“Uprising of the Sun” art installation highlights progress at The Obama Presidential Center Museum Tower

Posted on November 11, 2024 by danieldschell

“Uprising of the Sun” by Ethiopian-American artist Julie Mehretu.

Back in September, construction crews at The Obama Presidential Center installed a glass art installation by artist Julie Mehretu, titled “Uprising of the Sun,” on the north façade of the Museum Tower. In the meantime, the granite panels that will surround the exterior of the tower continue to be applied, one at a time.

At the south end of the Presidential Center construction site, work is underway for Home Court, an athletic and community facility featuring President Obama’s favorite sport: basketball. Home Court is expected to be the first feature of the Presidential Center open to the public.

Lots of photos taken November 2, 2024:

Enjoying the photos? Metra and CTA rides (and Amtrak trains to Milwaukee), Zipcars, Divvy Bikes, camera lenses, domain fees, snacks & energy drinks, and comfortable walking shoes add up. You can help offset expenses by making a greatly-appreciated donation to Building Up Chicago.

A day in May from the Obama Presidential Center

Posted on May 3, 2024 by danieldschell

The Obama Presidential Center peeks out over the Museum of Science and Industry

The most noticeable change in construction progress at The Obama Presidential Center is the addition of granite panels on the exterior of the Museum Tower. It’s also gotten a little taller (more vertical photo opps) since I was here last, so the view from farther away is changing. A lot of what you’ll see in this gallery are new angles from distance, plus familiar vantage points from near and far.

Photos taken May 1, 2024:

First Visit: Project H.O.O.D. is building a community center in Woodlawn

Posted on May 2, 2024 by danieldschell

The Robert R. McCormick Leadership and Economic Opportunity Center under construction.

Project H.O.O.D., established in 2012 by Pastor Corey Brooks, is going all out to provide the Woodlawn Community Area with a new state-of-the-art community center.

The Robert R. McCormick Leadership and Economic Opportunity Center will be a three-story, 85,000-square-foot mixed-use facility at the southwest corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and 66th Street in the Woodlawn neighborhood. The center, which broke ground in Fall 2023, will include an auditorium, a gym with an indoor swimming pool, plus multiple restaurants and a bank in its retail spaces.

New Beginnings Community Development Corporation is listed on the permits as the developer of the center. LR Contracting is the general contractor; Goebel Forming is the concrete contractor. BNMO Design is the design architect. Construction is expected to take 24 to 36 months. That means the center could be open by the end of 2025.

So far, permits received, with the address of 6623 South Martin Luther King Drive, have been issued for:
The full build on 09/08/2023
the tower crane on 09/13/2023
another full build changing the electrical contractor on 02/02/2024
the fire alarm system on 03/28/2024

Photos taken 05/01/2024:

Single-crane update at The Obama Presidential Center

Posted on February 27, 2024 by danieldschell

Construction continues on the Museum Tower at The Obama Presidential Center.

The Obama Presidential Center used to have three hard-working tower cranes. They were a glorious team. Alas, we’re down to just one now, but it’s doing yeoman’s work on the center’s Museum Tower.

Dear Mr. President (#44),
Time is running out. You don’t have much time to give me a call so we can arrange a tower-crane climb together, now that there’s only one left. I’ve got steel-toed boots. See if you can get your developers to lend us hardhats and vests.

More Photos Than I Know What To Do With: The Obama Presidential Center

Posted on August 22, 2023 by danieldschell

Construction on The Obama Presidential Center from Wooded Island in Jackson Park.

We’re down a tower crane at The Obama Presidential Center, to three from two. But two cranes are still a big deal around here. So is all this concrete. There’s a lot of concrete here.

The tower portion is really showing out now. I took a bunch of photos on August 21, as you may have gathered that from the headline. Here they are:

The Three Tower Cranes of the Obama Presidential Center

Posted on March 6, 2023 by danieldschell

There are three tower cranes building the Obama Presidential Center.

Took me awhile to get to Jackson Park, but I got there. And if you’re thinking of going, know that road construction makes walking a lap around the Obama Presidential Center construction site a rather grueling task.

Side Note: From here, I walked up to Hyde Park, where I’m *pretty* sure I had catfish for the first time in my life. (I’m a picky eater; it’s hard to explain.) So a shout-out to Daisy’s Po-Boy and Tavern on South Harper. Delicious.

I’d be lying if I said I understood who all is involved, and how they’re involved, in the construction here. What I do know is where you can go to learn some of that very information. First, visit Lakeside Alliance. To me, that’s sorta like your general contractor information. Next, visit Concrete Collective. That’s got your concrete contractor info.

University of Chicago’s four-story parking garage on its way up

Posted on April 14, 2022 by danieldschell

The University of Chicago’s tower crane at 1306 E 61st

Up until about a week ago, the tower crane building a parking garage for the University of Chicago at 1306 E 61st in Woodlawn was our southernmost and easternmost tower crane. That title vanished when the Obama Presidential Center erected the first of its three rigs. Thankfully for U of C, that designation comes with neither a trophy nor a monetary award, so they didn’t miss out on much more than a mention on B.U.C.

Clark Construction is the CG on the parking structure. They received the full build permit December 8 of last year, the caisson permit on November 18, and the tower crane permit on September 21. No idea how long the crane’s been up, but they’ve gotten a lot done so far.

The first of three tower cranes is up The Obama Presidential Center

Posted on April 12, 2022 by danieldschell

Tower Crane #1 at The Obama Presidential Center, taken from Wooded Island in Jackson Park.

I’d be lying if I said I understood who all is involved, and how they’re involved, in the construction of The Obama Presidential Center. What I do know is where you can go to learn some of that very information. First, visit Lakeside Alliance. To me, that’s sorta like your general contractor information. Next, visit Concrete Collective. That’s got your concrete contractor info.

The Concrete Collective was responsible for erecting the first of three tower cranes on the site last week. And you might be wondering just how many photos of a tower crane you need to see.

I say, about this many:

Stuff That’s Done: The Woodlawn Residential and Dining Commons at the University of Chicago

Posted on April 8, 2021 by danieldschell

The new Woodlawn Residential and Dining Commons is open on the University of Chicago campus. The Commons is a joint development between the University and Capstone Development Partners. It was designed by Boston’s Elkus Manfredi Architects, and was built by Turner Construction. The 16- and 7-story buildings contain almost 900 rooms and 1,300 beds.

The Woodlawn Residential and Dining Commons at the University of Chicago April 2021

Progress Update: The Study at University of Chicago

Posted on March 31, 2021 by danieldschell

The Study at University of Chicago is next door to The David M. Rubenstein Forum, which we featured Tuesday.

Foundation work had barely gotten underway last time (and first time) we visited The Study at University of Chicago in Woodlawn in February of last year. Just across the Midway Plaisance from the University’s Hyde Park campus, the new hotel from developer Hospitality 3 will provide 167 rooms, plus a restaurant, conference spaces, and a winter garden across its 13 stories.

The Study is designed by Holabird & Root. Completing the Ampersand Team is J.T. Magen & Company, the general contractor. Grand opening was expected in the first quarter of this year, so things are a bit behind schedule. But nothing has gone as planned for the last 13 months or so, so don’t sweat it.