New Neighbor Eleven40 continues to rise in the South Loop

Posted on July 18, 2017 by danieldschell

A little project I’m working on in the back yard.

Of course, Eleven40 isn’t the new neighbor; I am. But so far, the new apartment tower from the CA Ventures – Keith Giles team doesn’t seem to mind its new spectators, as Lendlease keeps pushing the project skyward. The tower crane is still doing tower-crane things, and the cladding is starting to wrap around a fourth level.

A Spring 2018 arrival date for the 320-unit, SCB-designed South Loop tower fast approacheth, so don’t expect activity to slow down anytime soon.

: Night view.

: Construction at night is a beautiful sight.

: Anatomy of a Window Install, a play in six acts.

The B.U.C. HQ is changing Loops

Posted on July 7, 2017 by danieldschell

The B.U.C. is moving to the South Loop.

The time has come for Building Up Chicago to abandon its West Loop Headquarters and move the entire operation south. South Loop, that is. As we speak, ticker-tape readers, fax machines, and hand-cranked pencil sharpeners are being packed into boxes. After two years of towering above the Kennedy Expressway and all points west, our reporting will soon be done exclusively from the South Loop Bureau.

Fear not, good people. Divvy bikes and durable footwear will still allow us to move throughout the city to all points tower-crane. But expect things to be a little more South Loop-centric, just as they had been for the West Loop.

We watched the Parker Fulton Market grow up and open at 171 North Halsted Street.

No more eagle-eye views of One South Halsted.

We’ll miss you most of all, 625 West Adams.

1136 South Wabash gets a name change. Meet Eleven40

Posted on July 3, 2017 by danieldschell

New signage introduces Eleven40 to the South Loop.

In the midst of ongoing progress at 1136 South Wabash comes new signage announcing a new name: 1136 is now Eleven40. Follow that link to a whole bunch of shiny new renderings of the SCB-designed tower, as it continues upward toward its ultimate 26 stories. The CA Ventures – Keith Giles production will have 320 apartments and is being built by Lendlease. Spring 2018 is the projected opening.

Eleven40 continues its rise in the South Loop.

1136 South Wabash has been renamed Eleven40.

Rooftop rendering of Eleven40.

Nighttime rendering of Eleven40.

Pool rendering of Eleven40.

Essex On The Park celebrates the Poureth of July

Posted on July 3, 2017 by danieldschell

A swarm of activity at Essex On The Park as the concrete flows freely.

Monday is Concrete Day for Essex On The Park, as Power Construction crews spend the day between the holiday weekend and the actual holiday pouring concrete into the foundation for the new 56-story apartment tower from Oxford Capital Group. And of course, we’re not talking about little bits of concrete. We’re talking trucks lined up down the street, waiting to get their pour on.

One segment of the concrete being poured today is the foundation for the tower crane. The stub was planted almost two weeks ago, sitting there looking all lonely. But now it will have a home, and the crane can be fully assembled, and soon (we hope.) If it goes up before any other cranes come down, it will be #34 on the Chicago Tower Crane Survey.

1326 + 1 = 33: 1326 South Michigan erects Chicago’s 33rd tower crane

Posted on July 3, 2017 by danieldschell

It’s the new math. 1326 South Michigan put up a tower crane last week, raising Chicago’s total to 33.

https://twitter.com/skenrou/status/881190910649933825

That tweet from Twitter used @skenrou Saturday morning confirmed the shiny yellow luffer (not fighter) was up and ready to do Walsh Construction’s heavy lifting. 1326 still looks like a barren lot, albeit with a tower crane now poking up through the north edge of the site. But that will all change quickly, as the 47-story tower can now begin to go vertical.

: In the distance, a tower crane.

1326 South Michigan is getting into the tower-crane game

Posted on June 24, 2017 by danieldschell

https://twitter.com/ChrisAHorney/status/878399659307347968

Shout-out to Twitter user @ChrisAHorney from Murphy Development Group, who let us know the tower crane stub spotted at 1326 South Michigan on Thursday, was planted on Friday. He also let us know full assembly will begin on Monday.

We’ve all seen Walsh Construction’s work around town, so it was pretty obvious they know a horizontal stub wasn’t gonna do them much good when building a skyscraper, but it’s nice to have photo confirmation anyway.

Walsh will put that tower crane to work erecting the SCB-designed 46-story, 500-unit tower that Murphy Development Group is bringing to the South Loop in partnership with CIM Group.

: The tower crane stub, wearing special lil booties, waiting to be planted.

: Yep, it’s a shiny yellow Liebherr.

: That’s a formidable tower crane foundation.

Essex On The Park plants a tower crane

Posted on June 23, 2017 by danieldschell

Essex On The Park has a Stub In The Ground.

Chicago’s tower-crane count is back down to 32, and Essex On The Park won’t stand for it. Thursday, Power Construction planted a stub in the South Loop ground. Surrounded for now by rebar, the foundation will soon (today?) be filled with concrete, which will cure before the full tower crane can be assembled. Let’s watch the middle part of next week for that.

Alta Roosevelt fills in its final floor

Posted on June 21, 2017 by danieldschell

https://twitter.com/thebiggreenw/status/874345009591578626

Like a video-game master, Alta Roosevelt has reached the top level at 801 South Financial Place in the South Loop. The above tweet, from June 12, shows concrete crews pouring the last of Alta’s main floors. There will still be steel added on top for the penthouse, but you won’t see concrete trucks moving in and out of the 33-story apartment tower any longer.

Designed for Wood Partners by Pappageorge Haymes Partners, Alta Roosevelt is delivering 496 rental units with 348 parking spaces to the site immediately north of the new British School, between River City and the Metra rail tracks. Walsh Construction has been on the job since site prep began back in march 2016.

: The empty lot at 801 South Financial Place.

: Site prep, March of 2016.

1136 South Wabash keeps glowing…errrr, growing… in the South Loop

Posted on June 16, 2017 by danieldschell

Looking from the north toward the rising 1136 South Wabash.

Forgive my faux pas. Must be all those yellow forms and the shiny yellow Liebherr adorning 1136 South Wabash that confused me. But it sure is hard to miss.

The 26-story, 320-unit apartment tower from CA Ventures has soared past the CTA Roosevelt platform, past the Hebru Brantley Flyboy mural, on its way to about 300 feet in height. Lendlease is the general contractor, tasked with completing the SCB design for a 2018 opening.

Upward progress continues at 1411 South Michigan

Posted on June 15, 2017 by danieldschell

1411 South Michigan rises toward 15 stories in the South Loop.

1411 South Michigan continues to climb into the South Loop sky, as Lendlease works on the 15-story, 199-unit apartment tower. Pepper Construction is overseeing the concrete pour, as mixers move in and out of the site. The project from Russland Capital Group will include 40,000 square feet of commercial space, and is expected to be open before the year is out.