Construction Progress: The Triple-Branded Hilton Hotel climbs on Motor Row

Posted on July 31, 2017 by danieldschell

Up to the ninth floor (of 21) at the Triple-Branded Hilton Hotel at McCormick Place.

Three Hilton Hotels, 21 stories, and 466 rooms. That’s what you see growing along East Cermak Road, between Michigan and Indiana Avenues. (A Hilton Garden Inn Chicago McCormick Center, Hampton Inn by Hilton Chicago McCormick Center, and Home2 Suites by Hilton Chicago McCormick Center, if you’re scoring at home.) Of course, they’ll all be in one building.

Antunovich Associates worked with McHugh Construction on this project, which joins the Marriott Marquis Hotel and Wintrust Arena across the street in completely changing the character of this two-block stretch of Cermak Road. McHugh is up to the ninth floor of the hotels now, a veritable beehive of activity. And it has to be; Hilton plans to have all three brands open late next year.

Three flags, a water tank, and a tower crane in the Prairie District

Posted on July 29, 2017 by danieldschell

You get a 3-fer in the latest edition of American Flag, Tower Crane, Water Tank.

The flags fly above New City Alfa Romeo at 2401 South Michigan Avenue.

The water tank sits atop Motor Row Gallery at 2345 South Michigan Avenue.

The tower crane is lifting heavy stuff at the Triple-branded Hilton Hotel project at 123 East Cermak Road.

Finish it! One Grant Park scores its full permit

Posted on July 29, 2017 by danieldschell

One Grant Park’s best side.

Friday, when big news always happens, One Grant Park received its full-build permit from the City of Chicago, confirming that McHugh Construction can keep doing what they’re doing at 1200 South Indiana Avenue in the South Loop. And what they’re doing is shooting One Grant Park skyward at an impressive rate.

The Rafael Viñoly Architects design for Crescent Heights brings nearly 800 apartments across 76 stories, with 12 of those for parking.

: The Permit.

More photos than I know what to do with: Ancora at Riverline

Posted on July 28, 2017 by danieldschell

Ancora at Riverline rises next door to River City. You can see the outline of the townhomes facing west, toward the South Branch of the Chicago River.

There will be construction at Riverline for a long time. A very long time. Ten new buildings, 3,600 residential units, covering 14 acres in the South Loop along the Chicago River. Designed by Perkins+Will, Riverline will basically be its own new neighborhood once completed, sometime around 2024.

Ancora, the first building of Phase One, broke ground in September. Lendlease, the general contractor and part of the development team with CMK Companies, is kicking tail on the podium, as the core rises to about ten stories. Ancora will be a 29-story tower, with 420 apartments and 24 townhomes. The second tower, Current, doesn’t have a start date yet, but we do know it will be an 18-story condominium tower with 251 condos and 28 more townhomes.

1326 South Michigan scores its full-build permit

Posted on July 25, 2017 by danieldschell

Column forms are starting to protrude from the ground at 1326 South Michigan.

The full-build permit, issued July 24, 2017.

On Monday of this week, 1326 South Michigan received its full-build permit from the city of Chicago. That means crews from Walsh Construction can keep right on working at a frantic pace and start sending this one vertical. To the tune of 46 stories, to be exact. And within those 46 stories? 500 apartments, developed in tandem by Murphy Development Group with CIM Group, and designed by SCB.

Twitter user @ChrisAHorney, who works as MDG and last month clued us in to the tower crane being erected on this site, tells us today we can expect a name change for 1326 South Michigan in the coming weeks. And we always look forward to that kind of news.

As for that permit, The Big Green W didn’t seem to take much time celebrating its arrival; 1326 South Michigan is frantic with activity today, as you’ll see in the time-lapse video and photos below.

: Columns are starting to protrude from the ground at 1326 South Michigan.

