The Oval on the Expressway, 727 West Madison, is rounding into form

Posted on December 5, 2017 by danieldschell

That’s 727 West Madison over there, across the Kennedy X-Way, looking all curvy and rounded.

There are lots of curve puns, oval jokes, and round remarks to be made about 727 West Madison, the 44-story apartment tower from Fifield Companies and F&F Realty. And that’s a good thing; it means the unique shape of this 492-unit apartment tower along the Kennedy Expressway in the Greektown section of the West Loop is coming into clear view. The ellipse eclipses all those squares and rectangles out there. We need some of this variety in our new architecture.

We’re counting Lendlease’s progress at about 15 stories to date. A little simple math tells you that puts them about one-third of the way to the top of the FitzGerald-designed building. And the thought of stacking two more of what’s already built gives you an idea of just how tall 727 West Madison will really be.

900 West starting to show in the West Loop

Posted on December 5, 2017 by danieldschell

The view of 900 West progress from EarthCam Monday evening.

Already up to the underside of the seventh floor, Power Construction continues to make quick work of 900 West, the 10-story condominium building from Taris Real Estate coming to the West Loop.

Sure, there’s a photo gallery, because I needed the exercise. But remember that you can keep with progress from the comfort of your easychair via EarthCam on the 900 West website.

More topping out news, as Illume Chicago reaches max height

Posted on December 4, 2017 by danieldschell

https://twitter.com/PappagHaymes/status/931648904411713536

Last week, we shared word that a Pappageorge Haymes Partners project, 465 North Park, had topped out. Now you can add another PH design to the headlines, thanks to the above tweet shared November 17, as Illume Chicago has topped out at 111 South Peoria in the West Loop.

The topping-out comes as glass starts showing up on the exterior, so it’s milestones on top of milestones for this one.

Developed by LG Development, Illume Chicago is delivering 79 new condominiums to the red-hot West Loop neighborhood within the 10-story building, with 94 parking spaces underground and on the first floor.

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.

Catching up with The Van Buren’s neglected tower crane

Posted on November 16, 2017 by danieldschell

The tower crane at The Van Buren is the 58th erected in Chicago this year.

The tower crane at The Van Buren (808 West Van Buren in the West Loop) was the 58th crane of 2017 erected in Chicago when Lendlease assembled it last month. However, I’ve done a poor job of getting over there for a good look, so allow me to share a few photos of #58 with you now. Sorry, but the sun has also done a poor job of showing up while I’m near this site.

While we’re at it, we might as well remind you that The Van Buren is a 12-story, 148-unit apartment building from Loukas Development, designed by bKL Architecture.

: Crane and tank, from North Halsted.

: From Taylor Street.

Video Update: Leopardo Companies pours concrete at 210 North Carpenter

Posted on November 15, 2017 by danieldschell

Special thanks to the CTA for holding up the west-bound trains so I’d have an unobstructed view of 210 North Carpenter as my Pink Line train rode past.

Leopardo Companies is busy building their own future headquarters at the West Loop intersection of Lake and Carpenter Streets. Sterling Bay’s 12-story office building got its first permit in August, and will be under construction for another 12+ months, with a target opening date of January 2019.

The Solomon Cordwell Buenz design will be loaded with the type of creature comforts we’re used to seeing in residential developments. Along with a fitness center with locker rooms, conference facilities, and parking for 40 cars, 210 North Carpenter will also feature a rooftop lap pool? — hold on…this is an office building. That can’t be right — daaaang. Indeed, there will be a pool on the roof. How’s that for a recruiting tool!

Chicago’s Nobu Hotel continues to struggle

Posted on November 15, 2017 by danieldschell

The Nobu Chicago site has been secured, and it sits idle, waiting for construction to resume.

By now, you probably already know that things aren’t going well at Chicago’s Nobu Hotel in the West Loop. Last week, Crain’s reported that work had stopped on the 11-story, 119-room Midwest iteration of the hotel/restaurant brand.

Seems it’s been one delay after another for this thing. Ground was broken back in June (OF 2016!) then sat idle. Some caisson equipment was delivered to the site in September of 2016, the same month the hotel was officially approved by the Chicago Plan Commission, but that same equipment was packed up and hauled away without any holes being drilled.

A foundation permit was issued in December of 2016, but still, no action. Finally, in March of this year, the soil at 854 West Randolph began to turn. The earth-moving machines were followed by a pile driver, which began driving sheeting into the ground for a foundation. Caisson equipment arrived again, but for real this time, in May, and foundation work was underway in earnest. Finally, Centaur Construction had control of the site, and work started to go vertical.

But here’s the thing: If you want work to be done on your hotel, you have to pay the folks doing said work. And according to Crain’s (and one little birdie I heard from recently) that hasn’t been happening.

