Stuff That’s Done: 727 West Madison

Posted on January 22, 2020 by danieldschell

727 West Madison takes me back. There was a time, at this blog’s busiest, that I spent many many hours staring out over the West Loop. Not only was I checking up on the explosion of development, but I wasted an awful lot of time watching traffic zoom (or crawl) by on the Kennedy, Ryan, and Eisenhower Expressways. Not to mention the ongoing revamp (no pun intended) of the Jane Byrne Interchange.

I watched from above as the Crowne Plaza parking lot was fenced off and torn up, and construction commenced on 727. I would move from the neighborhood before it leveled up too high, but it was amazing to watch the start from that vantage point.

727 West Madison is the first tower I think about if a return to the West Loop makes sense. Skyline views? Check. Traffic views? Yup. Sweeping views of the booming West Loop and Fulton Market development? Serious check.

FitzGerald is the design architect of 727 West Madison. Fifield Companies and F&F Realty are the developers. Lendlease did the dirty work. Have a look. It’s shiny, curvy, and perfectly located.

P.S. I still think One South Halsted was a better name, but I wasn’t consulted. I’m over it.

Photos follow of 727 West Madison in its completed stage, and in its infancy, as One South Halsted, taken from the original B.U.C. HQ high above the West Loop. (Oh how I miss it)

Tank and tower in the West Loop

Posted on July 2, 2018 by danieldschell

727 West Madison stands stoic behind the painted water tank at Morgan Mfg.

I like construction. I like Chicago Water Tanks. So it made me slightly giddy to see 727 West Madison lined up perfectly with the delightful water tank atop Morgan Mfg at 401 North Morgan Street in the West Loop. I thought I’d share it.

You can kiss the tower crane at 727 West Madison goodbye

Posted on June 18, 2018 by danieldschell

A patriotic ending to Lendlease’s tower crane at 727 West Madison in the West Loop.

Views of Chicago, from the18th Street Bridge

Posted on June 13, 2018 by danieldschell

My town, Chicago, as seen from the 18th Street Bridge.

I walk across the South Loop’s 18th Street Bridge once or twice a year, whether I need to or not. And that’s a shame. It’s a great perspective of the city, including the skyline and the magnificent St. Charles Air Line Bridge. For six months, it was all in my back yard. Now that I’m gone from the neighborhood, I realize how unappreciative I was of my proximity to it.

I need to get here more. A lot more.

I may have gotten a tad carried away with cropping photos into panoramas here. Indulge me. As usual, I couldn’t decide which ones *not* to include.

St. Charles Air Line Bridge

: Okay, not from the bridge…

: …

Canal Street Railroad Bridge

: From a bridge, but not 18th Street…

Ping Tom Park

Construction on the horizon

: 727 West Madison.

: Essex.

: NEMA Chicago and The Paragon Chicago.

: (Obscured) Hilton Homewood Suites/Hilton Garden Inn.

: The Paragon Chicago tower crane.

: The Cooper at Southbank.

A topped-out 727 West Madison dresses up the parking podium

Posted on June 4, 2018 by danieldschell

That’s the top of the topped-out 727 West Madison in the West Loop.

If it seems like 727 West Madison hasn’t gotten any taller the past few days, it’s for good reason: The 44-story apartment tower by FitzGerald has topped out. Lendlease accomplished the feat some time during the end of May.

You might also have noticed the parking podium is wearing a new outfit. Panels have been added on the south facade to help disguise the parking portion of the building. And it’s a good look.

A sunny day at 727 West Madison

Posted on April 25, 2018 by danieldschell

727 West Madison on sunny April day in the West Loop.

This is still a fun building to watch, even though the B.U.C. HQ is no longer across the Kennedy. This FitzGerald-designed apartment tower for Fifield Companies and F&F Realty will rise to 44 floors before all is said and done. That’s Lendlease out there doing the heavy lifting.

727 West Madison will deliver 492 new apartments with 375 parking spaces to the Greektown section of the West Loop. The tower will share amenities with the Crowne Plaza Hotel next door, upon whose former parking lot its being erected. It is expected to open late in 2018.

Stay glassy, West Loop: 727 West Madison rises and shines in Greektown

Posted on February 8, 2018 by danieldschell

Old Glory waves triumphantly at the foot of 727 West Madison in the West Loop.

It’s only reached about half of its eventual height, and already 727 West Madison is cutting quite a figure along the Kennedy Expressway in Greektown. The FitzGerald-designed apartment tower, like most under-construction skyscrapers, is best seen on a sunny day, and that was the case on Tuesday when we strolled over to the West Loop for a peek.

