Construction continues on the Museum Tower at The Obama Presidential Center.
The Obama Presidential Centerused 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.
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1114 West Carroll from the corner of Carroll and May.
There isn’t much construction left to see at 1114 West Carroll. Trammell Crow Company’s 34-story, 368-unit residential tower has topped out, the tower crane has been taken down, and the curtain wall is inching ever closer to the top. So I decided not to wait for a sunny day to snap some progress shots. As with all glass towers, this one deserves better lighting, so I’ll be back when the sun’s out.
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.
Best place to view 919 West Fulton construction? The CTA Morgan Street Green/Pink Line platform.
The tower crane is up, and foundations are down — below street level that is — at the West Loop’s 919 West Fulton, an 11-story, 530-square-foot office building from Fulton Street Companies.
That address — 919 West Fulton Market — is probably where you’ll want your company’s mail delivered to if you lease office space here, but to the city of Chicago, the address is 217 North Sangamon Street, for permit purposes. And to date, those permits include: “Deep” Foundations — issued 9-29-2023 Tower Crane — issued 10-12-2023.
Skender is your general contractor on this one, with an assist from Adjustable Concrete Construction as the concrete contractor. (Patting myself on the back because I never call concrete “cement”.) FitzGerald is the design architect. The new office building is going right next door to their old offices, which were located in Lake Street Lofts at Lake and Peoria.
I chose a less-than-perfectly-sunny day to check out the early stages of construction, but that’s a good thing, because it means I can go back for more pics much sooner than I otherwise would have when we get a nicer day. Win/win.
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.
The Ol’ Spire Pit, now the future home of 400 North Lake Shore Drive
400 Lake Shore is a thing. And now 400 Lake Shore is happening.
More than a decade after foundation work for The Chicago Spire was halted (or just about as long since my last gallery post), Related Midwest has picked up the torch and construction has begun in earnest on their new 72-story, 850-foot-tall North Tower.
The glamorous address for this one is, of course, 400 North Lake Shore Drive. The permit address is 462 East North Water Street. To date, three permits have been issued; Caissons on 12-6-2023 The tower crane on 1-11-2024 “Three levels of superstructure” on 2-0-2024.
Back in mid-January, 400 Lake Shore was the proud recipient of 2024’s first tower crane permit. No idea how long it will be until that crane arrives on site, but it’s another milestone to look forward to.
The first Tower Crane permit of 2024 was issued yesterday. Related Midwest will use it to (finally) put a tower at The Spire site. pic.twitter.com/HJwSLCVZd1
Tough to get close to this one for a decent view, without walking with traffic on Lower LSD (which I prefer not to attempt.) Of course, once this project starts rising above street(erville) level, there will be lots to see. In the meantime, if you live in a nearby high-rise and have a view, send me an invite. I’ll bring some beverages and we’ll watch construction together. Until then, these photos from distance will have to suffice.
Beginnings of construction for 400 Lake Shore at the Chicago Spire site
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It’s time for a construction progress update at 1114 West Carroll Avenue in the Fulton Market District. These photos were taken October 24, so add a couple levels of progress since then.
Editors note: Those windows are cool.
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.
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.
Today, the Chicago Architecture Center released an announcement about expanded programming for Open House Chicago 2023. Included in the information are details about the 170 locations open during Open House weekend, October 14th and 15th.
Here is the entire text of CAC’s email:
CHICAGO ARCHITECTURE CENTER ANNOUNCES EXPANDED OPEN HOUSE PROGRAMMING
The Annual Public Festival, Which Provides Access to Culturally, Architecturally and Historically Significant Sites Throughout the City, Will Now Include Opening Parties on Friday
CHICAGO — The Chicago Architecture Center (CAC) today announced programming for this year’s Open House Chicago (OHC), a free festival that provides behind-the-scenes access to some of the city’s most historically, culturally and architecturally important sites. The 2023 event, which will take place October 13-15, will feature 170+ locations across 20+ Chicago neighborhoods. Additionally, for the first time, the CAC will host two Friday events, including one exclusively for CAC members.
OHC, now in its 13th year, is an architecture and design festival that allows Chicagoans and tourists alike to visit important sites across the city, many of which are normally closed to the public. The event will begin Friday, October 13, with a kickoff party at the CAC, where visitors can experience the Center’s exhibits for free and purchase official OHC merchandise. CAC members will also be invited to an opening night party on the 33rd floor of the Willis Tower. The event will feature light bites and a performance of an original piece of music inspired by the Willis Tower and commissioned by CAC.
