. Designed by Pappageorge Haymes Partners, The Hudson will have 240 one-, two-, and three-bedroom rental units and 240 parking spaces, with 10,000 square feet of retail space at ground level. Onni Group pulls double duty here by acting as its own general contractor.

If that address, 750 North Hudson, doesn’t ring bells in your head, think of The Hudson as being located at about 425 West Chicago Avenue. That’s where its most prominent facing will be, along Chicago Avenue.