Brooklyn Bowl Rolling Into the West Loop

Posted on July 15, 2016 by danieldschell

The historic facade that Brooklyn Bowl saved, and will integrate into the new facility.

There’s no time to spare. Brooklyn Bowl, coming to the West Loop at 832 West Fulton Market, has been in the works for years, and developer Convexity Properties had hoped of opening in 2015. That frame ended up a gutter ball. But Brooklyn Bowl is rolling right down the center of the lane again.

A rendering of the new Brooklyn Bowl from Convexity Properties.

W.E. O’Neil, the general contractor on the project, has been toiling away since last summer, when the century-plus-old cold storage buildings came down. All except for two walls, that is. Historic Preservation architects AltusWorks, tasked with preserving the facades, left two walls up — one along Fulton Market, one along Peoria Street — and will rebuild the portions they disassembled.

Designed by the West Loop’s own OKW Architects, Brooklyn Bowl will be a three-story building: the ground floor will be retail, while the second and third floors will comprise the bowing lanes and entertainment/event spaces. There will also be one level below grade for parking.

: All the pretty blue supports are gone now.

: The view of Brooklyn Bowl form the buildingupchicago office.

CA Washington Digs In Across From Old Harpo/New McDonald’s Site

Posted on July 15, 2016 by danieldschell

Foundation work at CA Washington.

The 3-bedroom, 3-bathroom condominiums from Belgravia Realty Group have begun taking up residence at 27 North Aberdeen Street in the West Loop. CA Washington will have 69 condos within its six stories, with 78 indoor parking spaces.

Consider CA Washington as having three significant addresses. The foundation permit, issued June 17th, lists 27-39 North Aberdeen and 28-40 North Carpenter Street both as official addresses, a sentiment echoed on Belgravia’s website. In addition to that, CA Washington sits directly across Washington Boulevard from the former Harpo Studios (Oprahland, unofficially), and the future McDonald’s HQ.

CA Washington is a design from Lewis Wilson of Sullivan, Goulette & Wilson. They’ve teamed with Belgravia before, including the under-construction Sedgwick at Locust at 367 West Locust Street in the Near North (the former site of Saint Dominic’s Church). The general contractor at CA Washington is Maris Construction.

: A rendering of CA Washington from Belgravia Realty Group.

: Maris crews work on the foundation, as the doomed Harpo Studios looms in the background.

: Looking east. Not sure why, but I’m a big fan of that blue water tank.

: The activity is limited to the west end of the lot.

: Your typical foundation materials.

: The foundation permit.

: A&A Auto Services at 1045 West Washington…

: …was reduced to rubble IN A DAY to make room for CA Washington.

Check One Off The List: 625 West Adams Plants a Tower Crane

Posted on July 14, 2016 by danieldschell

Setting the tower crane base, bright and early this morning.

It was an inadvertent Tower Crane Tuesday post. And here we are on Thursday, and it’s already obsolete. But in the good way. For no longer are there six tower crane permits awaiting actual tower cranes. No, my friends, now there are five.

https://twitter.com/BuildUpChicago/status/753393411969970176

https://twitter.com/BuildUpChicago/status/753580641397116929

625 West Adams trucked in the base of its new tower crane yesterday, and wasted no time this morning rooting it into the ground. It’s one of those pretty yellow ones, too. And it will be right outside my window. Thank you, Power Construction. You know the way to my heart.

Please let me know if there’s an angle of this crane you’d like to see that I haven’t included below…

: It was still sitting on the truck during last night’s storm.

: But it made it through unscathed.

: Final preps on the foundation…

: …as the base was being offloaded.

: And there it stands, along South Desplaines Street.

: Tower crane crew doing what they do.

: Proof that I stayed behind the fence.

: There’s more foundation work happening besides just the tower crane.

: Old St. Pat’s in the background. 625 West Adams is often referred to as “St. Pat’s Tower.”

Sterling Bay Finds An Ace The West Loop Can Keep

Posted on July 14, 2016 by danieldschell

That tower crane off in the distance is building the Ace Hotel, with the help of that cement rig.

An Ace Hotel is on the rise at 311 North Morgan Street in the West Loop. Developed by Sterling Bay, the Ace is dealing 159 keys to the primo location directly across the street from Google’s office building at 1000 Fulton Market.

The design, by Chicago’s GREC Architects, will feature a green roof, first-floor retail, and 30 underground parking spaces. Power Construction has been on the build since last fall, including painstaking efforts to preserve the historic facade that faces Morgan Street.

Because the word “boutique” is fun to use, I will mention that the Ace will be a boutique hotel.

: Those aren’t just industrial-style billboards. The shipping containers are supporting the historic facade along Morgan Street that’s being preserved.

: Pouring cement barely within view of the buildingupchicago office.

: Gratuitous tower crane shot, from a much nicer day.

