West Loop site now a clean slate, awaiting the Hoxton Chicago hotel (and it *just* got a permit!)

Hoxton Chicago hotel

From a green line train, a soil-sampling rig tastes the dirt at the future Hoxton Chicago site.

Hoxton Chicago

Hoxton Chicago render from Ennismore.

Heneghan Wrecking has finished making space at 832 West Lake Street in the West Loop, where Grant Park Packing and Vaia Auto once stood. The bare dirt lot stands ready for the impending arrival of the Hoxton Chicago, a 175-room boutique hotel from London-based developer of the Hoxton brand, Ennismore, with Shapack Partners. Designed by GREC Architects, the Hoxton Chicago needs only a building permit to get started. ** And there it is!**

Hoxton Chicago

The permit was issued Wednesday, June 21.

Hoxton Chicago hotel

The Stalworth Underground caisson rig is getting ready to roll. And drill.

Power Construction will be the general contractor. The arrival of a Stalworth Underground caisson rig gives a strong clue as to who will be performing foundation work. **Thursday morning, and that caisson rig is being set upright, ready for work. It’s show time for the Hoxton Chicago.

Demolition Update: Grant Park Packing gives way to the Hoxton Chicago

Tuesday morning:

Monday morning (with sunshine):

Hoxton Chicago will begin where Grant Park Packing ends

At 832 West Lake Street in the West Loop, a crew from Heneghan Wrecking has begun making space for the new Hoxton Chicago hotel. Work started Monday (the demolition permit was issued way back in December) on the old meat-packing facility, and the slo-mo video above, courtesy of a CTA Green Line train, shows progress on tearing apart the upper level.

As reported in January, the Hoxton Chicago will be a 175-room boutique hotel from London-based developer of the Hoxton brand, Ennismore, and West Loop stalwart Shapack Partners. Chicago’s very own GREC Architects took care of the design. We may have to wait for the new building permits before we know who the general contractor will be.

 

 

Grant Park Packing Company building heads to slaughter

832 West Lake

Vaia Inc and Grant Park packing will soon be no more.

Bid farewell to yet another Meat Packing District stalwart, as the development frenzy in the West Loop continues to gobble up everything in its path.

Construction fences surround properties at 850 and 842 West Lake Street, the homes of Grant Park Packing Company and Vaia, Inc. Auto, as Heneghan Wrecking prepares to act on the demolition permit filed by the City of Chicago back on December 7. The site has been rumored to be the new home of a hotel from Shapack Partners.

**** UPDATE: Rumor no more. GREC Architects confirms their involvement in designing the 175-room Hoxton Chicago, a hotel to be built at the corner of Lake and Green Streets. You can see a rendering of the Hoxton Chicago below from Ennismore, the London-based developer of the Hoxton brand.

Hoxton Chicago

Does Soil Sampling at 832 West Lake Signal Shapack Hotel Beginnings?

832 West Lake

A soil sampling rig at 832 West Lake Street in the West Loop on Thursday, June 23.

There was a soil sampling rig at 832 West Lake Street in the West Loop this afternoon. And as we all know, soil sampling means someone has their eye on some dirt, and what they might be able to build on that dirt.

In this case, that someone might be Jeff Shapack of Shapack Partners. The folks who brought you WeWork and The Parker Fulton Market are busy as beavers in this part of the city. back in January, Chicago Architecture Blog reported on the community meeting where Shapack introduced their desires to build a hotel on this site. Certainly, things could have changed in the 6 months since that meeting, but for now, I’ll assume this is all still about that hotel.