Addison & Clark gets a tower crane

Posted on February 1, 2017 by danieldschell

Addison & Clark gets the makings of a new tower crane. Some assembly (still) required.

Food for thought: If The Chicago Cubs were to hire former Diamondbacks General Manager Kevin Towers, they could have a front office that includes (Kevin) Towers and Crane (Kenney)

Where was I? Oh yeah. Just outside Wrigley Field, which is the home of the WORLD SERIES CHAMPION CHICAGO CUBS, the Addison & Clark development is getting a shiny new trophy of its own, in the form a tall, skinny tower crane. Crews were assembling it Tuesday, and will most assuredly have it ready to lift heavy stuff by Friday. As you know, February has traditionally been the month when pitchers and catchers and tower cranes report to kick off the baseball season.

Enclave Bucktown progressing on former Phoenix Fastener site

Posted on February 1, 2017 by danieldschell

Rendering of Enclave Bucktown from Guardian Properties.

When last we visited the site of the future Enclave Bucktown, demolition was still in the process at what used to be Phoenix Fastener at 2501 West Homer Avenue. Now, many of the 50 3- and 4-bedroom row homes from developers Guardian Properties and Harlem Irving Companies are taking shape. John James Construction, hired as the general contractor for the properties, has a row of the Pappageorge Haymes Partners-designed homes off the ground, and another row of foundations in the ground.

: The Building Permit that’s actually 8 building permits.

: Enclave Bucktown, from the corner of Cortland Street and Campbell Avenue.

Mode Logan Square, then and now

Posted on January 31, 2017 by danieldschell

Mode Logan Square, 1950 North Campbell Avenue, is now open.

Mode 2501? Mode 1950? It’s a little confusing. What isn’t confusing is that Mode Logan Square is now open.

At 1950 North Campbell Avenue, Mode Logan Square is a development from Spearhead Properties bringing 78 apartments and 6,600 square feet of retail space to the corner of Armitage and Campbell Avenues. Designed by Antunovich Associates, Mode Logan Square also includes parking for 55 cars and 78 bicycles. Spearhead also served as the general contractor on this project.

Below are two photo galleries; one showing construction in progress in August, and one of the now-open development.

That’s a wrap on Children’s Memorial Hospital, which is now a scrapyard

Posted on January 31, 2017 by danieldschell

Piles of dirt. Sorted pieces of scrap metal heaped together. A few pits and ditches. ‘Tis all that remains.

The former Children’s Memorial Hospital in Lincoln Park is little more than an empty lot now, as Omega Demolition finishes up work on the triangular site. Soon, construction on The Lincoln Common will commence.

Whatever Nobu stands for, it’s not yet close to standing at all

Posted on January 31, 2017 by danieldschell

A high lift waits on the site of the Nobu Hotel in the West Loop, just in case anyone needs to reach over nothing.

If SoNo is short for South of North

If MiLa is short for Michigan and Lake

The maybe Nobu is short for No Building.

Despite a very public groundbreaking all the way back in June, despite the brief appearance of caisson equipment (what was the deal there, anyway?) and approval being granted by the Chicago Plan Commission back in September to rise up to 11 stories, and despite a foundation permit being filed by the City of Chicago on December 1, there’s still less than nothing happening at the West Loop site where Nobu will (might?) one day stand.

: Not. Much. Happening.

: See? Photographic proof I didn’t dream about caisson equipment here.

One Grant Park caissons keep rolling along

Posted on January 30, 2017 by danieldschell

Ongoing caisson work at One Grant Park in the South Loop.

The foundation of any good building is a good foundation.

A very famous-yet-anonymous philosopher probably said something like that way back in the 1200s. And it still holds true today.

One Grant Park (you may know it as 1200 South Indiana) continues to sink caissons into the South Loop ground. Why is that newsworthy? Because it’s grownups playing in the dirt, flinging mud around. Giant machines with drill bits grinding dozens of feet into the earth. Rebar being twisted into tubes and coils. Come on, it’s just cool.

Case Foundation and McHugh Construction are doing their best to keep us all entertained, at least until One Grant Park starts digging a foundation, then shooting skyward. Skyward as in 76 stories, with 792 apartments.

With caissons complete, Illume Chicago digs in its heels

Posted on January 30, 2017 by danieldschell

Foundation work at Illume Chicago, as seen from the desk of B.U.C. HQ.

Whether the neighbors like it or not, Illume Chicago has powered through caisson work, and is now digging out the foundation. The 79 condominiums from LG Development and Pappageorge Haymes Partners broke ground in early December, and now the site has been dug a few feet below street level at 111 South Peoria in the West Loop.

There’s a large pile of pilings sitting in the dirt these days. I wonder if it will be noisy at all when those are pounded into the ground.

: Hello, pile driver.

: Hello, Digger.

Construction Progress: Northwestern University’s Simpson-Querrey Biomedical Research Center

Posted on January 30, 2017 by danieldschell

The Simpson-Querrey Biomedical Research Center rises in Streeterville.

The new Simpson-Querrey Biomedical Research Center has gone full-3-dimensional in Streeterville. This is why you don’t turn your back on construction. One day everything’s at street level, and the next thing you know, there are concrete towers 8 or 9 stories into the air. I don’t know why I underestimated progress here though. With two tower cranes, anything is possible.

Learn more about Northwestern University’s Simpson-Querrey project here.

One South Halsted is on the way to Greektown

Posted on January 28, 2017 by danieldschell

Rendering of One South Halsted from FitzGerald Associates.

Friday, the City of Chicago filed a foundation permit for One South Halsted, the 44-story apartment tower designed by the West Loop’s very own FitzGerald Associates Architects. That must mean the latest round of soil sampling just a week and a half ago was successful. Or, at least it wasn’t unsuccessful.

Anyway, expect several floors of parking structure to be part of the foundation deal, as the FitzGerald plan calls for 375 parking spaces, so as to replace the Crowne Plaza parking lot One South Halsted will replace. Look for nearly 500 apartments atop retail space when all is said and done. Lendlease has been hired on as the general contractor.

The Foundation Permit.

Rendering of One South Halsted from FitzGerald Associates.

Soil sampling on January 17 of this year.

Bye bye, parking lot. Hello, ANOTHER TOWER RIGHT OUTSIDE THE B.U.C. WINDOW!!

More from One Bennett Park, especially yellow

Posted on January 27, 2017 by danieldschell

One Bennett Park, 451 East Grand Avenue in Streeterville.

As One Bennett Park continues to sprout up through Streeterville, it seems to get brighter as well. Which isn’t a bad thing, since the sun doesn’t shine in Chicago anymore. Might as well have something in the sky that’s yellow and shiny. Not that One Bennett park is that high yet. Hard to tell with that golden shroud wrapped around it, but the core seems to be about 6 or 7 floors up. But oh, how high it will rise. 69 stories. And no, it won’t be yellow.