Glazing all the glass is a gas, baby. Can you dig it?

Posted on August 1, 2016 by danieldschell

215 West lake has new glass. And like all new glass, it’s glorious.

215 West Lake can.

Not to be outshone by the brand new, sitting-on-the-coolest-of-cool-steel-truss-work tower crane at 151 North Franklin, Clark Construction has started installing glass in 215 West Lake on the first level above its podium. And while any building getting its first glass is always a major event, it feels even sweeter when it’s a residential tower, when the panels aren’t all exactly alike. A little variety adds character.

That sure looks like a real tower crane at 151 North Franklin

Posted on August 1, 2016 by danieldschell

So it’s not rooted into the ground. Big deal. This one may be even better, because of that glorious steel truss anchoring it above street level.

151 North Franklin, the new CNA Center in The Loop, started putting up its tower crane this weekend. And while the permit only costs half as much as your standard tower crane permit, it’s full-price-impressive.

Standing on the southwest corner of Franklin & Randolph.

Lendlease, the general contractor for the office tower, will have the luxury of reaching across 4 different blocks if need be. Though I doubt that will be necessary. Or even encouraged. But yes, this monster stretches across the corner of Franklin and Randolph. (It’d be kinda fun to pluck cars from the corner parking lot and put them atop the the parking deck at 200 West Randolph. But that might be why I’m not allowed to operate cranes.)

WARNING: This is a lot of pictures of a tower crane. But when you see it being assembled, you can’t just walk away.

: Tower crane parts on the Kennedy Expressway Sunday, bound for 151 North Franklin.

: Truss me, this is awesome.

: Counterweight lift.

: Looking east on Randolph Street.

: Dude….

: They were lifting weights this morning.

: Seems like a good workout.

: Setting counterweights in place.

Chicago Plan Commission Approves Improving 168 North Michigan

Posted on August 1, 2016 by danieldschell

The former Atlantic Bank Building, at 168 North Michigan Avenue.

It was gonna be fixed up. Then it stopped. Now it’s on again. And then some.

168 North Michigan Avenue hasn’t been one of the more glamorous buildings along the Magnificent Mile’s southern counterpart. (Millennium Mile? Cultural Mile?) The former Atlantic Bank Building was sold to its current owner, Oxford Hotels & Resorts back in December. That transaction followed the planned renovation of the building that started, then stalled, after a permit was issued in May of 2014.

The City of Chicago filed two new permits in May of this year, reflecting the new ownership, and also changing the general contractor to W.E. O’Neil.

And then last week, the Chicago Plan Commission approved not only the continuation of the renovation project, but also the addition of five more floors atop the existing 12, turning 168 North Michigan into a 210-room hotel. Chicago’s Hirsch Associates Architects designed the new portion.

“We are excited about turning a building that has sat vacant and in a state of disrepair for many years into a vibrant and exciting addition to Michigan Avenue and Millennium Park,” Hirsch Associates president Howard Hirsch told me. “The yet un-named hotel will have 210 rooms and a 2-story restaurant facing Michigan Avenue with a fully operable facade. The original building was designed by Marshall and Fox, and the new design restores the existing Terra-Cotta facade while adding a modern five-story addition to the top, and weaving the modern glass element throughout. Demolition and facade restoration is in progress. Permit for addition and interior work has been submitted to the City. Working towards a Spring 2018 opening.”

Mr. Hirsch sent a few renderings to share with you of the project, which, as he said, is already being renovated.

: 168 North Michigan rendering from Hirsch Associates.

: 168 North Michigan rendering from Hirsch Associates looking down Michigan Avenue.

: 168 North Michigan rendering from Hirsch Associates.

: 168 North Michigan rendering from Hirsch Associates of the front (east) entry.

: 168 North Michigan rendering from Hirsch Associates of the back (west) entry.

: The front isn’t pretty.

: 168 North Michigan from the back.

: Odd place to store your cement blocks.

Quick Look: Steel stealing the spotlight at 151 North Franklin

Posted on July 27, 2016 by danieldschell

Construction at 151 North Franklin is rising above street level, highlighted by the steel on the south side of the lot.

I’m kind of obsessed with this steel work going on right now at 151 North Franklin. It reminds me of the glorious contraption on the south end of 150 North Riverside when it first went up. Sadly, the CNA Center requires no massive red crane on a barge.

: Ready for your close-up?

Climbing Crane Watch: 151 North Franklin

Posted on July 26, 2016 by danieldschell

In honor of last week’s double permit festivities — one for the full build, one for the climbing tower crane — I took a quick walk past the new CNA Center at 151 North Franklin again today. Twice, actually. Once in the morning, once on the way back home. Alas, they haven’t set up that pseudo-tower crane thingamobob yet, but they do have some stellar steel work protruding from the ground at the south end of the site. So, rather than waste the trip(s), here are a few pictures:

: Morning walk-by, as the street crane lifted steel into place along Randolph Street.

: By the evening walk home, they had added to it.

: The CNA Center is rising up from its foundation.

