1326 South Michigan lands a foundation permit in the South Loop

Posted on April 6, 2017 by danieldschell

Rendering of 1326 South Michigan from CIM Group.

1326 South Michigan, the new 500-unit residential tower from Murphy Development Group along with CIM Group, scored a foundation permit Wednesday from the City of Chicago. The permit calls for a 47-story building, designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz. Walsh Construction is named as the general contractor.

The surface parking lot at 1326 has been closed for a couple weeks now, in anticipation of work on the tower beginning. Expect to see the approved foundation work get started very soon.

: Rendering of 1326 South Michigan from Murphy Development Group.

: The Foundation Permit

: The surface parking lot at 1326 South Michigan Avenue was closed in March, and the attendant hut torn down.

: Not any more.

1101 South Wabash digs deep

Posted on April 3, 2017 by danieldschell

Foundation work, getting down and dirty, at 1101 South Wabash.

There’s a hotel being built at 1101 South Wabash in the South Loop. And besides it being at the corner of Wabash and 11th Street, behind the Best Western Grant Park Hotel, that’s about all I can tell you of it. Sure, the original foundation permit tells us it will a 30-story hotel. But now there’s a revised permit, which calls for a 30-story mixed-use building.

Okay, not huge news. But there’s more; the revised permit now names Skender Construction as the general contractor, where Lendlease held that distinction on the original permit. Lothan Van Hook DeStefano Architecture remains the architect of record.

With the former two-story parking garage a distant memory, the foundation is being dug and shored up. A tower crane permit was issued February 22, so we have that to look forward to.

: The new general contractor, according to the revised foundation permit.

: Lendlease signage remains all over the construction site.

: The Tower Crane permit, issued Feb 22.

One Grant Park plants a tower crane

Posted on March 31, 2017 by danieldschell

Scratch One Grant Park off the tower crane waiting list.

https://twitter.com/PDNAChicago/status/847801738648268800

Thanks to that tweet from Twitter user @PDNAChicago, we now know One Grant Park has begun installing a tower crane. The crane permit was granted (heh…Granted) way back on February 1, so it’s been a long wait.

The highly-anticipated Rafael Viñoly Architects design for Crescent Heights is delivering 76 stories and 792 apartments, plus 12,000 square feet of retail space, to the South Loop intersection of Roosevelt Road and Michigan Avenue.

Soon, McHugh Construction will have a new tower crane with which to begin sending One Grant Park into the sky. Hopefully, it won’t be a two-month wait like we had for the seedling. (Spoiler alert: It won’t be.)

: Someone’s in there.

: Foundation work, but not for the tower crane.

: Digging continues.

: The permit was issued Feb 1.

: Rendering of One Grant Park from Rafael Viñoly Architects.

Riverline levels continue to rise

Posted on March 28, 2017 by danieldschell

Ancora represents the first phase of the Riverline development in the South Loop.

Progress continues at Ancora, the first phase of the huge Riverline project CMK Companies is building along the Chicago River in the South Loop. The 29-story tower is barely above street level, yet somehow it already appears to be soaring. With the help of Pepper Construction on concrete work, Lendlease has reached the third floor on some parts of the site.

The Perkins+Will design will bring 452 apartments to this first phase of Riverline. Future phases will ultimately bring nine more buildings, 16,500 square feet of retail space, and a new riverwalk to the neighborhood.

One Grant Park is officially on tower-crane watch as caissons wrap up

Posted on March 17, 2017 by danieldschell

Case Foundation breaks down a caisson rig Thursday at One Grant Park in the South Loop.

Down at One Grant Park in the South Loop, Case Foundation has disassembled most of its caisson equipment and hauled it away. And while I’m no math genius, I couldn’t count more than one caisson on site that still awaits its concrete filling.

Now B.U.C. crews will be monitoring the lot at Roosevelt and Michigan 24/7, watching for tower crane parts to arrive. The City of Chicago issued that permit on February 1st, so somewhere there’s a free-standing Potain MD 485B seething to get into the game. It’s March Madness time; I say BRING IT ON.

: There it is, The Final Caisson.

: And everyone wants to see it.

: Pulling counterweights off the caisson rig.

: Most of the tall stuff is gone now. Until the tower crane arrives, at least.

: Yep, they’re off the Case.

It’s Craning Day at the Triple Hilton McCormick Place

Posted on March 3, 2017 by danieldschell

Thursday morning, this tower crane cab rolled past the B.U.C. HQ. On its way to the Hilton McCormick Place? Sure seemed like it.

Last week, we found the makings of a tower crane at the Triple-Branded Hilton Hotel at McCormick Place. That always means to be on high alert for assembly. Now, I can’t prove the crane parts I watched being driven down the Kennedy to the Dan Ryan this week were headed to McHugh Construction’s site, but it sure added up. A peek out the window Thursday morning confirmed that the crane was being set up down in the Prairie District. And field trip ensued, resulting in the following photos. Best guess is, assembly will be completed Friday.

Way off in the distance, tower crane set-up has been spotted. Time to head to the South Loop.

: This rolled by B.U.C. Wednesday morning, then exited at 18th Street.

: hat-tip to some blue sky for showing up out of nowhere.

: This crane is the real star of tower-crane assembly.

: Stacking counterweights.

The Big Green W warns of a tower crane jump in Alta Roosevelt’s future

Posted on February 27, 2017 by danieldschell

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Walsh Group (@thebiggreenw)

When the Big Green W talks, people listen. Especially skyscraper nerds and construction junkies. Even more so when they use your photo and give you a shout-out.

Walsh Construction promised a tower crane jump at Alta Roosevelt on their Instagram feed, and since Sunday’s brunch was only a block away (PLUG: I highly suggest you all head to Sociale sooner, instead of later) I stopped by 801 South Financial. I didn’t catch the jump, but they’re certainly prepared for it.

Below, you’ll find a video, and then a photo gallery. The video was intended for you to hear the sounds of the wind howling through the construction site. It was magically musical; alas, all you’re likely to hear is the wind whipping through my phone.

Quick Look: Tower crane action in the West Loop and Prairie District

Posted on February 23, 2017 by danieldschell

The McDonald’s headquarters is erecting the first of its two tower cranes, while the triple-branded Hilton Hotel at McCormick Place planted a tower crane seedling in the South Loop.

: NOPE

: Raising the boom.

: So much NOPE

One Grant Park caisson work continues in the South Loop

Posted on February 22, 2017 by danieldschell

Caisson work continues in earnest at One Grant Park in the South Loop.

Caisson work is good, dirty fun. And proving that once again is One Grant Park. But don’t take my word for it; here are a bunch of photos from last week that are each worth at least 300-400 words apiece. Thanks, as always, to Case Foundation, for putting on a show.

Flyboy vanishing as 1136 South Wabash rises

Posted on February 20, 2017 by danieldschell

1136 South Wabash is obstructing Flyboy’s flight path. The CTA Roosevelt platform is still your best vantage point.

You may wish to make one last pilgrimage to see Hebru Brantley’s Flyboy in the South Loop soon, as construction on 1136 South Wabash continues its rapid upward progress. He won’t be visible much longer, as the 26-story apartment tower by CA Ventures need only grow another level or two before he’s completely hidden. Forever.