Big Kenect and Little Kenect Progress Kentinues.

Posted on June 9, 2016 by danieldschell

The 14-story tower that makes up about 78% of Kenect’s floorage. If floorage was a word.

At 500 North Milwaukee Avenue in the West Town neighborhood, Akara Partners is developing Kenect, a two-building apartment complex designed by Pappageorge Haymes Partners.

When complete, Kenect will have a 14-story tower on the west side of North Green Street with 179 apartments, and a 4-story structure on the east side of Green Street with 48 units. The two will share 122 car parking spaces and 50 bike parking spaces, while the entire complex will include some 14,000 square feet of retail space.

: Kenect, with outstanding photobombs from River Point and the Sears Tower.

: 4 stories of Kenect, along Milwaukee Avenue.

: The unique framework along Milwaukee Avenue taking form in January .

: That framework looks like this now.

: Looking northwest from Grand Avenue.

: Early work on the 14-story tower, July

: And on the 4-story portion, also July

: Kenect had a wonderful tower crane…

: …so wonderful, that even the moon couldn’t help but visit.

: Kenect got its first glass back in November 2015.

: Yeah, I won’t go up there and do that, what they’re doing. Nope.

: The unfortunate rat traps that were demolished to make room for Kenect.

: The unfortunate rat traps that were demolished to make room for Kenect.

111 South Peoria, By Any Other Name

Posted on June 9, 2016 by danieldschell

Illume (11ume?) Chicago, now with its own signage.

Would still be controversial?

Doesn’t matter anymore.

Never Forget

Try as they might (you can read all about the contentious road this project took here at chicagoarchitecture.com) to quash the project at 111 South Peoria, West Loop NIMBYs (mostly from the two adjacent condo buildings, then just one at the Plan Commission meeting) failed to prevent the brand new condominium development from happening in the current parking lot at the same address.

And now that the contentious plan has met the approval of 27th Ward Alderman Walter Burnett, Jr. and the Chicago Plan Commission, 111 South Peoria has a new name as it moves towards fruition: Illume. But fancy, with three 1s instead of an i and two Ls. But a small 1 and two big 1s. 111ume? Yeah, it’s hard to type it that way.

Illume Chicago was approved by the Chicago Plan Commission back in March. It gave the okay for 79 condos in a 115-foot-tall building. Designed by architecture firm Pappageorge Haymes Partners, Illume is expected to be ready for occupancy in 2017. Along with being the developer, LG will be the general contractor as well.

The rendering of Illume Chicago presented by LG Development at the March Plan Commission meeting.

This parking lot will soon be Illume Chicago.

The very same parking lot, as seen from the Up Chicago office.

Alta Roosevelt Rings In Summer, Then Plants a Crane

Video

Wandered through the South Loop recently? Wondering about that ringing in your ears? Well, ask not for whom the bell tolls. Mostly because those aren’t bells.

As you’ve likely figured out by now, that sound — that really loud sound — is coming from Alta Roosevelt, the 33-story rental tower being constructed at 801 South Financial Place. Designed by Chicago firm Pappageorge Haymes Partners, Alta Roosevelt will have 496 studios, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, and a whopping 348 parking spaces to go along with them. In an unusual twist from the current building trend, there will be no retail space included.

According to PHP, the tower will feature “resort-like amenities.” These types of highfalutin perks are becoming the norm for new-construction apartments, not just for condominiums. Developers are looking to provide renters with as many creature comforts as possible, making today’s apartment projects look much more like fancy condo buildings. (You can make the argument that high-end amenities will help developers turn those apartments into condos somewhere down the road, but I’m not going there.)

: Look who’s getting a tower crane!

: Still just a seedling. It will grow.

: Tower crane stub and friends.

: 801 South Financial has been a busy busy lot since March.

: It was quieter then, but not much fun to watch.

: Soil sampling rig back in September.

: Site preparation got underway in March.

: Then the big equipment started showing up.

: Along with the pilings. Lots of pilings were driven to the site, so they could be driven *into* the site.

: Lots of pilings.

: Seriously. Piles of pilings.

Raquets Down, Racket Up as Demolition Begins for Elevate Lincoln Park

Posted on June 8, 2016 by danieldschell

Sorry, no more service here, Ace.

Tennis, anyone? Well, you’re a little too late. Those elevated tennis courts you saw on your Brown Line ride between the Fullerton and Diversey stops are no more. Game, set, match.

Taylor on the tear down; McHugh on the new construction.

In its place will soon be ELEVATE Lincoln Park, a mixed use project from Baker Development Company.

Approved by the Chicago Plan Commission back in July 2015, permits were filed for five addresses spanning North Lincoln Avenue from 2518 to 2534 between May 3 and May 5. Your plan commission says to expect a 10-story, 200-unit complex designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz that will also include 16,300 square feet of retail space.

The original schedule for ELEVATE Lincoln Park had designs on beginning caisson work by the first of this month, so progress is a tad behind schedule. But not to worry. Demolition is a pretty good sign things are well underway.

The taggers got to Lincoln Centre before Taylor demo crews did.

A commuter’s view, from a CTA Brown Line train.

Somebody feed that excavator, stat!

Soil sampling rigs showed up on site back in September. A good sign it’s time to sell your condo.

Another angle of the carnage.

A rendering of Elevate Lincoln Park from Baker Development Company.

Building Up Chicago

An Eye on Chicago Construction.

Category Archives: Residential