210 North Carpenter drops its tower crane

210 North Carpenter crane removal

A train goes by as a crane goes bye-bye at 210 North Carpenter.

“Why is that big tall street crane in my shot?” I said to myself as I aimed the camera over the Chicago River into the West Loop. I knew I was looking at tower cranes from the Hoxton Chicago hotel and 210 North Carpenter, but couldn’t figure out what construction site I had missed that would have such a big crane. Then I zoomed in. Noticed the people up on top of the more distant crane. And realized 210 North Carpenter was, in fact, on its way down.

210 North Carpenter crane removal

See? Those are people up there, removing the counterweights from the counterjib.

I had just been in the West Loop earlier in the day, and that street crane wasn’t erected yet. So this came as a surprise. Plus, it meant I had to walk all the way back over there to check things out. Central Contractors Service was on site with GC Leopardo Companies and concrete contractor Adjustable Forms starting to dismantle Manitowoc MD485 (don’t be impressed; I copied that info from the permit.) Leopardo is now one step closer to finishing their new headquarters.

***Whilst in the area of the West Loop Saturday, I stopped at the new McDonald’s HQ and had a go at those new Australian bacon-cheese fries everyone’s been talking about. I suggest you try them.

145 South Wells will soon add a tower crane to The Loop

145 South Wells May 2018

Case Foundation has moved their equipment onto the 145 South Wells construction site.

We figured 145 South Wells would be the first project stepping up to fill the tower crane void in The Loop. Hard to believe, but it’s been more than a year since The Loop’s last tower crane, at 151 North Franklin, came down from the sky. The only other potential candidate to put one up is 110 North Wacker, but we won’t see a tower crane there for some time yet. But this 20-story office tower from Moceri + Roszak should get the job done very soon.

145 South Wells received a foundation permit from the City of Chicago back in November of last year. And then last week, it got a tower crane permit. Case Foundation let us know a few weeks ago that caisson work would get started here soon, and sure enough, they’ve moved foundation equipment onto the site.

The new tower is a design by Thomas Roszak Architecture, who also designed the tower-crane-worthy LINEA Apartments at 215 West Lake Street. Clark Construction will serve as general contractor.

If you’re wondering where Clark has been in the Chicago Tower Crane Survey, 145 South Wells marks their return to our list, with their most recent entry being at 8 East Huron in River North. (You may also see Adjustable Forms markings on this crane. They’re serving as the masonry contractor, and that usually means they are responsible for the tower crane.)

No time to celebrate #33, as Tower Crane #34 goes up in the West Loop

210 North Carpenter tower crane

The gang’s all here, as Leopardo Companies, Adjustable Forms, and Central Contractors Service set up the tower crane at 210 North Carpenter.

The West Loop is in a full-fledged tower-crane frenzy these days, and it won’t let up any time soon. We’ve barely had time to enjoy Tower Crane #33 in Chicago (raised over the weekend at 900 West) and already #34 is being erected, at Sterling Bay’s 210 North Carpenter.

This will be Chicago’s 57th tower crane of 2017, and the seventh crane operating currently in the West Loop.

Crews from Leopardo CompaniesAdjustable Forms, and Central Contractors Service are all on site today, getting the Manitowoc MD485 set up, less than a week after the permit was issued, and only five days after the stub was planted in the ground.

The Bentham has a clean slate, and a tower crane permit, to begin construction

The Bentham

Even the rubble is gone, providing a blank canvas at Erie and LaSalle for The Bentham to begin.

The old Erie-LaSalle Body Shop has been torn down and hauled away, clearing the lot to make way for The Bentham. Sedgwick Development is building the 15-story condo tower, which they also designed. There will be 31 units, all of the 3-bed, 3-bath, open-floor variety. The 15th floor will be the rooftop deck.

NW Construction of Forest Park is the general contractor. Congrats, NWC, on getting on the Chicago Tower Crane board! Adjustable Forms will be on hand for masonry work.

Leopardo, Michels have begun caisson work at 210 North Carpenter

210 North Carpenter caisson work

Leopardo and Michels have begun drilling and filling caissons at 210 North Carpenter.

