1000M, for the final construction visit?

Posted on August 25, 2023 by danieldschell

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.

More from 1000M as it rises into Chicago’s skyline

Posted on April 19, 2023 by danieldschell

1000M is at that age where the up-closes aren’t as dramatic as the far-offs. Which is why this post exists in the first place. Wednesday the 12th was as perfect a day as Chicago ever sees in mid-April, and while I didn’t set out to take more progress photos of Helmut Jahn’s South Loop apartment tower, the views once I backed away had their way with me.

So here ya go. A bunch more 1000M photos taken from a variety of perspectives, including Northerly Island (my first real visit there and OMG!), Grant Park, and the Museum Campus. Please enjoy:

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.

Sun’s out, One’s out

Posted on March 5, 2023 by danieldschell

That’s “One” as in “One Thousand M,” though most folks ’round these parts refer to it as 1000M.

I know I was just here, but it wasn’t sunny that day. So I came back. Nuff said. Here are the pics:

Catching up on 1000M, the sky-high apartments coming to the South Loop

Posted on February 1, 2023 by danieldschell

1000M construction progress, taken from Grant Park, looking west.

1000M got started, then it stopped. And we had to wait a long time for it to getting revved up again. Sort of like when the sequel to your favorite movie is announced, but then the release is delayed. Once it comes out, you’re the first in line to see it. Then you see it 17 more times over the nest week and a half. That’s what I was going to do; watch progress at the rejuvenated 1000M. But, well, I didn’t.

But I did take a look this past Sunday, in the cold of late January. The JAHN-designed tower bringing apartments in the sky to the South Loop looks to have reached the high 30s in floor count, with glazing covering about 20 0f those. And here are some photos to prove I was there:

Is that light? Is that blue sky? This was taken the same day as all the others.

The lowdown on the down-low glazing at 1000M

Posted on August 19, 2022 by danieldschell

I haven’t been playing the construction game for long, so maybe things I see that surprise me aren’t really all that unusual. But I’ll be darned if I can recall ever seeing a highrise get its first panes of glass on the first floor.

That’s exactly what we’ve got at Helmut Jahn’s 1000M (1000 S Michigan Ave.) If I hadn’t been expecting to see it (thanks to a Linkedin post) I might have missed it, since my eyes generally look up as these towers start their skyward climbs. But the glass is indeed there, along the east façade. You might need to peek over the fence to see it.

And now, a photographic progress update of McHugh & McHugh’s work (thanks for positioning the tower crane so I could get the mooncrane shot):

Another walkaround at 1000M

Posted on May 24, 2022 by danieldschell

I said I didn’t want to miss much of the construction at 1000M, yet here we are, more than a month since my last visit. Unacceptable. Let’s fix that now.

Keeping up with 1000M

Posted on April 15, 2022 by danieldschell

1000M is a little more than tree-height. Here’s proof.

Now that 1000M is back in business, we want to be sure not to miss much. So here’s another round of photos of construction progress, taken Sunday the 10th.

A heartfelt Welcome Back to 1000M

Posted on March 28, 2022 by danieldschell

McHugh Construction has picked up where they left off at 1000M.

The COVID pandemic, then some financial hardships, had us all a little worried about 1000M (1000 South Michigan Avenue) but now the JAHN tower is back, craned, and in 3D mode in the South Loop. Welcome back indeed.

It’s had some tweaks; when the original iteration was approved by the Chicago Plan Commission, the tower was to be 832′ high, with 506 dwelling units and 486 parking spaces. The new 73-story design, approved in June of last year, brings 738 apartments with 320 parking spaces.

McHugh Construction, which got foundation work underway late in 2019, got all the caisson work done and the tower crane stub planted, before COVID put a halt to work, and then things really hit the fan. But that’s all in the past now, and 1000M is going vertical.

Chicago has 8 tower cranes on the horizon, but only 5 on the skyline

Posted on October 15, 2021 by danieldschell

I don’t usually do a tower crane count mid-month, but dang, only five of them?

Yeah, our tower crane count has dipped to five, with 2050 West Ogden and 300 North Michigan recently (or currently) being taken down.

But take heart, Chicago. We have more on the way soon, with eight having permits and expected to be in the air relatively soon:

The Obama Center has a permit for three of them
164 North Peoria has wrapped up caisson work.
1306 E. 61st (U of C) has a permit
ALLY Lincoln Yards has a permit
513 South Damen has a permit
4611 North Broadway has a permit

410 South Wabash has completed caissons, but we’re still waiting for a tower crane permit for it.

Don’t forget, 1000M (1000 South Michigan) had a stub in the ground, but the crane was never erected. And 178 West Randolph and 320 South Clinton have permits, but . . . who knows.

Let’s keep an eye on LG Development’s HUGO project at Hudson and Chicago. Maybe one tower crane to build both nine-story buildings?

166 North Aberdeen is in caisson mode. That’s a 20-story tower, and will need a TC for sure.

Here are the five tower cranes we *do* have:

What if 1000M was renamed for Helmut Jahn

Posted on May 10, 2021 by danieldschell

JAHN rendering of the original plan for 1000 South Michigan.

We lost a titan of the industry over the weekend when architect Helmut Jahn was struck and killed while riding his bike in the western suburbs. We can honor him.

I’m in no position to make demands. Or even requests. This is merely a suggestion. When work on 1000M resumes, once the city and developers work out the details on how halted construction of his South Loop tower should continue, let’s rename it for him. Jahn Tower. Helmut Jahn Tower. Jahn on Grant Park. Jahn On Michigan. Anything to remember him.

It seems like a good thing to do.

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