🏗 Chicago begins meteorological winter (December) with 32 tower cranes on the job 🏗

Posted on December 1, 2017 by danieldschell

A few of Chicago’s 32 tower cranes, as we head into the winter months.

As the calendar turns toward another dreaded Chicago winter, it’s time for another Chicago Tower Crane Survey.

Chicago currently has 32 tower cranes in the air around town.The further crane north remains Eight Eleven Uptown. But with this week’s removal of the triple-branded Hilton Hotels at McCormick Place, our new southern-most tower crane is now 1326 South Michigan. And that’s not very far south. Now, for the statistics.

New since November’s count:

Home2 Suites River North (110 West Huron)
Renelle on the River (403 North Wabash)
3833 North Broadway

Gone since November’s count:

Simpson Querrey North Crane (303 East Superior)
McDonald’s HQ West Crane (110 North Carpenter)
Triple-branded Hilton Hotels (123 East Cermak)

Coming soon:

Hayden West Loop (1109 West Washington – permit issued 09/07; stub planted)
The Bentham (146 West Erie; permit issued 09/11)
Belmont Village (700 West Fullerton – permit issued 11/15)
Wolf Point East (343 West Wolf Point Plaza – permit issued 11/20)

Who has tower cranes:

Lendlease – 8
Power Construction – 6
McHugh Construction – 5
W.E. O’Neil – 2
11 construction companies have a single tower crane: Walsh (1326 South Michigan); Centaur (Nobu Hotel); Leopardo (210 North Carpenter); Pepper (Moxy Hotel); Tishman (aLoft Chicago Mag Mile); Onni Group (Old Town Park); Norcon (Illume Chicago); Linn-Mathes – Wicker Park Connection); Macon Construction (No. 508); DLG Development (3833 North Broadway, Chicago’s newest tower crane, and our 61st of 2017); M.A. Mortenson (Home2 Suites River North)

Where are they:

West Loop – 7
South Loop – 6
Streeterville – 5
Lake View – 3
River North – 3
Lincoln Park – 2
New Eastside – 2
Four neighborhoods have one tower crane apiece: Gold Coast (not Australia – No. 9 Walton); Near North (Old Town Park); Wicker Park (Wicker Park Connection; Uptown (Eight Eleven Uptown)

What are they building:

Residential – 23
Hotel – 7
Office – 1
Medical – 1

Here are Chicago’s 32 tower cranes, as of December 1, 2017:

Fun Fact: The 7 West Loop tower cranes were photographed from the same spot on the Washington Street Bridge. Didn’t even have to move my feet.

: Eight Eleven Uptown (811 West Agatite)

: 3833 North Broadway (our newest tower crane)

: Addison & Clark (1025 West Addison)

: No. 508 (508 West Diversey)

: The Lincoln Common (2335-2345 North Lincoln)

: Wicker Park Connection (1640 West Division)

: Old Town Park (1140 North Wells)

: No. 9 Walton (9 West Walton)

: Simpson Querrey Biomedical Research Center (303 East Superior)

: aLoft Chicago Mag Mile (243 East Ontario)

: Moxy Hotel (530 North LaSalle)

: One Bennett Park (451 East Grand)

: Home2 Suites River North (110 West Huron)

: Renelle on the River (403 North Wabash)

: 465 North Park

: Vista Tower (363-401 East Wacker)

: 210 North Carpenter

: Hoxton Chicago (200 North Green)

: Nobu Hotel (854 West Randolph)

: 900 West (900 West Washington)

: 727 West Madison

: Illume Chicago (111 South Peoria)

: The Van Buren (808 West Van Buren)

: Ancora at Riverline (720 South Wells)

: Essex on the Park (808 South Michigan)

: Hilton Homewood Suites/Hilton Garden Inn (1101 South Wabash)

: One Grant Park (1200 South Indiana)

: 1326 South Michigan

Getting to know Chicago Tower Crane #60

Posted on November 30, 2017 by danieldschell

McHugh Construction’s tower crane at Renelle on the River, from East Upper Wacker Drive.

We’d only gone by the new tower crane at Renelle on the River once since McHugh Construction erected it back in the second week of November. It famously became Chicago’s 60th tower crane in the air for this calendar year. The Mayor was there. It was a big deal. It was also dark, so I didn’t get a great look at it

Of course, Tuesday was kind of a dud as far as weather goes, but that didn’t stop us from getting a few more angles on the shiny yellow Liebherr 200 HC model. Aside from standing in the plaza just outside Trump Tower, where you can look straight up at the beast, we suggest East Wacker Drive and the Michigan Avenue Bridge as the best crane-gawking spots.

: Parking garages can be our friends.

: Michigan Avenue Bridge view.

: Cityfront Plaza. Not a great vantage point.

: Looking north up Wabash Avenue.

: The classic straight-up look.

3833 North Broadway puts up Chicago’s 61st tower crane of 2017

Posted on November 28, 2017 by danieldschell

A pretty sight at the 3833 North Broadway site, as DLG Management erects a tower crane.

We all made a big deal earlier this month about Chicago reaching 60 tower cranes for this calendar year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t erect any more of them. Just ask 3833 Broadway, the Jonathan Splitt Architects-designed, 8-story, 134-unit residential project from DLG Management at the intersection of North Broadway and West Sheridan Road.

I was up there Friday morning, and the tower crane wasn’t complete yet. But another visit Monday showed Central Contractors Service putting the finishing touches on the pretty yellow Liebherr 316 EC-H 12 Litronic machine. As they’re providing their own general contractor service as well, this marks DLG’s first entry into our Chicago Tower Crane count, so congratulations!