On The Blue Plate Catering Menu: New Digs

Posted on July 13, 2016 by danieldschell

Construction is ongoing at the new Blue Plate Catering facility, seen here from the corner of Fulton and Ada Streets.

Blue Plate Catering, recognized nationally for being a top-notch caterer, is in the process of serving up a new facility in West Town. Currently located at 1061 West Van Buren Street, a location rumored to be in line for redevelopment, Blue Plate’s new building is at 305 North Ogden Avenue. The quadrilateral-shaped lot (yes, I had to Google that) is bounded by Ogden and Carroll Avenues, and Market and Ada Streets.

The future site is a combination renovation/new construction, with permits from the City of Chicago categorized only as renovations. While fixing up an older single-story structure, Blue Plate is erecting a three-story facility that will house its corporate offices, the catering kitchen, and a commercial commissary. There will be 25 on-site parking spaces included, as well as, I assume, plenty of space for Blue Plate’s catering fleet. The foundation permit was issued in October of 2015; the full-build permit followed in February of this year. The design is by Jonathan Splitt Architects. 41 North Contractors of Lisle, IL is the general contractor.

: Looking past the one-story brick renovation at the three-story new construction.

: Blue Plate Catering, with Fulton West rising in the background.

171 North Aberdeen Begins Foundation Work Under Clueless Blogger’s Nose

Posted on July 12, 2016 by danieldschell

The foundation permit, issued June 6th, I didn’t know existed. My bad.

I tried to pay attention to this one. Honest I did.

I told you over a month ago caisson equipment was standing at the ready at 171 North Aberdeen Street in the West Loop, eager to tear into the soil of the empty lot. But Novak Construction, the general contractor for the project, couldn’t. Not yet. That was June 10th, and the City of Chicago had yet to file a foundation permit.

WRONG.

In fact, that permit had been filed on June 6th. But, as sometimes happens in the data entry process, a key line had been left blank on the city’s permit site: no permit date. So when I was looking at the most recent permits for Aberdeen Street, I should have been scrolling all the way to the end, where permits without dates fall.

So as I wandered by the site Tuesday, I was merely checking to see if equipment was still there. And not only was it there, it was drilling holes into the earth. Knowing nobody in Chicago work start work without the proper permits being in place, I walked the perimeter until I found what I needed to see. Namely, the site bulletin board. And on it, the permit approving foundation work. And all is right with the world.

That permit means the Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture-designed 171 North Aberdeen is about to be a real thing. The new mixed-use project from MCZ Development (click that link. MCZ has a wonderful video introducing their building) will have 75 luxury apartments, 15,000 square feet of retail, and 40,000 square feet of office space. Plus 130 or so parking spaces to accommodate residents, shoppers, diners, and commuters.

: MCZ rendering of 171 North Aberdeen.

: 171 North Aberdeen. You can find it by looking for the water tank and chimney.

: Revcon Construction going to town on the caissons. Good thing they weren’t waiting for my okay, eh?

: You don’t need bloggers. You can learn all you need to know about 171 North Aberdeen by reading the fence.

: Foundation work at 171 North Aberdeen. Hopefully I won’t miss the tower crane going in.

The Tower Crane Pipeline Still Runneth Over [Updated]

Posted on July 12, 2016 by danieldschell

Last week, I got pretty excited (okay, way excited — overstimulated even) about the three tower crane stubs being set in the ground around Chicago. One was for the DePaul School of Music, one for the new Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ meetinghouse at 822 North Clark Street, and the third at 8 East Huron Street in River North. But lest you think that puts a wrap on what to watch for, think again.

We still have half a dozen projects out there with tower crane permits itching to climb into the sky. They are:

Atrium Village

Atrium Village received a tower crane permit last week to erect a 31-story apartment building.

Atrium Village, which I also posted about last week, will rise soon in the Near North. The 31-story rental tower, which is Phase One of the multi-phase project by Onni Group to rebuild the entire Atrium Village development, got its tower crane permit July 5th.

625 West Adams

625 West Adams is a busy lot again this morning, following a slow weekend after wrapping up caisson work.

625 West Adams in the West Loop got its tower crane permit on June 28th. The 20-story office tower from CA Ventures and White Oak Realty Partners is happening right outside the buildingupchicago office.

165 North Desplaines

Caisson work is ongoing at 165 North Desplaines in the West Loop.

Also in the West Loop, Gerding Edlen’s 165 North Desplaines continues caisson work, while waiting to install its tower crane. The permit was filed on June 28th, the same day as 625 West Adams. Two brand-spankin’ new tower cranes four blocks apart. Nice. 165 North Desplaines will be a 14-story apartment building with 199 units.

