A permit makes it official: Motor Row is getting a new hotel

Posted on December 20, 2016 by danieldschell

Fresh off the presses, Monday’s permit for 22 stories and 466 units at 123 East Cermak Road.

Last week, a permit to prep the lot at 123 East Cermak Road was filed by the City of Chicago, and it appeared at the time there would be a new hotel coming to the north end of Motor Row. Now it’s official.

A permit was filed Monday, allowing for:

466 UNITS, 22 STORIES, MIXED USE-HOTELS, ASSEMBLY AND MERCANTILE, NO PARKING

As mentioned last week, McHugh Construction owns the lot, and they’ll serve as their own general contractor. Antunovich Associates handled design duties.

Now that construction can begin, it’s time to crowd-source a name. The Hughtel?

1411 South Michigan starts driving piles into the South Loop

Posted on December 14, 2016 by danieldschell

Those are H-piles that have been driven into the ground at 1411 South Michigan.

If you’re within a 4-to-6-block radius of 1411 South Michigan Avenue in the South Loop, then you’re fully aware that piles are being driven into the ground as work has begun on Russland Capital Group’s 15-story apartment tower. That’s where we’ll see 199 new units, along with 40,000 square feet of commercial space, opening late in 2017. The ever-busy Lendlease is the general contractor for the Boarman Kroos Vogel Group-designed project.

: The foundation permit, filed October 24.

: The former home of the Chicago Department of Children and Family Services, demolished to make way for the new apartments.

The empty lot is empty no more: Here comes the Rafael Viñoly tower

Posted on December 13, 2016 by danieldschell

Crews are clearing the lot and prepping for the start of construction for Rafael Viñoly’s 1200 South Indiana

*** UPDATE: Crescent Heights, on its website, is calling this project One Grant Park. Let’s go with that then, at least for now. ***

The empty lot on the corner of Michigan Avenue and Roosevelt Road (or Indiana Avenue and Roosevelt, which coincides with the project address) is no longer idle.

On Wednesday of last week, the Sloopin Blog reported that neighbors had been told to expect construction to start this week on 1200 South Indiana, the 76-story rental tower from developer Crescent Heights. And sure enough, what remained of the concrete slabs has been scraped up, smoothed over, and crews are erecting safety fencing on the perimeter of the lot. Soon, foundation crews will start drilling massive caissons into the ground to support the 792 apartments atop 12 levels of parking within the Rafael Viñoly Architects design.

1200 South Indiana will be another big project for McHugh Construction, already busy at The Sinclair and Vista Tower.

: Render of 1200 South Indiana from Rafael Viñoly Architects.

: Construction barriers are up along Michigan Ave and Roosevelt Rd.

: And the sidewalk is closed, along with one traffic lane, on Indiana Ave.

: The foundation permit, filed October 14 (It’s been 2 months already?)

Construction Progress: 801 South Financial nowhere near Alta-mate height

Posted on December 9, 2016 by danieldschell

Alta Roosevelt, 801 South Financial Place, is done spreading out. Now it’s going skyward.

Get it? Because it’s called “Alta Roosevelt.” This is what happens with no editor to reel me in.

Alta Roosevelt is the 33-story apartment tower Wood Partners is building at 801 South Financial Place in the South Loop. Walsh Construction started hammering away at the foundations back in the spring, and now the Pappageorge Haymes Partners design sits six stories above the ground, with the core rising slightly higher. When all is said and done, Alta Roosevelt will contain 496 apartments and 348 parking spaces. No retail space, though.

1136 South Wabash still has Flyboy, and adds a tower crane

Posted on December 6, 2016 by danieldschell

The tower crane at 1136 South Wabash, looming high above the South Loop.

Hebru Brantley’s Fly Boy mural on the south-facing exterior wall of 1132 South Wabash Avenue won’t be visible in the South Loop forever. That’s because 1136 South Wabash will soon obscure our view. But for now, Flyboy remains, supervising Lendlease construction crews as they go about the task of erecting the CA Ventures project.

Remember, 1136 South Wabash got a foundation permit and a full-build permit on the same day, October 4. Caisson work is done, and that’s why the tower crane has been brought in, to start taking this SCB design vertical. Expect a 26-story tower with 320 rental units, 143 parking spaces, and retail on the first floor.

: Fly Boy, supervisor extraordinaire.

1136 South Wabash makes its presence heard in the South Loop

Posted on October 27, 2016 by danieldschell

1136 South Wabash burst onto the scene back at the beginning of October with two building permits, one for a foundation, one for a full build, on the same day. Now, it’s ringing in fall with a bang. Actually, dozens and dozens of them. Crews are driving piles into the South Loop soil like Kyle Schwarber attacking the first pitches he’s seen in six months. Gotta feel a little bit sorry for the folks working at the Five Guys next door; only a single wall separates them from the hammering of steel. Though the burgers are worth it.