Here are a few (it’s never just a few) shots from Friday and Monday:

: 1

Onni Group lights up the Old Town Park tower crane. Again.

Posted on November 27, 2017 by danieldschell

The moon and the glow crane were out Sunday evening at Old Town Park.

For the second year in a row, Onni Group has strung some serious lights on the tower crane hovering above Old Town Park in the near North neighborhood. Of course, it was still Atrium Village at this time last year. Not to mention construction had barely risen above street level. But now, Old Town Park is topped out at a full 31 stories, and glass has reached the 25th floor, or thereabouts.

Folks, let me just tell you that glow-in-the-dark tower cranes are THE. BOMB. Chicago needs more of them. I would love to see this become a trend here. But at least Onni gets it right. Two years ago, they also lit up the tower crane at The Hudson for the holidays. So kudos to them for their three-year streak. Will we see another this time next year when the next Atrium Village phase is underway?

: Last year’s glow crane.

: Onni Group’s glow-in-the-dark crane at The Hudson, December 2015.

Cranes Without Context: Bondi Beach, Sydney Edition

Posted on November 26, 2017 by danieldschell

Just east of downtown Sydney, New South Wales lies the Pacific Ocean. You probably knew that. And just before you get to the water, you’ll find Bondi Beach, one of Sydney’s most popular attractions for the surfing and tourist crowds alike. As someone who’s never been to the Mediterranean, the surrounding architecture has a very Mediterranean feel to me. And they’re building more, as evidenced by the numerous tower cranes jutting out of the scenery.

: No tower crane, just an up-close look at new-home construction.

As Wolf Point East digs out from Chicago River flooding, a tower crane permit arrives

Posted on November 22, 2017 by danieldschell

One big pile of slop, waiting to be heaved into a truck and hauled away from Wolf Point East.

Just before this story went to the presses, a permit came through for a tower crane at Wolf Point East. A Liebherr 420 EC-H 16 to be precise. A SHINY YELLOW TOWER CRANE, to be technical.

Wolf Point East got a tower crane permit on Monday.

When I posted an update on foundation work at Wolf Point East at the beginning of November, there was one factor involved I hadn’t been aware of: flooding.

We were away in Australia (you may have noticed some posts from that trip) when torrential rains caused flooding along the Chicago River in October, and the construction pit at Wolf Point East took the brunt of it, filling with water completely. (You can scroll down this photo gallery from Curbed for a look at the deluge) That explains the mud that remains on site. I was back there over the weekend, and noticed just how sloppy things were, but that isn’t stopping work from continuing. You can see how much deeper work has gone, as Walsh Construction oversees progress on the six subterranean levels of the 60-story tower.

The second tower crane is coming down at McDonald’s HQ

Posted on November 17, 2017 by danieldschell

Piece by piece, the West Crane at McDonald’s new HQ is coming down.

West Crane at the new McDonald’s Headquarters in the West Loop was the first one to work, and now it’s the last one to go home. Of the two tower cranes, that is.

The two cranes were erected about a week apart back in February, did what McHugh Construction needed them to do, and East Crane came down back in September. West Crane stuck around to get the last of the heavy lifting accomplished, but this week sees it leaving the site as well. Trucks and personnel from Central Contractors Service were out there Thursday disassembling the second Peiner SK415 and lowering it to the ground.

With a stub in the ground at Hayden West Loop but no crane assembled there yet, the West Loop tower crane count drops to 7, tying it with the South Loop for the neighborhood lead. It’ll get it back soon though.

The Lincoln Common scores a third tower crane permit at Belmont Village

Posted on November 16, 2017 by danieldschell

As foundation work continues, Belmont Village has secured a tower crane permit.

Belmont Village, the 7-story senior living center coming to 700 West Fullerton Parkway as part of the Lincoln Common development, received a tower crane permit from the City of Chicago Wednesday. That makes it three for W. E. O’Neil, who are also utilizing two others for the towers being constructed on the Lincoln Avenue properties.

7-story buildings lie right on the precipice of tower-crane necessity. This one was a tad unexpected, but it’s also not surprising that a tower crane is needed. In the meantime, foundation work for Belmont Village, as you’ll see in the photos that follow, continues in earnest as we wait for the crane stub.

Belmont Village will be a brick building with 149 residential units, built on the site of the former Nellie A. Black Memorial Pavilion. The 120,000-square-foot facility will be able to accommodate approximately 170 residents. It will be connected to The Lincoln Common via a tunnel beneath Fullerton Ave. Completion is expected in Summer 2019.

: The tower crane permit.

Cranes Without Context: Leeds, England Edition

Posted on November 16, 2017 by danieldschell

The natural follow-up to the Oxford, England edition of Cranes Without Context would be Leeds. Leeds was the third metropolis visited during our much-too-short UK trip back in May. There aren’t many tower cranes in Leeds, but we’ll take what we can find.

: All 4 Leeds tower cranes fit in one frame.

Fantastic video of Jewel Residences tower crane installation from Lindores Construction Logistics

Video

I’ve shown you every photo I have to share of the 5-tower-crane festival that is Jewel Residences construction in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. So I’ve been trying to find photos from everyone else. And I came across this video from Lindores Construction Logistics of the tower cranes being assembled back in 2016.

Enjoy.

Building Up Chicago

An Eye on Chicago Construction.

Category Archives: Tower Cranes