3Eleven

3Eleven still looks like that movie “Holes”

In the early stages of construction, 3Eleven still looks like just a random series of holes. Soon, it will be a 23-story apartment tower from the John Buck Company at 311 West Illinois Street in River North, in what, up until a couple weeks ago, was the parking lot for Assumption Roman Catholic Church.

Apple Store

The new Apple Store at 401 North Michigan Avenue, both upper and lower.

Does Chicago need a new Apple Store? Or just an Apple Store with more space for people to camp out overnight for each new iPhone? Well, Chicago is getting both. At 401 North Michigan Avenue, in Pioneer Court. And it’s getting a tower crane as well, permitted on May 23rd.

171 North Aberdeen

171 North Aberdeen in the West Loop.

The West Loop is a busy place. But you knew that. 171 North Aberdeen is another project in the early stages. They’ve done some scraping, but it may be a while yet until it gets the tower crane it was permitted to have back on May 10th. 171 North Aberdeen, from MCZ Development, will be a mid-rise, mixed-use building combining luxury apartments, retail space, office space, and parking.

[Curiously, the tower permit is the only permit on file so far. No foundation permit has been issued as yet.]

That sentence from the original story is completely, thoroughly wrong. 171 North Aberdeen received a foundation permit on June 6th. I missed it. Sorry for my mistake.

The New Homewood Suites/Hampton Inn Has Your Room Almost Ready [updated]

Posted on July 11, 2016 by danieldschell

The back of the Homewood Suites-Hampton Inn in the West Loop.

It may not exactly be the kind of room service you’re expecting, but Power Construction is busy getting a new Homewood Suites-Hampton Inn ready for you in Chicago.

At 118 North Jefferson Street in the West Loop, the new combination hotel from developer Jupiter Realty will pack 336 rooms into the 24-story tower that, from the outside, looks close to being done. Designed by architect *Mike Siegel of VOA Associates, Homewood/Hampton will include about 8,000 square feet of retail space, while providing 117 indoor parking spots. The building permit also mentions a restaurant on the 24th floor.

Ready to make a reservation? Jupiter hopes to have the hotels ready for guests in September of this year.

7/25/2016 This story has been updated to show Mike Siegel as the correct designer of the Homewood Suites/ Hampton Inn.

: Power Construction began foundation work got in April of 2015.

: The tower crane came down in May.

: The front of the hotels, along North Jefferson Street.

: Still work to do on the exterior, but not much.

: This is the north wall, from Randolph Street.

: This is the south wall, from Washington.

: Front (east) and south facings.

: The back of the hotel from the alley, straight up. (Thanks to the airliner for the fly-by)

: The parking podium, seen from the alley.

: If your hotel reflects River Point, yours is a good hotel.

165 North Desplaines Digs In [Updated]

Posted on June 28, 2016 by danieldschell

There is a large, mean-looking red beast on the other side of the fence at 165 North Desplaines.

While I’ve had my face pressed against the window looking south at 625 West Adams, just three blocks north of the office, Power Construction is getting caissons buried on another of their West Loop projects.

At 165 North Desplaines, Revcon Construction has equipment on site, and it’s being used to dig the foundations for the new 14-story GREC Architects design. Developer Gerding Edlen (Xavier Apartments, The Jones Chicago) is putting 199 apartments here, while also renovating the existing building at 152 North Jefferson.

*** THIS JUST IN: Yesterday, 165 North Desplaines received its Tower Crane Permit from the City of Chicago. This will pair quite nicely with the 625 West Adams Tower Crane, also permitted yesterday, June 28. ***

Here, as always, is photographic proof of the presence of construction goings-on:

: A rendering of 165 North Desplaines from GREC Architects.

: The red beast, purring.

: The Sears Tower takes a peek into the 165 North Desplaines lot.

: A caisson is drilled just inside the fence.

: A busy site is a happy sight.

: Corrugated tubes.

: Rebar tubes. I love rebar tubes.

: This will have to do until there’s a tower crane to take a gratuitous shot of.

: The Haymarket Monument being hauled away for safe keeping during construction.

1035 West Van Buren Starts Peeking Above the West Loop

Posted on June 27, 2016 by danieldschell

1035 West Van Buren is beginning to shoot up through the other buildings in the West Loop

It’s not real construction until I can see it from the 48th floor. It is now that time for the new 1035 West Van Buren in the West Loop.

Related Midwest is bringing the apartment tower to 1035 West Van Buren Street, It’s designed by New York City firm Morris Adjmi Architects (that’s a new name to me here in Chicago) with a local assist from GREC Architects here in Chicago. It is GREC’s Greg Randall who appears on the building permit as the architect.

1035 will be a 30-story rental development with 300 units. That’s pretty darn close to averaging 10 units per floor, for those of you who were told there’d be no math today.

Related Midwest plans to have the tower open to residents before the end of 2017. Lendlease construction crews are on site, seeing to that completion goal.