First of two tower cranes begins at The Lincoln Common

The Lincoln Common south tower crane

The south tower crane starts to rise at The Lincoln Common, seen from the Fullerton “L” platform.

On the red, purple, or brown line today? Take a look to the east from the Fullerton station, and you’ll see the first of two tower cranes being erected at The Lincoln Common. That’s where I spotted it from, because for some reason, I wasn’t staring at my phone as we pulled up. I jumped out and walked over to take a look.

And Twitter noticed. Users @kgburke3 andi @ChiBuildings (too early for a #FollowFriday? You should be following Chicago Cityscape for all things Chicago development) pointed out the street closure of North Lincoln Avenue between Belden and Fullerton Avenues through Friday for the big event. 

https://twitter.com/ChiBuildings/status/900581897985810432

https://twitter.com/kgburke3/status/900526288670216192

There’s still a lot of foundation work going on for this dual-tower, 540-unit mixed use project. W.E. O’Neil is the general contractor, and they’ve got a busy site in the works. You’ll see that in the photos below. No word yet though on when to expect the north tower crane to arrive.

Marlowe going higher in River North

Marlowe 169 West Huron

Marlowe, formerly of 675 North Wells Street in River North, now resides at 169 West Huron.

On the busiest block in River North, Marlowe (169 West Huron Street, according to its shiny new website, not 675 North Wells, where the permits are addressed) continues its rise toward its goal: to become a 15-story, 176-unit apartment building. While the east half of this block (bounded by LaSalle Street to the east, Huron to the north, Erie to the south, and Wells to the west) is occupied by work on The Ardus and The Bentham, Marlowe covers the entire west half of the block all by itself.

Antunovich Associates designed the building for Lennar Multifamily Companies, which will also deliver 11,000 square feet of street-level retail space when it opens next year. Power Construction is doing the heavy labor, with work having reached the underside of the fifth floor.

Speaking of that new website: it boasts of a “16th-floor amenity deck.” A 16th floor is a bit unusual in 15-story buildings. Does that mean the amenities will be on the roof? Or is Marlowe rising to 16 stories instead of 15?

Uplifting news: Two towers, two tower cranes at The Lincoln Common

The Lincoln Common

Caisson work at The Lincoln Common will include foundations for TWO tower cranes.

Friday was a busy day for important permits in Chicago.

You read in our August tower crane update that The Lincoln Common would soon be on the board with a tower crane for one of the two 20-story, 269-unit apartment towers going up on the site. Well, the City of Chicago just doubled down on that wager, permitting a second tower crane for the site.

We’ll need to work out some names for these. For now, the city’s permits dub them “East” and “West.” But since they’re in position to build the north and south (2335 and 2345 North Lincoln Ave) towers, we may need to use “North” and South” for them. Or, perhaps the cranes will share duties on each tower, as opposed to being dedicated to one single building. Minor details. East Crane and West Crane will suffice for now.

This means W.E. O’Neil will not only get on the board; they’ll storm it. And their two tower cranes will make up for the recent losses at Elevate Lincoln Park and the DePaul School of Music. And don’t forget, we could get a crane across the street when the Belmont Village senior-living facility gets rolling. Tower cranes galore for Lincoln Park.

The Lincoln Common

East Crane

The Lincoln Common

West Crane

Ryan Companies announces the opening of Aurélien

Aurélien

Aurélien, at 833 North Clark Street, photographed Friday, July 28.

Today, Ryan Companies announced the opening of Aurélien, its 31-story, 368-unit apartment tower at Clark and Chestnut in the Near North neighborhood. Congrats to Ryan Companies, the general contractor and developer, along with Lincoln Property Company, and Antunovich Associates, design architects.

Aurélien topped out in July of last year, while changing the name from what had been known as 833 North Clark.

 

You can read the original press release here:

CHICAGO (August 1, 2017)—Three years after beginning the design process and approximately two years after the start of construction, Ryan Companies US, Inc., along with its development partner Lincoln Property Company, has completed Aurélien a $100 million luxury apartment tower and the company’s first major development in the City of Chicago.

Aurélien, a 31-story, 368-unit luxury apartment tower designed by Ryan, is located at the southeast corner of Clark and Chestnut streets on a 41,000-square-foot land site within Chicago’s prominent Gold Coast neighborhood.

“Chicago has an accomplished and storied history for world class architecture and high-rise development projects. With the development of Aurélien, we are proud join an elite list of architects, developers and contractors who have made a significant contribution to Chicago’s skyline,” said Tim Hennelly, President of Ryan’s Great Lakes Region.

With construction complete, Ryan has turned the operation of Aurélien over to Lincoln Property Company which is responsible for ongoing leasing and management of the property. The first residents have started moving into the tower and the property is nearly 50 % leased.