They’re digging holes and filling them with concrete at 210 North Carpenter, the 12-story, 200,000-square-foot office building from Sterling Bay. Crews from general contractor (and future tenant) Leopardo Companies and Michels Corporation are sending caissons into the West Loop soil for what’s been dubbed the “McDonald’s Vendor Village” along the 1000-block of West Lake Street.

210 North Carpenter caisson work

Sterling Bay rendering of 210 North Carpenter.

Crain’s had the announcement last month that Leopardo had signed on the be the first 210 North Carpenter tenant, turning construction into a quasi-D.I.Y. project, if you will. Leopardo’s corporate offices are in Hoffman Estates, and will remain there, but the Chicago staff will relocate from 333 West Wacker Drive when the new space is completed in 2018.

By the way, we tweeted to Adjustable Forms last month about their involvement as the masonry contractor, and they confirmed our suspicion that 210 North Carpenter *will* require a tower crane. Everyone wins.

Sterling Bay gets a permit for offices at 210 North Carpenter

210 North Carpenter permit

Behold, the almighty Foundation Permit, issued Monday for 210 North Carpenter.

Monday, the City of Chicago issued a foundation permit for the parking lot at 210 North Carpenter Street in the West Loop, allowing Sterling Bay to begin construction on a new 12-story, 200,000-square-foot office building. 210 North Carpenter is a design from Solomon Cordwell Buenz, and will also bring 12,000 square feet of retail space to the scorching-hot West Loop/Fulton Market area.

Leopardo Companies is the general contractor. (They’re putting the finishing touches on Fulton West just a couple blocks from 210 North Carpenter.) Adjustable Forms will be the masonry contractor.

At 12 stories, we smell a new tower crane for the West Loop!

It’s a tower-crane wash, as Chicago puts one up (Nobu Hotel) and takes one down (Solstice On The Park)

Nobu Hotel Chicago tower crane

Say hello to the tower crane at the Nobu Hotel Chicago…

For a brief moment, while it was still dark Monday morning, Chicago had 31 tower cranes in operation across the city.

Centaur Construction completed assembly of their tower crane at the Nobu Hotel Chicago site over the weekend. But word came from a Little Birdie Friend last week that today would be the beginning of the end for the tower crane at Solstice On The Park, as Linn-Mathes and Adjustable Forms begin taking theirs down from the Hyde Park skyline.

So if you’re doing the math at home, this equation’s pretty simple: 30 + 1 – 1 = 30.

Solstice On The Park tower crane

…And say goodbye to the tower crane at Solstice On The Park, as it comes down this week.

 

It’s demolition, man! Get ready for The Bentham

The Bentham

Demolition started Thursday at the Erie-LaSalle Body Shop on Erie Street, making way for The Bentham.

As if this little corner of River North wasn’t busy enough…

Add The Bentham to the list. A little birdie let us know that Quality Excavation had begun demolition Thursday afternoon at the old Erie-LaSalle Body Shop at 146 West Erie Street, as well as the two-story building at 668 North LaSalle. Now a block that already includes work on The Ardus and Marlowe greets The Bentham.

The Bentham is the latest venture from Sedgwick Development. The 15-story, 172-foot-tall tower will have just 31 3-bed/3-bath residences.

We already know Adjustable Forms will handle the masonry work; they tweeted their excitement about getting started earlier in the week, along with a stellar rendering.

 

The Bentahm

This lovely two-story model at 668 North LaSalle has to go as well.

 

 

 

 

There’s a new tower crane stub in town, and her name is Marlowe

Marlowe tower crane stub

Hey, look over there! Marlowe planted a tower crane!

About a week after receiving a tower crane permit from the City of Chicago, Marlowe planted a stub at 675 North Wells Street in River North on Thursday. Having recently lost cranes at 640 North Wells, The Gallery On Wells, and 3Eleven, the neighborhood needed a burst of excitement, and what’s more fun than a new tower crane?

See? Don’t believe for a second I’m the only one out here excited about tower cranes. Adjustable Forms knows what’s up.

Now the  Antunovich Associates-designed 15-story, 176-unit apartment building from Lennar Multifamily Companies can start going skyward, under the careful direction of Power Construction.