: That excavator is at an awkward angle. Tight spaces call for drastic measures.

: Full Build Permit.

: The climbing tower crane permit.

Construction Update: 215 West Lake

Posted on July 25, 2016 by danieldschell

215 West Lake continues ever skyward.

By now, you know the basic details of 215 West Lake. Designed by Chicago firm Thomas Roszak Architecture (who may or may not be calling the new tower “Level”), the new apartment tower at 215 West Lake Street in The Loop replaces a parking garage and a late-1800s-era office building with 33 stories and 265 apartments. Throw in ground floor retail and 152 parking spaces in floors 2-4, and you’ve got yourself a new downtown digs.

This is a Clark Construction build. They’ve been on the job since demolition started last fall. And they’ll continue to build until 215 West Lake opens in 2017.

: 215 West Lake used to be a parking garage. No one was sad to see it go.

: 209 West Lake, however, was built in the 1870s, and many called for it to be saved.

: Gratuitous tower crane shot.

: Looking down at the east-facing facade.

: 151 North Franklin street crane in the foreground, tower crane in the background.

: Looking straight up from Lake Street.

: Looking west.

: Through the crane.

: Clark markings on the core.

: What can I say. I love tower cranes. Especially when they’re right in the middle of the city.

Quick Look: 151 North Franklin Gets a Non-Tower Crane Tower Crane Permit

Posted on July 24, 2016 by danieldschell

The permit for the kinda-sorta tower crane at the CNA Center, 151 North Franklin Street.

On Thursday, I passed along the heartbreaking news that the new CNA Center, the 35-story office tower being built at 151 North Franklin Street in The Loop, wouldn’t have a regular tower crane, but instead would utilize a crane attached to the structure itself. Well, that apparatus still requires a permit from the City of Chicago, and it was filed on Friday.

Phase 1 Temporary construction of World Free Standing Tower Crane Model Potain MR608

World Free? Wasn’t he an NBA player?

Interesting factoid: The standard tower crane permit shows an estimated cost of $60,000. This pseudo-tower crane permit goes for just $30,000. So they’re saving half from the get-go. Let’s just hope it’s cool to watch.

Tower Crane Update: There Won’t Be One at 151 North Franklin

Posted on July 21, 2016 by danieldschell

https://twitter.com/BuildUpChicago/status/753781369000656896

https://twitter.com/BuildUpChicago/status/753752507982151684

You can imagine my distress. Just hours after penning a post about the number of permitted tower cranes that had yet to be planted around Chicago, I wandered past 151 North Franklin and couldn’t believe I had left it out. I got home and leafed through the permits, and lo and behold…there wasn’t one.

How could that be? The CNA Center is going to be 35 stories high! How can that be accomplished without a tower crane?

The answer? A clip-on. Like the neckties we wore as kids. Sort of. I’m told by folks at Lendlease, the general contractor for this Loop office tower, that the crane to be used will attach to the building itself, and move higher with the tower as construction progresses. Which sounds cool enough to be an adequate substitute for the real thing.

https://twitter.com/BuildUpChicago/status/753968058515927045

Twitter. It’s how I keep myself amused.

In the meantime, Lendlease is doing all kinds of cool stuff at 151 North Franklin Street. As you’ll see by scrolling through the following photo gallery:

: Massive steel beams went up on Saturday.

: This was Saturday, as Lendlease erected these two beams.

: The ground crane in the back corner will suffice until the clip-on comes along.

: Break time.

A Deeper Look at 151 North Franklin Foundation Work

Posted on June 27, 2016 by danieldschell

Foundation work is on and ongoing at 151 North Franklin.

It looks like the digging is done dug at 151 North Franklin, The Loop’s latest 35-story office tower from The John Buck Company. Gone are the backhoes and front loaders, replaced by rebar. Lots and lots of rebar.

As a reminder, those are Lendlease crews you see gettin’ stuff done at the future CNA Center, a John Ronan Architects design.

: The pool looks almost done.

: I should have gone into rebar sales.

: Pumping in cement.

: It was all hands on cement Saturday. There were eight cement mixers on site.

: Along the watchtower.

: Peeks can be sneaked from ground level.

: It gives a much better perspective of how deep the foundation is.

: The Mayor was pleased to see me at the groundbreaking ceremony in April.

: A well-earned break.

: Someday soon (fingers crossed) this will be a tower crane.

: There may still be a tiny bit of digging left to do.

: A field of rebar.

: “I don’t think this is supposed to be—oh wait, there it is. Okay, we’re good!”

: 215 West Lake rises in the background.

More Photos Than I Know What To Do With: 215 West Lake

Posted on June 16, 2016 by danieldschell

215 West Lake, in the Chicago Loop.

It started with the demolition of a parking garage, then upping the ante by taking down an office building dating back to the late 1800s. Now, 215 West Lake Street in the Loop is a construction site for a 33-story, 265-unit apartment tower.

Designed by Thomas Roszak Architecture, 215 West Lake started foundation work back in February. Surrounded by parking garages, it’s a fun one to watch. Clark Construction is providing the entertainment.