In addition to Ryan and Lincoln Property Company, other prominent development team members include Daiwa House of Texas, primary equity investor; US Bank, construction financing; Antunovich Associates, Architect of Record; Studio K, Interior Designer; Ryan A +E, Design Architect and TGRWA, Structural Engineer.

Aurélien includes 78 studios and convertibles, 209 one-bedroom units, 75 two-bedroom units and 6 penthouse apartments. Unit sizes, except for the penthouses, range from 564 square feet to 1,245 square feet. Penthouse units range from 1,165 square feet to 3,3,39 square feet.

One of the many unique storylines of Aurélien is that this project, in the heart of some of Chicago’s greatest architecture, was designed to embrace this historical significance.

According to Mike Ryan, President of Ryan A+E, the design of Aurélien includes two notable yet contrasting Chicago architectural styles. Chicago’s turn-of-the century architecture is evident in the design’s buff-colored solid massing which is dotted with playful punched openings. This style meets the street in a traditional manner, with granite cladding and large storefront window bays. This design wraps the majority of the building’s east, west, and south facades.

To provide a measure of contrast, Chicago’s Miesian tradition is incorporated into the north end of the building through a revealing, all-glass massing. This treatment creates a dramatic vertical expression over the building entry.  The striking presence of the glass wraps horizontally over the top of the building where it meets an outdoor amenity terrace, 300 feet above the street. Interior spaces complement this aesthetic while weaving in a few surprises for the Chicago market.

“My favorite quality of this project is how transformed the immediate neighborhood feels. What was once a surface parking lot with a bank drive-thru is now a thriving extension of the city. At the same time, the project is bookended by a historic bank building and row house so the variety of architecture and sense of fitting in is very apparent,” Ryan said.

Units within Aurélien have been built as a cross between clean aesthetics, urban functionality and sophisticated design. Apartments feature floor-to-ceiling (9’) glass windows allowing residents to capture exceptional views in all directions of the Chicago skyline and Lake Michigan. All units will include a stunning kitchen design with an open layout. Kitchen spaces incorporate contemporary finishes such as flat-panel, high-gloss cabinetry with quartz counter tops, stainless steel appliances, soft close doors and drawers, and under cabinet lighting. Bathrooms feature European quartz custom vanities with 42″ mirrors, soft close drawers and designer ceramic and porcelain tiles. Many units feature private balconies.

The luxury offerings of Aurélien extend throughout the building’s amenity-laden common areas, including the rooftop, fourth-floor terrace and ground floor spaces.

  • The rooftop level, hospitality-inspired sundeck features panoramic views of Chicago and Lake Michigan, outdoor pool, private cabanas and outdoor fireplaces. Also included is an exclusive social club with a resident lounge, party room with a gaming center, and a high-end fitness center.
  • The signature of the fourth level amenity space is an expansive green roof with a spacious private terrace, bocce ball courts, firepits, grilling stations, and large ‘backyard’ terraces for several residents.
  • The elegant first floor lobby includes the management office and leasing center, secured resident storage, a private dog run and grooming station, library, parlor, business center, significant bike storage, and conference area with high speed wifi for the use of the building’s residents.

According to Irini Boeder, Assistant Vice President of Marketing for Lincoln Property Company, the target market for Aurélien includes well-educated young professionals, urban couples and empty nesters, renters who will appreciate the building’s ambiance of understated elegance, exceptional customer service and lifestyle convenience.

Aurélien’s location is ideal for residents living, working and playing in or near the Gold Coast. The site is situated in close proximity to transportation including two CTA stations and other public transportation options important to those who work downtown. It offers easy access to Lake Shore Drive and the Kennedy Expressway for those traveling by car to suburban destinations.

The building is within walking distance of Chicago’s Magnificent Mile (North Michigan Avenue), the downtown CBD, the Northwestern and Loyola University graduate school campuses, and the Northwestern medical center. Located nearby are an abundance of restaurants, clubs, retail amenities, and cultural facilities. It is also within close proximity to the lakefront, from Oak Street Beach to Navy Pier.

For more information about Aurélien, visit www.Aurélien Chicago.com.

 

About Lincoln Property Company

Since its inception in 1965, Lincoln Property Company has acquired and developed multi‐family properties valued in excess of $17 billion. A vertically integrated, multi‐national real estate firm, Lincoln employs over 5,500 people and operates in over 50 markets across the United States via 21 regional and satellite offices. Lincoln manages over 6,000 apartment units in the Chicagoland area with over 3,000 of those units in the City of Chicago itself.  For more information, visit www.lincolnapts.com.

 

Note: Aurélien North Clark Street with Bank Photo Credit: Nick Ulivieri

Aurélien Rendering 833 North Clark Street – Credit: Ryan A + E, Inc.