Glass is in session at Seven-Two-Seven

Posted on December 27, 2017 by danieldschell

5 degrees in Chicago, but some still insist on having the windows open.

As if being curvy wasn’t enough, 727 West Madison is gettin’ all glassy now too. The first two levels of curtain wall above the podium are complete, and a third level has been started. Overall, it looks like Lendlease has progressed up to about the 20th story. Almost halfway home!

: That’s another Lendlease tower crane, at The Van Buren, in the foreground.

The Oval on the Expressway, 727 West Madison, is rounding into form

Posted on December 5, 2017 by danieldschell

That’s 727 West Madison over there, across the Kennedy X-Way, looking all curvy and rounded.

There are lots of curve puns, oval jokes, and round remarks to be made about 727 West Madison, the 44-story apartment tower from Fifield Companies and F&F Realty. And that’s a good thing; it means the unique shape of this 492-unit apartment tower along the Kennedy Expressway in the Greektown section of the West Loop is coming into clear view. The ellipse eclipses all those squares and rectangles out there. We need some of this variety in our new architecture.

We’re counting Lendlease’s progress at about 15 stories to date. A little simple math tells you that puts them about one-third of the way to the top of the FitzGerald-designed building. And the thought of stacking two more of what’s already built gives you an idea of just how tall 727 West Madison will really be.

The West Loop is in a tower-crane frenzy

Posted on October 9, 2017 by danieldschell

You’ll have to look closely, but you can see (at least parts of) all 7 West Loop tower cranes in this photo from Halsted Street.

The West Loop is busy with construction. That’s the word we get from Captain Obvious, who sent an email to let us know. There are 7 active tower cranes in the neighborhood right now, with 2 more permitted and on the way.

McDonald's Headquarters west tower crane

The lone remaining tower crane at McDonald’s Headquarters still towers above the West Loop.

1. McDonald’s Headquarters

As you surely must know, McDonald’s used to have two tower cranes. East Crane is gone, but West Crane continues work on Sterling Bay’s future home for the fast-food giant.

The tower crane at Illume Chicago has been up since March.

2. Illume Chicago

Illume Chicago is a 10-story, 79-unit condominium building from LG Development, designed by Pappageorge Haymes Partners. It broke ground back in December 2016.

The pretty yellow Liebherr tower crane at 727 West Madison.

3. 727 West Madison

Taking over the parking lot of the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 727 West Madison will be a 44-story, 492-unit apartment tower. This is the only active tower crane in the West Loop for Lendlease, which is very busy elsewhere in the city (One Bennett Park, Eleven40, and more.) But a second, at The Van Buren, is coming soon. Designed by FitzGerald, it’s a joint development from Fifield and F&F Realty.

The tower crane at the Hoxton Chicago, one of two cranes for Power Construction in the neighborhood.

4. Hoxton Chicago

One of two tower cranes in the West Loop for Power Construction, the Hoxton Chicago is a 12-story, 175-room hotel designed by local firm GREC Architects. It hasn’t begun to go vertical quite yet, but the foundation work continues.

The tower crane at 900 West is Power’s second in the West Loop. There’s only that one moon, though.

5. 900 West

900 West is the second Power Construction tower crane in the West Loop. 900 West is another condominium development, bringing 22 luxury units across its 9 stories.

Centaur Construction’s tower crane at the Nobu Hotel.

6. Nobu Hotel

The only Chicago tower crane for Centaur Construction, the Nobu Hotel got off to a slow start, but has now grown above street-level, on its way to 11 stories. It’s the other of two hotel projects underway in the West Loop.

Leopardo Companies’ only tower crane on the Chicago count is this brand-spankin’-new one at 210 North Carpenter.

7. 210 North Carpenter

The West Loop’s newest tower crane, and another Sterling Bay project, 210 North Carpenter will be the new home of the general contractor building it, Leopardo Companies. The 12-story office building is expected to open next year.

Coming Soon:

The tower crane stub at The Van Buren has its own, adorable house.

The Van Buren

The Van Buren, a 12-story apartment tower at 808 West Van Buren from Loukas Development and bKL Architecture, is one of two permitted tower-crane sites in the West Loop yet to be erected, though the stub has been planted. This is Lendlease’s second West Loop tower crane.

Hayden West Loop has a tower-crane permit, but no stub yet, as foundation work continues.

Hayden West Loop

Hayden West Loop is awaiting its tower-crane stub after receiving a permit on September 7. When erected, it will be the second Chicago crane for Macon Construction, the first being No. 508.

Building Up Chicago

An Eye on Chicago Construction.

Tag Archives: 727 West Madison