So this is what One South Halsted looks like from the ground

Posted on August 22, 2017 by danieldschell

727 West Madison, seen here from a *bit* of elevation, is starting to grow in the West Loop.

There are two things we need to get used to about One South Halsted around the B.U.C. South Loop Bureau. First, we no longer have our stellar overhead perspective of the 44-story apartment tower from Fifield Companies and F&F Realty. And second, it looks like we’ll need to stop using One South Halsted as a moniker, as it appears 727 West Madison is not only the address, but the name, of the project. No one asked us, but the extra syllables from that pair of 7s just don’t flow well as when you have a one-word number in the there. “One” plays. “One” works. Oh well. We’ll adjust.

A June view of 727 West Madison from the original B.U.C. HQ. #neverforget

We took a walk around One Sou— ugh, See? There I go again — 727 West Madison last week to check on Lendlease’s progress, and the curvyness of the tower’s elliptical shape is coming into view. The tower itself is heading toward the sixth floor, while the podium is up and off the ground as well.

If you’ve gotten the feeling that curved shape is becoming a trend along the West Loop section of the Kennedy Expressway, you’re on to something. 727 West Madison joins The Parker Fulton Market in adding some rounded lines to all the right angles in the neighborhood. A brief conversation with Steve McFadden at design firm FitzGerald reveals he went with the elliptical shape to allow extra interior space within the units along those long east and west facings. Little known fact: There was to be a circular ramp leading in and out of the parking podium in the original plans (one of which went to City Council way back in October of 2012; 727 West Madison has been in the works for quite some time!) but that was rejected in favor of an easier-to-maneuver straight ramp.

The long-awaited One South Halsted tower crane is up

Posted on May 27, 2017 by danieldschell

There it is, finally! One South Halsted put up a tower crane for me.

Old Glory, and a Glorious Golden Tower Crane.

The shiny yellow tower crane stub that tantalized us for so long at One South Halsted has finally blossomed into a full-blown Liebherr 316-EC-H 12 crane, spreading joy and heavy materials throughout the Greektown neighborhood of the West Loop.

Twitter user @iYarn let us know last week while we were enjoying the Tower Cranes of London that assembly had started, and the tower crane was completed and operational upon our return. Sorry to have missed it, but the hours of entertainment it’ll provide will more than make up for that disappointment.

: One South Halsted, b/w The Sears Tower.

: One South Halsted, b/w 625 West Adams.

: 4West Loop cranes, though 171 Aberdeen (top) is now gone.

: Close-up.

: From the Madison Street bridge.

: Crane and Flag.

One South Halsted builds a tower crane

Posted on May 21, 2017 by danieldschell

Many thanks to Adebayo Onigbanjo (Twitter user @iyarn) for keeping me up to speed on the tower crane at One South Halsted. These photos are from Thursday; alas, the excitement of London got the better of my attention span, so by now, I presume the crane is fully assembled and lifting the heavy stuff.

: All images courtesy of Adebayo Onigbanjo

: All images courtesy of Adebayo Onigbanjo

: All images courtesy of Adebayo Onigbanjo

One South Halsted tower crane stub from the ground, just because

Posted on April 20, 2017 by danieldschell

You’ve seen the overhead shots. Now, the view from street level.

One South Halsted and its shiny yellow tower crane (stub).

: There’s also a large hole in the ground.

One South Halsted is planting a beautiful yellow tower crane, and all is right with the world

Posted on April 20, 2017 by danieldschell

Guess what we’re getting, West Loop! A shiny yellow Liebherr 316-EC-H 12 tower crane (stub), courtesy of One South Halsted.

: Look who’s moving in next door!

: The foundation is ready.

: Move-in day. (I wonder if I could get that light pole moved…)

: On the move.

: It’s really quite fetching.

: Tower crane pad work was in full force Wednesday…

: …as crews readied the foundation.

One South Halsted caissons are closer to being done than I thought

Posted on March 25, 2017 by danieldschell

Working in the dark – and the rain – to take down a caisson rig at One South Halsted.

Yesterday’s post about caisson work at One South Halsted served to inform you that Case Foundation was still drilling big holes into the ground and filling them with concrete. Well, I can confidently update you that whatever work remains can be done by a solo rig.

Friday-night lights on-site illuminated crews disassembling one of the caisson rigs, so unless another project is in desperate need, caisson work must be nearing completion.

I didn’t dream it; Saturday morning shed some light on the rig removal.

Digging Case Foundation’s One South Halsted digging

Posted on March 24, 2017 by danieldschell

Once you start pouring concrete into a caisson, you have to finish. Sometimes One South Halsted stays active into the evening hours.

Case Foundation is still on the case at One South Halsted, and it’s because caissons don’t dig themselves. As you may recall, One South Halsted went from permit to really busy in about two heartbeats, and work hasn’t let up since. The official caisson count from the B.U.C. HQ vantage point is “bunches and bunches,” with the assumption that they’ll be wrapped up very soon. Then, Lendlease can take over the vertical portion of the 46-story apartment tower by FitzGerald Associates Architects.

Co-developers Fifield Companies and F&F Realty are bringing 492 rental units to the Greektown section of the West Loop. Situated alongside the Kennedy Expressway, the curvy, highly visible tower will be fully loaded with amenities that it will share with the Crowne Plaza hotel next door. Which is only fair, considering One South Halsted commandeered Crowne’s parking lot for its own site.

: Put your toys away.

: It’s magic.

One South Halsted officially begins ripping holes in the earth

Posted on February 16, 2017 by danieldschell

The first (?) caisson has been started at One South Halsted.

Having spent the last few days flooding the lot at Halsted and Madison with foundation equipment, Case Foundation is officially on the case for One South Halsted, having begun its first caisson Wednesday.

: Thumbs up

: Rebaristas at work.

A Tuesday update at One South Halsted

Posted on February 7, 2017 by danieldschell

Both excavators have been busy Tuesday at the Crowne Plaza parking lot/One South Halsted construction site.

If you didn’t think they were serious about moving your car out of the Crowne Plaza parking lot, it’s too late now.

Asphalt continues getting torn up at the future One South Halsted, even in Tuesday’s rain and fog. One interesting change, aside from the digging: the sidewalk protection on Halsted Street has been removed. It remains on the Madison Street (north) side.

: Halsted Street sidewalk protection, gone.

: It remains in place on Madison.

: The Halsted Street sidewalk protection of days gone by.

: UPDATE: A mini-excavator — with jack hammer — showed up for work just after lunchtime.

One South Halsted ain’t messing around

Posted on February 3, 2017 by danieldschell

Twitter user @henjealy spotted the temporary sidewalks on Monday.

Disregard any talk you may have heard about One South Halsted taking its sweet time getting started. A week after the foundation permit was filed by the City of Chicago, the apartment tower from Fifield Companies and F&F Realty has emptied and cordoned off the parking lot, set up temporary sidewalks on Halsted and Madison Streets, and knocked down trees on the site. There are excavators on site, plus dump trucks, equipment trailers, even a cement mixer. And, as of 9:20 this morning, one of those excavators is tearing up the asphalt.

The former Crowne Plaza parking lot has been a flurry of activity all week. Yep, One South Halsted is ready to roll into the West Loop.