The rest of the weekend will feature self-guided tours across the city’s diverse neighborhoods, allowing OHC participants to experience Chicago’s deep architectural history firsthand. This year’s program will enable visitors to tour the childhood home of Walt Disney in Hermosa and the National Cambodian Heritage Museum in Ravenswood. Also new to OHC this year is Uptown’s historic Riviera Theater, an ornate concert venue originally built in 1917 as a movie theater.
“Open House Chicago makes architecture and design accessible and is a free program for all,” said Eleanor Gorski, CEO & President, Chicago Architecture Center. “The event is a true community venture, and we’re thrilled to collaborate with chambers of commerce, neighborhood organizations, arts and culture organizations and historical societies across the city to bring the festival to life.”
In addition to the tours, Open House Chicago sites will also host programming and activations during the weekend. This year, CAC has enhanced the festival experience by launching a new app that provides information on programming and allows attendees to create their own itineraries of OHC sites.
With the support of presenting sponsor Wintrust, OHC enthusiasts will also have the chance to win an annual CAC membership and official Open House Chicago merchandise, a prize package worth more than $250, through a social media contest ahead of the event. Interested participants can enter by tagging a friend on Instagram posts from @chiarchitecture and @wintrust..
The Chicago Architecture Center (CAC) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1966, dedicated to inspiring people to discover why design matters. A national leader in architecture and design education, the CAC offers tours, programs, exhibitions, and more that are part of a dynamic journey of lifelong learning.
Opened to the public in 2018, its riverfront location is in the heart of the city, where Michigan Avenue meets the Chicago River, featuring nearly 10,000 square feet of exhibition space with views of a century of iconic skyscrapers.
Through partnerships with schools and youth-serving organizations, the CAC reaches approximately 5,000 K-12 students annually, while teacher workshops provide educators with tools and resources they need to advance STEM curricula in their classrooms. Committed to serving under-represented communities in construction, engineering, and design professions, the CAC offers many of its education programs—and all its programs for teens—at no cost to participants. CAC programs for adults and members include talks with acclaimed authors and practicing architects, in-depth presentations on issues and trends in urbanism, and classes unlocking subjects related to the built environment.
Proceeds from programs, tours, and the CAC Design Store, as well as from grants, sponsorships, and donations, support its educational mission. Visit architecture.org to learn more and follow @chiarchitecture and #chiarchitecture on social media.
We celebrate tower cranes here at the B.U.C. HQ. And we celebrate twice as much when there are two of them to enjoy.
Elston & Cortez, February 2023, just after the first tower crane was erected.
1237 West Division is a two-story double-height logistics center, with separate car-parking structure, in Chicago’s West Town community area. At least, it will be. Construction has been ramped up (heh) for months now, with The Big Green W at the helm. Logistics Property Company is the developer. The links above have all the deets and specs you could ever want, and then some.
This one is best viewed from a passing Metra train or helicopter. Since it’s not very tall, it’s tough to see from a distance. Although Halsted just north of Chicago Ave offers some cool glimpses.
Not only did I get to add a new category for 1237 West Division — “Logistics” — but I also got to take more photos of a warehouse than ever before. And here they are:
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.
Power Construction has topped out Coppia, the 19-story, 298-unit residential tower in the West Loop from developer Pizzuti. A design by Goettsch Partners, Coppia is expected to open to residents in 2024. The walling-off of the Eisenhower Expressway continues to stretch westward.
Photos are from August 28, 2023:
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.
The days of watching construction at 1000M are drawing to a close. Just a handful of the top levels remain unglazed. Soon the tower crane will come down and this will look like a finished product while crews work on the interior.
1000M gave us the rare thrill of watching a skyscraper begin twice: first when caisson work got underway, and then again, after a pandemic-induced delay left the site dormant for months and months. The tower crane base that had been planted was removed, it went from condos to apartments, the design was tweaked, and it roared back to life early in 2022.
It’s always weirdly sad to me when a building wraps up construction and there’s nothing to watch anymore, but this one legit tugs at the heartstrings, knowing Helmut Jahn isn’t here to enjoy its completion.
1000M should be open to residents in 2024. And please, if you get one of these apartments, invite me over. I’ll even help you move in, if that’s what it takes.
Building Up Chicago 