625 West Adams, all aglow on West Loop Friday evening.
We’re getting to that time of year, when we have more free time after dark than we have during daylight hours. Fortunately for all of us, some construction looks darn cool after the sun goes down.
Join me for a quick walk around 625 West Adams in the West Loop, a Power Construction Production. 20 stories of offices when it’s complete; just a couple levels of lumber and supports right now. All aglow.
No big whoop, but the other day, I noticed I could get a tower crane, a water tank, and the Stars and Stripes in one photo. Maybe not The Big Three, but *A* Big Three. And then about an hour later, it happened again. So I figured I’d let you see them. Besides, no one ever won a Pulitzer for a photo they didn’t share.
Soul City Church sits at the corner of Adams Street and Racine Avenue.
Soul City Church, at 1150 West Adams Street, is ready to undertake a major expansion of its facilities in the West Loop.
Wednesday, a permit was filed for Soul City to build a three-story addition in the empty lot next door to the east, as well as make renovations to the existing church. The construction will add a multi-level auditorium, church offices, lobbies, even a roof terrace for use by the Soul City congregation.
Neighbors of the West Loop was there when plans were presented back in June and has details of what’s to come now that the permit is filed, including Soul City’s plan to share use of its new addition with the neighboring community. Focus will serve as the general contractor.
The tower crane foundation at 171 Aberdeen is poured and set.
When last we checked on 171 Aberdeen, there was a freshly planted tower crane stub. So freshly, in fact, that there was no foundation around it. But not to worry. A quick perusal Tuesday shows a completed foundation, and I expect full assembly is still on schedule for Monday the 10th. I’ll miss it; I hope one of you can stop by and capture a few photos.
Last week’s tower crane, in the buff.
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165 North Desplaines is still in the foundation phase. That’s 156 North Jefferson in the background.
Power Construction continues working at ground level on 165 North Desplaines. You remember 165 North Desplaines, right? Gerding Edlen is developing 199 apartments within the 14-story tower designed by GREC Architects. The existing building at the “back” of the lot, at 156 North Jefferson, is also being renovated into dwelling units as part of the project. That portion of the project has its own permits; one for renovation was filed in August.
The foundation permit for 165 North Desplaines was filed in June. We’re still waiting for the full building permit that will allow the tower to start going vertical.
Progress continues in the Fulton Market District on the new Blue Plate Catering facility.
Way off in the outer reaches of the Fulton Market District, Blue Plate Catering continues working on a recipe for its new facility. The caterer is leaving the current site at 1061 West Van Buren once construction has wrapped up on the three-story project that will house its corporate offices, the catering kitchen, and a commercial commissary. The design is by Jonathan Splitt Architects. 41 North Contractors of Lisle, IL is the general contractor.
Could Blue Plate be getting new neighbors just across Fulton Street? It’s already being built right next to Fulton West, and Wednesday morning, Ryan Ori of Crain’s Chicago Business reported that a new 18-story, 300-unit apartment building is proposed for 1375 West Fulton. Stay tuned. This quiet section of the far West Loop is no longer so quiet.
IT’S HERE!
Apparently I am a man who can get things done. My squeaky wheels attract much grease. Something along those lines.
It was only Monday that I lamented a second tower crane permit for 171 Aberdeen, the mixed-use project in the West Loop from MCZ Development, yet still there was no tower crane to be seen. Then Tuesday, for no better reason but to appease my insatiable curiosity, I wandered by the site again, despite having been there just two days earlier. And lo and behold, what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a brand-spankin’-new stub sticking up out of the ground.
I also found the reason for the delay. That permit I told you about Monday for “RELOCATION OF CAISSONS AND GRADE BEAMS” was necessitated by a bit of miscommunication, and the new caissons were required directly underneath the new tower crane, as the original caissons were insufficient for supporting the weight of the crane. That means there are four additional caissons planted under what is now a slightly smaller crane pad than was initially planned.
A quick reminder about 171 Aberdeen before I let you enjoy a few pics of that glorious crane stub: it will have 75 luxury apartments, 15,000 square feet of retail, and 40,000 square feet of office space, and about 130 parking spots.
Fulton West, now with windows installed.
Fulton West, the nine-story, 290,00-square-foot office building from Sterling Bay, has reached another milestone in the West Loop. And since it’s also reached its full height, that means the tower crane’s days at 1330 West Fulton are numbered.
Leopardo Construction crews have been installing glass along the south facing of the part renovation, part new construction project. Designed by Gensler, the development will include 600 parking spots, plus 20,000 square feet of green space. Sterling Bay plans to have Fulton West open in Spring 2017.
This permit supersedes the first permit, both of which are superseded by NOT HAVING A TOWER CRANE YET
It’s been since May 10 that we’ve been waiting for a tower crane at 171 Aberdeen in the West Loop. That was the day the City of Chicago filed a permit, allowing the general contractor on the MCZ Development project, Novak Construction, to start building the foundation for a Peiner SK415 temporary tower crane (that’s industry talk.)
Now, there’s a second tower crane permit. I have no idea why. Do tower crane permits expire? Whatever the case may be, they’re still getting things done at Lake and Aberdeen, though progress does appear to have slowed. It’s just that all the work is being done by a yellow street crane, and those simply aren’t as cool to look at. Nor probably as efficient.
Filed September 14, this permit called for “caisson relocation” among other changes.
Curiously, there was another permit issued for 171 Aberdeen back on September 14 that may denote a change on the fly in the program. This being well after caisson work had been finished, that permit called for “RELOCATION OF CAISSONS AND GRADE BEAMS.” Now, I don’t know much about how construction works, but I *do* know that it sounds like a major hassle to relocate a caisson. It makes me wonder if some were added, and it might be the logical explanation for why Revcon equipment was seen on-site within the past few weeks.
Building Up Chicago 