Construction Progress: The Triple-Branded Hilton Hotel climbs on Motor Row

Triple-Branded Hilton McCormick Place

Up to the ninth floor (of 21) at the Triple-Branded Hilton Hotel at McCormick Place.

Three Hilton Hotels, 21 stories, and 466 rooms. That’s what you see growing along East Cermak Road, between Michigan and Indiana Avenues. (A Hilton Garden Inn Chicago McCormick CenterHampton Inn by Hilton Chicago McCormick Center, and Home2 Suites by Hilton Chicago McCormick Center, if you’re scoring at home.) Of course, they’ll all be in one building.

Antunovich Associates worked with McHugh Construction on this project, which joins the Marriott Marquis Hotel and Wintrust Arena across the street in completely changing the character of this two-block stretch of Cermak Road. McHugh is up to the ninth floor of the hotels now, a veritable beehive of activity. And it has to be; Hilton plans to have all three brands open late next year.

Caisson work is at full bore for The Lincoln Common

Lincoln Common caisson work

Revcon is in, and in deep, as caisson work revs up at The Lincoln Common.

Here’s a ridiculous overhead view from Curtis Waltz at Aerialscapes.

The Lincoln Common by Aerialscapes

The noisy red machines of Revcon are tearing into the soil at The Lincoln Common, the mixed-use development coming to the former Children’s Memorial Hospital site in Lincoln Park. Foundation permits were issued back in June, allowing general contractor W.E. O’Neil to get started on the project.

“Foundation permits, plural?” you might ask? Yep. The Lincoln Common seems to have a theme of pairs:

  • There will be two towers, addressed for now as 2335 and 2345 North Lincoln Avenue, each standing 20 stories tall and containing 269 apartments. (There will be some condos too, plus a senior-living facility across the street.)
  • There are two developers: Hines, and McCaffery Interests
  • There are two architecture firms involved in the design work: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, and Antunovich Associates.
  • There are two red Revcon caisson rigs and two caisson cranes working on the site
  • I went through two bottles of Gatorade while watching caisson work in the oppressive heat (how do crews stay out there all day in this weather?)

You get the idea.

There was *one* tower-crane permit issued on July 17; will there be a second tower crane for the second tower? We’ll have to wait and see about that prospective pair.

The Ronsley takes the gold at Taste of River North

The Ronsley Taste of River North

The Ronsley provides a colorful backdrop as revelers twist the weekend away at Taste Of River North.

Whether you’re looking for a new home or not, if you made it to the Taste Of River North over the weekend, you couldn’t help but notice The Ronsley. The renovation at 676 North Kingsbury Street is an undertaking of LG Development (LG Construction is the general contractor) with design work by Antunovich Associates. The party vibe during the festivities could only be enhanced by the bright yellow building materials that dominate the north and east elevations.

 

Marlowe utilizes its tower crane to rise upward

Marlowe

Marlowe is starting to go high in River North.

Marlowe is the 15-story River North apartment development by Lennar Multifamily Companies, and also the proud owner of one of Chicago’s newest tower cranes. The project by Antunovich Associates, at 675 North Wells Street, got its start in early May with caisson work, and now Power Construction has things moving skyward.

When complete, Marlowe will have 176 rental units in studio, one-bed, and two-bedroom sizes, plus 11,000 square feet of retail space at ground level. Lennar plans to have it open for residents in 2018.

 

 

The Lincoln Common scores a permit

The Lincoln Common

The farmland that used to be Children’s Memorial Hospital will soon be transformed into the Lincoln Common.

The Lincoln Common project is ready to roll onto the site formerly occupied by Children’s Memorial Hospital in Lincoln Park.

The first permit, issued Wednesday, calls for a 20-story mixed-use tower, with 269 dwelling units and ZERO parking spaces. A collaboration between Hines and McCaffery Interests, The Lincoln Common also combines the talents of two design firms: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, and Antunovich Associates. W.E. O’Neil will be the general contractor.

A rendering of The Lincoln Common from Antunovich Associates.

A rendering of The Lincoln Common from Antunovich Associates.

The Lincoln Common.

The foundation permit.

The Lincoln Common

Will that ugly parking garage go too?

Marlowe gets its tower crane together

https://twitter.com/spencertravels/status/872196158143303682

https://twitter.com/Power_Construct/status/872206953841217536

The very diligent Twitter user @spencertravels looked out the window yesterday and noticed a crane-building crane building a tower crane in River North. Power Construction was kind enough to confirm our suspicions: Marlowe is getting a tower crane.

Not even a week after Thursday’s stub planting, the rest of Marlowe’s crane started assembly Tuesday at 675 North Wells. Work continues Wednesday, and we got there just in time to see part of the jib lifted into place.