625 West Adams-watch continues in the West Loop

Posted on January 19, 2017 by danieldschell

All’s quiet for the night at 625 West Adams, the SCB-designed office tower coming to the West Loop.

If I haven’t said it already, I highly recommend everyone get a construction site right outside the window. It should be a window that doesn’t open, so you don’t get as much noise. Or dust. Height helps too. Then you just need a zoom lens to keep tabs on the action.

Power Construction is working on the fifth and final parking level at 625 West Adams, the 20-story office tower from CA Ventures and White Oak Realty. Needless to say, it’s mesmerizing to watch.

165 North Desplaines joins glass action

Posted on January 17, 2017 by danieldschell

That’s a pretty row of glass at 165 North Desplaines.

And the glass action suits it.

With lots of new construction comes lots of new glass work. Add 165 North Desplaines to the list of the newly glazed. The 199-unit apartment building has about a floor-and-a-half of glass installed just above the podium, while overall construction has reached the 14th floor. and since this is planned to be a 14-story tower, the math would tell you 165 North Desplaines is close to topping out.

: What? I think I rode one of those at Disney World.

Illume Chicago not going light on the caisson work

Posted on January 5, 2017 by danieldschell

The big blue Stalworth caisson rig drills caissons for Illume Chicago.

Buildings are heavy. Buildings need support. Which explains the presence of the big blue Stalworth machine at 111 South Peoria Street in the West Loop, site of the now-underway Illume Chicago. That’s the beast responsible for drilling caissons into the earth for the future 10-story, 79-condominium project from LG Development and Pappageorge Haymes Partners to rest upon. And rest it will — everyone will — once things quiet down a little bit. Caisson work is loud.

How about a McDouble? There will be a pair of tower cranes at McDonald’s headquarters

Posted on January 4, 2017 by danieldschell

That tower crane obscured by all the caisson equipment doesn’t belong to the McDonald’s HQ site. But soon, there will be two of them here.

By now you know, tower cranes are a favorite of mine. Two tower cranes? I can barely contain my bliss. We’ve seen them here in Chicago within the past 12 months at The Sinclair, the Simpson-Querrey Biomedical Research Center, and most recently, at Vista Tower. And coming soon, McDonald’s HQ. (HQ stand for headquarters, not headquarter-pounders)

On December 15, the City of Chicago filed permits for the two cranes at 110 North Carpenter Street in the West Loop, and look what they did! They’ve already named them West Crane and East Crane! Which really takes the pressure to come up with clever crane monikers off me.

They’re still busy with caisson work at the new Home of the Golden Arches, so don’t expect cranes to sprout right away. But they’ll be here soon enough. Now, if that completes your order, please pull up to the next window.

East Crane.

West Crane.

Is 171 North Aberdeen now 165 North Aberdeen? Either way, it’s halfway high

Posted on January 4, 2017 by danieldschell

165 North Aberdeen from the Morgan Street CTA platform.

There’s a new twist on the mixed-use project in the West Loop from MCZ Development. Nothing earth-shattering, like having to move any more caissons in order to properly support a tower crane. No, this change is about the address, which formerly had been 171 North Aberdeen Street (that’s what the City of Chicago lists on the permits) but MCZ’s own website now shows the project as 165 North Aberdeen.

What hasn’t changed is that Novak Construction continues to make progress on the Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture-designed building, reaching the sixth floor of what will be 11 levels when complete. Expect 90 residential units, with 40,000 square feet of office space and 15,000 square feet of retail space as well. Throw in about 130 parking spots for good measure.

Obvious Update: Driving piles at McDonald’s headquarters is noisy

Video

Crank up the volume on your pc/tablet/phone, and you’ll be able to enjoy what West Loopers are hearing, as piles are driven into the ground at the new McDonald’s headquarters at 110 North Carpenter Street.

But don’t worry. Locals know the importance of bringing such a high-profile company to the neighborhood, so they’re willing to put up with the noise for a few days. Besides, all major construction projects are noisy, and the folks on adjacent properties are always understanding of the temporary inconveniences.

Right?

: This guy was working much more quietly, not disturbing a soul…

: …despite working right beside the pile driver.

165 North Desplaines progress continues in the West Loop

Posted on December 26, 2016 by danieldschell

T’was the night before Christmas, and 165 North Desplaines lights up the West Loop.

165 North Desplaines, the 14-story, 199-unit apartment tower from GREC Architects, continues to grow in the West Loop. A foundation permit filed in June, and the full-build permit filed in October, have allowed Power Construction to go to town on the two-part project, which calls not only for the new residential building, but also for the rehab of 156 North Jefferson, a three-story office building with which it shares a lot.

When complete, 165 North Desplaines will also include retail and parking space, and feature the return of the Haymarket Monument, for now residing in Union Park to protect it from damage during construction.

: Gratuitous tower crane shot.

: 152 North Jefferson.

: The Foundation Permit

: The full-build permit.

: Render of 165 North Desplaines from GREC Architects.

: The Haymarket Monument being removed from the construction site back in May.

: The Haymarket Monument in Union Park.

Construction Progress: Plumbers Local 130 Training Center

Posted on December 22, 2016 by danieldschell

Work continues on the new Plumbers Local 130 Training Center at 1400 West Washington Boulevard in the West Loop. Ground was broken on the Gensler-designed training facility back in June; W.E. O’Neil has been hard at work ever since. The state-of-the-art, 50,000-square-foot project should be complete and ready to start training new plumbers next summer.

Illume Chicago has broken ground, literally and ceremoniously

Posted on December 21, 2016 by danieldschell

Truth.

Controversial? Contentious? How about “underway”?

Illume, the condominiums for the West Loop from LG Development, has started tearing up the parking lot at 111 South Peoria Street. Groundbreaking ceremonies were held on December 5, then two days later, the City of Chicago issued the building permit.

Designed by Pappageorge Haymes, the 10-story building will contain 79 condos, and include parking in the basement and first floor. Norcon has been signed on as general contractor.

https://twitter.com/PappagHaymes/status/805875985069510656

A rendering of Illume from Pappageorge Haymes.

The Permit.

Half-block of West Randolph Street has been cleared, for…. ??

Posted on December 21, 2016 by danieldschell

Even the cover of night can’t hide the emptiness at 725 West Randolph, et al.

Heneghan Wrecking has just about wrapped up work at 723-735 West Randolph Street in the West Loop. What were once 6 dilapidated storefronts look more like farmland than commerce.

So, what’s coming next? No, it’s not a rhetorical question. I’m actually asking it myself. We’ve all heard talk of the fancy tower with robot-valets, but I’ve also heard there may not be anything coming to the empty space for a couple years. Looks like we’ll have to wait and see. In the meantime, we can keep our eyes on the City’s permit site, and listen for community meetings.

Hey, wouldn’t a massive beer garden for Haymarket Brewing next door be a good use of all that acreage?