The SCB-designed 1136 South Wabash tower will deliver 320 apartments and 143 parking spaces near the corner of Wabash and Roosevelt, along with some ground-floor retail. CA Ventures is your developer, with Lendlease as the general contractor.

: Flyboy, supervisor extraordinaire.

: There are several piles in the ground…

: …but many more to go. Ear protection is advised.

: Wait for it…he goes higher.

: See?

: Is it too late fro Hebru Brantley to paint some ear muffs to go with those goggles?

: 1136 South Wabash.

1411 South Michigan gets a foundation permit

Posted on October 25, 2016 by danieldschell

The lot is ready at 1411 South Michigan.

A foundation permit was filed Monday by the City of Chicago, allowing construction to begin at 1411 South Michigan Avenue in the South Loop. It may be one of the wordiest foundation permits in recent history:

DIRECT DEVELOPER SERVICES. SCOPE OF WORK : CAISSONS, CAISSON CAPS, GRADE BEAMS AND SUPERSTRUCTURE OF FLOORS 1 TO THE TOP OF 6TH FLOOR SLAB. THE GROUND FLOOR SLAB IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE SCOPE OF THIS PERMIT. PROJECT DESCRIPTION : NEW TYPE 1-A 15-STORY , FULLY SPRINKLERED BLDG. WITH NO BASEMENT, MIXED -USE OCCUPANCY WITH 141 PARKING SPACES ON LEVELS 1-3, MEDICAL OFFICE TENANT ON LEVELS 1,4 & 5 AND 199 RESIDENTIAL APARTMENTS (68 EFFICIENCY UNITS + 131 DWELLING UNITS)

1411 South Michigan will be a 15-story residential tower from Chicago developer Russland Capital Group. Designed by the architecture firm of Boarman Kroos Vogel Group, 1411 South Michigan will have 199 apartments ranging from studios to 3-bedroom units. 40,000 square feet of commercial space is included in the plans as well. Lendlease will serve as the general contractor.

: Rendering of 1411 South Michigan from Russland Capital Group.

: The Foundation Permit.

: The former home of the Chicago Department of Children and Family Services, now demolished.

: 1411

Renovation Update: The American Book Company building

Posted on October 21, 2016 by danieldschell

The American Book Company building, 330 East Cermak Road.

Being rehabbed as part of the Marriott Marquis Chicago in the Prairie District of the South Loop, the American Book Company building is being re-purposed as meeting rooms, office space, and retail.

Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998, the American Book Company building, designed by architect Nelson Max Dunning, was on the endangered list as recently as 2008, when a proposal for the block on which it’s located called for its demolition. It was then designated a Chicago Landmark in 2009.

Speaking of 330 East Cermak Road, Crain’s Chicago reported Thursday that a new data center is coming to this address, and would be situated directly behind the American Book Company building, just north on Calumet Avenue.

30 East Apartments tops off at 16 stories

Posted on October 20, 2016 by danieldschell

30 East has topped out at 30 East Balbo in the South Loop.

Enjoy the tower crane at 30 East while you can. The 16-story apartment building has topped off, meaning the crane has accomplished most of what it came here to do. 30 East will have 134 apartments ranging from studios to 4-bedroom units, all of them fully furnished. Gilbane Development Company has designs on filling the tower with the large student population in the South Loop. And speaking of designs, SCB is responsible for drawing up 30 East. Power Construction has been taking care of construction.

Gilbane’s goal is to open in time for Fall 2017 classes.

: The glass is more than half full.

: Leave the construction to the professionals.

: They had to demolish a mural depicting a water tank here. Sad.

: The start of caisson work, March 2016.

: If there were tower crane baby photos, this would be the ultrasound.

1200 South Indiana gets a permit for 792 apartments in the South Loop

Posted on October 15, 2016 by danieldschell

A rendering of 1200 South Indiana from Rafael Viñoly Architects.

We knew it was coming. It’s here now.

1200 South Indiana, the 76-story supertall by Rafael Viñoly Architects, received a permit from the City of Chicago on Friday to begin foundation work. The Crescent Heights development means 792 apartments at the south end of Grant Park, along Roosevelt Road between Michigan and Indiana Avenues. Expect 12 (twelve?!) levels of parking and about 12,000 square feet of retail space as well, not to mention all the creature comforts you’d expect from new high-end (and sky-high) rentals in Chicago.

Now skyscraper nerds will have to split our spectating time between 1200 South Indiana and Vista Tower, which is already captivating audiences with caisson work of epic proportions at 363 East Wacker Drive. As with Vista, McHugh Construction is the general contractor on 1200 South Indiana.

: The foundation permit.

: Goodbye ugly, empty lot!

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