Construction Update: Soul City Church builds in the West Loop

Posted on February 2, 2017 by danieldschell

Soul City Church in the West Loop is building a three-story addition.

Soul City Church, at 1150 West Adams Street in the West Loop, filed a building permit with the City of Chicago back in October to complete a three-story addition next to the existing church. Now, Focus has erected the steel work for the 45,000-square-foot addition. When finished this summer, it will include a new auditorium, office space for church staff, and covered parking.

: Rendering from iamforthelove.com, Soul City Church’s website.

: Rendering from iamforthelove.com, Soul City Church’s website.

: Rendering from iamforthelove.com, Soul City Church’s website.

165 North Desplaines tops out

Posted on February 1, 2017 by danieldschell

On Thursday the 26th of last month (it’s February already?) Power Construction hoisted the final beam atop 165 North Desplaines in the West Loop, topping off the 14-story, 199-unit apartment building. Representatives from GREC Architects, the design firm on the project, were on hand, and sent over a couple photos of the festivities. You can also watch the beam rise in gif-form below from the GREC Twitter account (@GREC_architects)

The last beam rises at 165 W Desplaines #westloop #haymarket @GerdingEdlen @Power_Construct pic.twitter.com/4pkXrR7Vto

— GREC Architects (@GREC_architects) January 31, 2017

You can also see four floors’ worth of windows have been installed above the podium. GREC Architects states that 165 North Desplaines is on schedule to open in Fall 2017.

: The final beam. Photo courtesy of GREC Architects.

: And there it goes. Photo courtesy of GREC Architects.

Whatever Nobu stands for, it’s not yet close to standing at all

Posted on January 31, 2017 by danieldschell

A high lift waits on the site of the Nobu Hotel in the West Loop, just in case anyone needs to reach over nothing.

If SoNo is short for South of North

If MiLa is short for Michigan and Lake

The maybe Nobu is short for No Building.

Despite a very public groundbreaking all the way back in June, despite the brief appearance of caisson equipment (what was the deal there, anyway?) and approval being granted by the Chicago Plan Commission back in September to rise up to 11 stories, and despite a foundation permit being filed by the City of Chicago on December 1, there’s still less than nothing happening at the West Loop site where Nobu will (might?) one day stand.

: Not. Much. Happening.

: See? Photographic proof I didn’t dream about caisson equipment here.

With caissons complete, Illume Chicago digs in its heels

Posted on January 30, 2017 by danieldschell

Foundation work at Illume Chicago, as seen from the desk of B.U.C. HQ.

Whether the neighbors like it or not, Illume Chicago has powered through caisson work, and is now digging out the foundation. The 79 condominiums from LG Development and Pappageorge Haymes Partners broke ground in early December, and now the site has been dug a few feet below street level at 111 South Peoria in the West Loop.

There’s a large pile of pilings sitting in the dirt these days. I wonder if it will be noisy at all when those are pounded into the ground.

: Hello, pile driver.

: Hello, Digger.

One South Halsted is on the way to Greektown

Posted on January 28, 2017 by danieldschell

Rendering of One South Halsted from FitzGerald Associates.

Friday, the City of Chicago filed a foundation permit for One South Halsted, the 44-story apartment tower designed by the West Loop’s very own FitzGerald Associates Architects. That must mean the latest round of soil sampling just a week and a half ago was successful. Or, at least it wasn’t unsuccessful.

Anyway, expect several floors of parking structure to be part of the foundation deal, as the FitzGerald plan calls for 375 parking spaces, so as to replace the Crowne Plaza parking lot One South Halsted will replace. Look for nearly 500 apartments atop retail space when all is said and done. Lendlease has been hired on as the general contractor.

The Foundation Permit.

Rendering of One South Halsted from FitzGerald Associates.

Soil sampling on January 17 of this year.

Bye bye, parking lot. Hello, ANOTHER TOWER RIGHT OUTSIDE THE B.U.C. WINDOW!!

As it approaches completion, a big day for Fulton West

Posted on January 27, 2017 by danieldschell

Way out at the west end of the Fulton Market District (I know, it’s practically the suburbs, right?) Sterling Bay’s Fulton West, a 290,000-square-foot office building designed by Gensler, is moving steadily toward its scheduled April 2017 opening. The nine-story building, a combination of new construction and renovation to an existing structure, will also include more than 600 parking spaces and 20,000 square feet of green space.

And though the photos that follow may look gloomy, that was only the weather. Thursday was a bright, cheery day for Fulton West, as Crain’s Chicago reported that Dyson, the company famous for the swiveling vacuum you’ve seen on television, has signed on to lease almost 41,000 square feet of Fulton West space. Dyson currently resides at 600 West Chicago Avenue, and, as mentioned by Ryan Ori at Crain’s, would make the move by the end of the year.

So if there appears to be a little extra sparkle in the cladding around Fulton West, now you understand why. See for yourself, in the photos below showing how far Leopardo Construction has progressed on the project.

CA Washington making its presence felt in a very busy West Loop

Posted on January 26, 2017 by danieldschell

All that iron work that keeps showing up in the background of McDonald’s construction photos? Yep, that’s CA Washington.

It can be difficult to get noticed in the West Loop these days, as developers buy up property and turn it over into new construction on seemingly every block. So one of the best ways to make waves to to erect a whole bunch of steel on a lot.

Rendering of CA Washington from Belgravia Realty Group.

Enter CA Washington. CA Washington is one of the latest projects from Belgravia Realty Group. Belgravia is building 69 condominiums in a six-story structure designed by Sullivan Goullette & Wilson Architects. All condos will have three bedrooms and three baths, and each will have its own private balcony, terrace, or roof deck, per Belgravia’s website. Maris Construction is the general contractor.

1035 West Van Buren brings the pane

Posted on January 25, 2017 by danieldschell

The first few panes of glazing have been installed at 1035 West Van Buren in the West Loop.

1035 West Van Buren, the 30-story apartment tower Related Midwest is developing in the West Loop, has reached a milestone moment: glass has made its first appearance, one level above the podium.

Designed by the combined forces of New York’s Morris Adjmi Architects and Chicago’s very own GREC Architects, the new tower sits alongside the Eisenhower Expressway, and will deliver 300 rental units to the neighborhood. Lendlease is the general contractor. It is the hope that 1035 West Van Buren will be open before 2017 is closed.

: Spotted the new glass from the B.U.C. office. That earns me a cookie.

: BUC Zoom.

: The first few panes of glazing have been installed at 1035 West Van Buren in the West Loop.

There’s no sun anyway; might as well do McDonald’s HQ caisson work at night

Posted on January 25, 2017 by danieldschell

Night work on caissons, McDonald’s Headquarters in the West Loop.

Caissons continue to sink into the West Loop soil at the new McDonald’s HQ. And not just by the light of day. (Like we’ve had any light during the day around here lately anyway…) Crews were burning the early-evening oil Tuesday night, in addition to their usual shift under the harsh light of another cloudy Chicago day.