1411 South Michigan is so last-week. Say hello to 1407 On Michigan

Posted on July 25, 2017 by danieldschell

1407 On Michigan has taken over what 1411 South Michigan began.

That’s right. What we’ve all known as 1411 S. Michigan now has a new name and some new signage in the South Loop. 1407 On Michigan has taken over, and it continues upward toward its ultimate 15-story height. The mixed-use tower from Russland Capital Group will include 199 apartments and 40,000 square feet of commercial space. And at least a portion of that space will be Rush Primary And Specialty Care.

Lendlease is the contractor responsible for the progress at 1407 On Michigan, which to the naked eye appears to have reached the 11th floor. Sunshine made this the prefect day to stop by and take a look.

: Rush signage at 1407 On Michigan.

Essex On The Park is Off Of The Ground

Posted on July 25, 2017 by danieldschell

Essex On The Park is beginning its climb into the Michigan Avenue skyline.

Essex On The Park raised a tower crane earlier this month, and now work has begun going vertical along Michigan Avenue in the South Loop. Power Construction has 56 stories to stack atop each other, so there’s a whole lot of work to do. But that’s what tower cranes are for, right? Wait and see; this thing will be topped out in no time.

A few reminders for you as Essex On The Park begins to rise: It’s a development from Oxford Capital Group. It’s designed by Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture. As previously mentioned, Power Construction is the general contractor. 808 South Michigan Avenue is the address. There will be 476 apartments, 84 parking spots, and some ground-floor retail space. Oxford plans to have the apartment tower open to residents in 2019.

Alta Roosevelt drops the tower crane

Posted on July 24, 2017 by danieldschell

This was the scene Saturday morning, as the Alta Roosevelt tower crane was turned parallel to Financial Place one final time, before beginning its descent to earth.

Always the saddest of positive milestones, Saturday marked the beginning of the end for the tower crane at Alta Roosevelt at 801 South Financial Place in the South Loop. Twitter user @GNWIII3 alerted us Friday to the pending dismantle. Then well into the evening hours, general contractor Walsh Construction, along with Morrow Equipment Company and Central Contractors Service, were pooling their talents to assure a smooth transition from towering crane to crane parts on trucks.

What’s next for the Pappageorge Haymes-designed apartment tower to achieve? Let’s guess the completion of cladding installation, as glass has moved within three levels of the top. Then it’s just a matter of finishing a mere 496 individual units, and folks can start moving in before winter hits Chicago.

: No sadder sight than a falling crane.

: Fear not, for the crabne shall return to Morrow.

: The view Saturday evening. That’s the Ancora at Riverline crane in the foreground.

Coming Attractions: Soil sampling rig takes over Columbia College lot

Posted on July 24, 2017 by danieldschell

A soil-sampling rig stands at the ready on the site of the future Columbia College Student Center.

Maybe there were some gardens there. I remember some pieces of art too, including a funky-looking airplane with a mean face that hung from a pole. But it looks like the small lot at Wabash Avenue and 8th Street in the South Loop is on its way to becoming the new Columbia College Student Center.

There’s a soil-sampling rig on the site now, tasting the dirt to make sure it’s ready to be dug into and built upon. And on that very spot will be the 5-story, 114,000-square-foot, Gensler-designed center. Work should get underway soon, as Columbia College plans to have work completed in time to open the student center before 2018 closes.

: Columbia College Student Center rendering by Gensler.

: Columbia College Student Center rendering by Gensler.

: The lot at Wabash and 8th.

One Grant Park is blueing up the South Loop

Posted on July 20, 2017 by danieldschell

The Big Blue Forms of One Grant Park.

Many legal-types will tell you to fill out your forms in blue. Which is exactly what McHugh Construction is doing at One Grant Park. Eschewing the usual yellow forms you see throughout Chicago, McHugh has opted for blue on Rafael Viñoly Architects’ 76-story apartment tower in the South Loop. And with Lake Michigan just a couple blocks away, why not? Working blue can be a bad thing for a comedian, but not for a construction company. Your children can watch. Blue screen of death? Nah, that’s for your old laptop. These are Blue Screens of Safety.

One Grant Park, a development from Crescent Heights, will stack 792 rental units atop 12 levels of parking. Work began on the lot at Roosevelt, Indiana, and Michigan back in December.