So once again, Nobu sits idle. 18 months after an 11-story hotel breaks ground, tourists should be sleeping in the beds. Stay tuned.

: Crickets.

Hayden West Loop plants the neighborhood’s ninth tower crane

Posted on November 9, 2017 by danieldschell

The elder statesman of West Loop tower cranes, at McDonald’s HQ, watches work on the new kid at Hayden West Loop.

With eight tower cranes in the air to begin November, the West Loop already leads Chicago neighborhoods in that category. And now, #9 is within sight.

Crews from Macon Construction were busy pouring the concrete foundation for the Liebherr 550 HC 20 on Tuesday, after planting the stub late last week at 1109 West Washington. That project, named Hayden West Loop, is a two-parter from Sulo Development. 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.

This is Macon Construction’s second tower crane on our count. They also have one in the air at No. 508 in Lake View.

You can check up on progress at 900 West Washington via construction cam

Posted on October 30, 2017 by danieldschell

Here’s a screenshot from Earthcam at 900 West Washington in the West Loop.

Just because your favorite construction bloggers go away on vacation doesn’t mean you have to miss out on progress around Chicago. Many projects have webcams set up to let us all peek in on the goings-on.

We got an email from Earthcam this morning making sure we knew about the camera watching over 900 West, at 900 West Washington in the West Loop. All you need do is go to the development’s website here and click on the “VIEW CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS” link, and you’re right on top of the action.

Thanks for the heads-up, Earthcam!

The West Loop is in a tower-crane frenzy

Posted on October 9, 2017 by danieldschell

You’ll have to look closely, but you can see (at least parts of) all 7 West Loop tower cranes in this photo from Halsted Street.

The West Loop is busy with construction. That’s the word we get from Captain Obvious, who sent an email to let us know. There are 7 active tower cranes in the neighborhood right now, with 2 more permitted and on the way.

McDonald's Headquarters west tower crane

The lone remaining tower crane at McDonald’s Headquarters still towers above the West Loop.

1. McDonald’s Headquarters

As you surely must know, McDonald’s used to have two tower cranes. East Crane is gone, but West Crane continues work on Sterling Bay’s future home for the fast-food giant.

The tower crane at Illume Chicago has been up since March.

2. Illume Chicago

Illume Chicago is a 10-story, 79-unit condominium building from LG Development, designed by Pappageorge Haymes Partners. It broke ground back in December 2016.

The pretty yellow Liebherr tower crane at 727 West Madison.

3. 727 West Madison

Taking over the parking lot of the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 727 West Madison will be a 44-story, 492-unit apartment tower. This is the only active tower crane in the West Loop for Lendlease, which is very busy elsewhere in the city (One Bennett Park, Eleven40, and more.) But a second, at The Van Buren, is coming soon. Designed by FitzGerald, it’s a joint development from Fifield and F&F Realty.

The tower crane at the Hoxton Chicago, one of two cranes for Power Construction in the neighborhood.

4. Hoxton Chicago

One of two tower cranes in the West Loop for Power Construction, the Hoxton Chicago is a 12-story, 175-room hotel designed by local firm GREC Architects. It hasn’t begun to go vertical quite yet, but the foundation work continues.

The tower crane at 900 West is Power’s second in the West Loop. There’s only that one moon, though.

5. 900 West

900 West is the second Power Construction tower crane in the West Loop. 900 West is another condominium development, bringing 22 luxury units across its 9 stories.

Centaur Construction’s tower crane at the Nobu Hotel.

6. Nobu Hotel

The only Chicago tower crane for Centaur Construction, the Nobu Hotel got off to a slow start, but has now grown above street-level, on its way to 11 stories. It’s the other of two hotel projects underway in the West Loop.

Leopardo Companies’ only tower crane on the Chicago count is this brand-spankin’-new one at 210 North Carpenter.

7. 210 North Carpenter

The West Loop’s newest tower crane, and another Sterling Bay project, 210 North Carpenter will be the new home of the general contractor building it, Leopardo Companies. The 12-story office building is expected to open next year.

Coming Soon:

The tower crane stub at The Van Buren has its own, adorable house.

The Van Buren

The Van Buren, a 12-story apartment tower at 808 West Van Buren from Loukas Development and bKL Architecture, is one of two permitted tower-crane sites in the West Loop yet to be erected, though the stub has been planted. This is Lendlease’s second West Loop tower crane.

Hayden West Loop has a tower-crane permit, but no stub yet, as foundation work continues.

Hayden West Loop

Hayden West Loop is awaiting its tower-crane stub after receiving a permit on September 7. When erected, it will be the second Chicago crane for Macon Construction, the first being No. 508.

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