Category Archives: Residential

Exhibit On Superior Shedding Its Tower Crane

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165 West Superior

Exhibit on Superior, at 165 West Superior, losing its tower crane.

They come into our lives suddenly, and then they’re gone just as quickly. They build our hopes and dreams, climbing ever higher. And just when you think they can go no higher…they don’t. In fact, they come down. But not before changing the landscape and skyline.

Too dramatic? Eh, whatever.

Suffice it to say the tower crane at 165 West Superior is on its way down from atop the bKL Architecture-designed apartment tower. The new River North development from Magellan Development Group is called Exhibit on Superior. Topping out at 34 stories, Exhibit on Superior will have 298 luxury apartments of all sizes, from studios and convertibles, to 1-,2-, and 3-bedroom units. Add 109 parking spaces, an 8,400-square-foot outdoor park, and nearly 30,000 square feet of amenity space, and you’ve practically got yourself a brand new vertical neighborhood.

Linn-Mathes has been plugging away at construction since the first permits for Exhibit on Superior were filed back in July of 2015, this coming on the heels of the March 2015 demolition permit that signaled the end of the Howard Johnson Inn on this site, with an address of 720 North LaSalle. Yeah, if you still have your room key, might as well hang on to it.

165 West Superior

You see, I looked at that from over here and thought “Hey, that tower crane shouldn’t be sitting so low.”

165 West Superior

165 West Superior

221 West Hubbard Gets a Permit

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221 West Hubbard

A rendering of 221 West Hubbard (and 412 North Wells) from Hirsch Associates.

This one took awhile.

When last I heard about the proposed office and residential development at 221 West Hubbard Street in River North, it was February. Crews were working in the dirt, and I jumped the gun, assuming construction was ready to begin. It wasn’t. Turns out, soil sampling results were less than ideal, stalling the entire process.

221 West Hubbard

The Permit

I was told it was hopeful a construction permit would be filed for 221 West Hubbard around April 1. And here we are three months later, and finally, the City of Chicago has filed a permit to begin foundation work on the 23-story residential tower portion of the two-structure project.

Designed by Howard Hirsch at Hirsch Associates Architecture, the Centrum Partners development will have 193 apartments in the tower on the west end of the lot at Hubbard Street and Wells, and a 9-story office building with 41,000 rentable square feet on the east end. 91 parking spaces will be included in the residential portion.

For folks getting on and off the Brown and Purple Line trains at the Merchandise Mart, like me, this will be a prime spectating venue as LInn-Mathes, the general contractor, gets to work.

Earth is moving for gigantic River North home

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455 West Superior

They’re scraping and digging at 455 West Superior Street.

I don’t normally pay mind to single-family development. I like the big stuff. The tall stuff. The expensive stuff.

The Permit.

The Permit.

Well, here’s a single-family home that fits into all three categories. Back in March, Dennis Rodkin at Crain’s was all over the news of a permit being filed for a home to be built at 455 West Superior Street in River North. What makes this home so unusual? Let’s have a look at that permit, filed by the City of Chicago on March 1, 2016.

  • It’s a five-story, single-family home. That’s a tall home.
  • The permit estimates construction costs at just under $10,000,000.00!
  • THERE WILL BE CAISSONS! This is gonna be one *heavy* home. (Yeah, no basement. I guess the game room will have to be on one of the five above-ground floors.)
  • Power Construction is the general contractor. That’s a heavy hitter for your home building.

Not much has been done since March, until now. When I walked past on Thursday, I saw the first signs of active construction since the permit. Scraping and digging. Just like they do for skyscrapers. This will be an interesting home to watch go up.

455 West Superior

The actual permit, displayed on site at 455 West Superior Street.

455 West Superior

Another view of the lot, which, according to Dennis Rodkin’s article, is really *three* lots.

455 West Superior

455 West Superior on March 2, the day after the permit was filed.

165 North Desplaines Digs In [Updated]

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165 North Desplaines

There is a large, mean-looking red beast on the other side of the fence at 165 North Desplaines.

While I’ve had my face pressed against the window looking south at 625 West Adams, just three blocks north of the office, Power Construction is getting caissons buried on another of their West Loop projects.

