That’s the top of the topped-out 727 West Madison in the West Loop.
If it seems like 727 West Madison hasn’t gotten any taller the past few days, it’s for good reason: The 44-story apartment tower by FitzGerald has topped out. Lendlease accomplished the feat some time during the end of May.
You might also have noticed the parking podium is wearing a new outfit. Panels have been added on the south facade to help disguise the parking portion of the building. And it’s a good look.
Twelve01West flying The Colors on Memorial Day.
Twelve01West, the new seven-story office building at 1201 West Lake Street from McCaffery Interests, is rising above street level out in the West Loop. W.E. O’Neil not only has the site all dressed up in the typical oranges and reds of construction material, but also had the Stars and Stripes draped over the top of the core, waving in the hot Memorial Day weekend breeze. Have a look:
Centaur Construction is back on the build at Nobu Hotel, 854 West Randolph Street in the West Loop.
After a brief (okay, kinda long) hiatus, Nobu Hotel on Randolph Street in the West Loop is back. Centaur Construction found the keys to their tower crane, and work is back in full swing now that financial details have been fixed on the hotel project.
Obviously, that delay has set completion back considerably. Originally planned to open late this year, updated expectations are now for late in 2019. Pending any other holdups, my money is on Centaur being able to push that timeline up a little bit. But we’ll see. We’re just happy to see the hotel wasn’t scrapped altogether.
The tower crane’s tower rises up from the GR333N construction site.
333 North Green (or GR333N if you prefer), the 19-story office tower Sterling Bay is putting up in Fulton Market, has Chicago’s newest tower crane working hard, as progress starts to push its way off street level. The lot at Green and Wayman Streets (yep, 333 North Green’s address for permit purposes is 810 West Wayman) is no small site, so the crane’s reach comes in handy as work spreads out. That’s Power Construction in charge of the goings-on. That shouldn’t be much of a surprise; Power is very busy in the West Loop.
***This tower crane snuck up on me. I knew there was a permit issued, but I didn’t know the stub had been planted until after the rest of the crane had been erected. So I have no stub photos. Sorry if I let you down, loyal readers.
With 6 other West Loop tower cranes playing back-up-singer roles, 333 North Green’s crane stands tall along N. Halsted Street.
Demolition is complete at the corner of Adams and Peoria Streets in the West Loop, leaving just a silky-smooth lot with which to begin Milieu, the 275-unit apartment project from co-developers White Oak Realty Partners and Crayton Advisors.
It looks like Stalworth Underground will hit the site first, as they’re equipment is already on the lot. They’ll help take care of foundation work for GC Power Construction, tasked with sending Milieu up to its desired 19-story height. Designed by the West Loop’s own FitzGerald, Milieu brings 13,000 square fete of retail space, as well as parking spots for nearly 200 cars.
For now, Power has a permit to build up to the 5th floor. Soon they’ll get a tower crane permit as well, then the full-build will follow. Milieu is expecting a Summer 2019 opening.
320 South Clinton is officially no longer a parking lot, as foundation work begins for the Toyoko Inn Chicago.
Stalworth Underground is on site at 320 South Clinton Street in the West Loop, drilling caissons upon which will stand the Toyoko Inn Chicago. A foundation permit was issued by the City of Chicago April 11. That permit shows the general contractor to be Denken USA, Inc., located in the Civic Opera Building at 20 North Wacker Drive, which also happens to be the address of the hotel’s ownership, again according to the permit.
The permit calls for a 24-story hotel, so of course there will be a tower crane. Not unusual lately for the West Loop, but a bit of an oddball in that it will be east of the Kennedy Expressway. We haven’t seen one of those since EMME at 165 North Desplaines, and 625 West Adams.
A train goes by as a crane goes bye-bye at 210 North Carpenter.
“Why is that big tall street crane in my shot?” I said to myself as I aimed the camera over the Chicago River into the West Loop. I knew I was looking at tower cranes from the Hoxton Chicago hotel and 210 North Carpenter, but couldn’t figure out what construction site I had missed that would have such a big crane. Then I zoomed in. Noticed the people up on top of the more distant crane. And realized 210 North Carpenter was, in fact, on its way down.
See? Those are people up there, removing the counterweights from the counterjib.
I had just been in the West Loop earlier in the day, and that street crane wasn’t erected yet. So this came as a surprise. Plus, it meant I had to walk all the way back over there to check things out. Central Contractors Service was on site with GC Leopardo Companies and concrete contractor Adjustable Forms starting to dismantle Manitowoc MD485 (don’t be impressed; I copied that info from the permit.) Leopardo is now one step closer to finishing their new headquarters.
***Whilst in the area of the West Loop Saturday, I stopped at the new McDonald’s HQ and had a go at those new Australian bacon-cheese fries everyone’s been talking about. I suggest you try them.
The tower crane at Hyatt House West Loop, as it neared completion Thursday.
Perhaps I jumped the gun by including the tower crane at Hyatt House West Loop as an “in-service” crane in last week’s post. There may have been a glitch in set-up, as the cab was set atop the tower on Tuesday, but by evening it had been removed. No worries though, as Thursday saw completion.
It’s not often I visit a construction site twice just to see the tower crane go up, but I did for this one. So enjoy two galleries comprised of way more photos than you’ll ever need of tower crane assembly at Hyatt House West Loop.
A model of Hayden West Loop sits on display at the sales center on May Street in the West Loop.
The first building of the nine-story Hayden West Loop, a two-part project from Sulo Development, has reached the underside of its 8th level. Designed by Booth Hansen, it will bring 28 condominiums and 83 parking spaces. The second building is slated for a site around the corner on May Street. Macon Construction is the general contractor utilizing that shiny yellow Liebherr tower crane.
The following photo gallery shows progress from the first week of May, backwards through February.
Union West rendering from bKL Architecture. On the left is the first tower at 939 West Washington.
Ready for more construction in the West Loop? Good. Because Tuesday, Union West got its full-build permit for a 15-story residential tower at 939 West Washington Boulevard. Building atop the foundation permitted back in April, the 939 tower is the first of two structures at Union West that will ultimately contain 357 apartments, with 12,000+ square feet of ground-floor retail space and 255 parking spots.
bKL Architecture designed the two-tower development for ZOM Living. Power Construction is the general contractor, adding to their West Loop projects that include the Hoxton Chicago, 333 North Green, 180 North Ada, Milieu, and 900 West. (Wow. They’re really busy.)
There’s a cool-looking iron contraption on the site now. No idea what that’s about, but we’re pretty sure it’s structural and not sculptural.
And now, the photo gallery, with everything from that cool steel thing, to bKL Architecture renderings, to demo work, to now-removed buildings and parking lots.
Building Up Chicago 