At 165 North Desplaines, Revcon Construction has equipment on site, and it’s being used to dig the foundations for the new 14-story GREC Architects design. Developer Gerding Edlen (Xavier Apartments, The Jones Chicago) is putting 199 apartments here, while also renovating the existing building at 152 North Jefferson.

*** THIS JUST IN: Yesterday, 165 North Desplaines received its Tower Crane Permit from the City of Chicago. This will pair quite nicely with the 625 West Adams Tower Crane, also permitted yesterday, June 28. ***

Here, as always, is photographic proof of the presence of construction goings-on:

640 North Wells Filling Gap Ed Debevic’s Left Behind

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640 North Wells

Good ole Ed Debevic’s. May it Rest Its Peas.

Unless you ate there, you miss Ed Debevic’s.

Kidding. Oh, come on. I’M KIDDING!

Okay, I’m done messing with Ed. (You’ll have to go here if you want to see more.)

At 640 North Wells Street, where Ed’s called home, JDL Development is erecting a 23-story apartment tower 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. 640 North Wells is another Lendlease build.

1035 West Van Buren Starts Peeking Above the West Loop

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1035 West Van Buren

1035 West Van Buren is beginning to shoot up through the other buildings in the West Loop

It’s not real construction until I can see it from the 48th floor. It is now that time for the new 1035 West Van Buren in the West Loop.

Related Midwest is bringing the apartment tower to 1035 West Van Buren Street, It’s designed by New York City firm Morris Adjmi Architects (that’s a new name to me here in Chicago) with a local assist from GREC Architects here in Chicago. It is GREC’s Greg Randall who appears on the building permit as the architect.

1035 will be a 30-story rental development with 300 units. That’s pretty darn close to averaging 10 units per floor, for those of you who were told there’d be no math today.

Related Midwest plans to have the tower open to residents before the end of 2017. Lendlease construction crews are on site, seeing to that completion goal.

8 East Huron Digs Down, Shores Up

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8 East Huron

Foundation work is ongoing at 8 East Huron in River North.

With two buildings torn down at the northeast corner of State and Huron Streets, a new residential tower is starting to grow.

8 East Huron is a 26-story, 105-unit building being developed by CA Ventures. (That’s CA as in Campus Acquisitions, not something from California. CA Ventures is the new branding, as of 2012.) There will be ground floor retail as well, and 30 or so parking spaces on levels 2-4.

8 East Huron is designed by Valerio Dewalt Train Associates. Clark Construction is on the build. Or, under the build, as you’ll see from the photos below.

More Photos Than I Know What To Do With: Optima II

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Talk about multi-tasking.

This is Optima Chicago Center II. Designed by David Hovey of Optima. Optima is also the developer, and the general contractor. Keeping it in-house to the extreme.

Located at 220 East Illinois Street in Streeterville, Optima Chicago Center II will be a 54-story, 381-unit apartment tower. It sits next to Optima Chicago Center, next door at 200 East Illinois Street. The first Optima tower stands 42 stories tall, and is also a rental building, with 325 apartments. It opened to residents in 2013.

400 West Huron Continues Growth in River North

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400 West Huron is a 15-story condo building coming to the River North neighborhood at 400 West Huron Street. The Berkelhamer Architects design will have just 26 units, all condominiums. Smithfield Properties is playing the roles of both developer and general contractor on this one.

Ground Already Broken, 851 West Grand Gets a Permit

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851 West Grand

With a building permit in hand, look for more than two people working on 851 West Grand very soon.

There’s a new building permit on file with the city of Chicago for the site located at 851 West Grand Avenue in River West.

Monroe Residential Partners broke ground for the FitzGerald Associates Architects design back in May. There have been something called “reaction piers” installed on the site, according to a FitzGerald Facebook post, but other than that, 851 West Grand has been a relatively quiet lot since.

Not anymore. Expect lots of action now that a permit is on file with the City of Chicago. Summit Design + Build is the general contractor tasked with erecting the 6-story, 36-unit apartment building. Monroe plans like to have 851 West Grand ready before the 2017 is out.