You don’t need to me to tell you about the progress McHugh Construction is making with Renelle on the River; just tune in to the bKL Architecture Twitter feed at this link right here.
Of course, I took a few shots, from ground level, too; you can see them now.
Vista Tower continues to rise along the Chicago River.
We’re long overdue for a few shots of the progress McHugh Construction is making at Vista Tower. This thing has grown like mad since our last visit. Sorry to have missed so much. Without further ado, here are the latest shots from the soon-to-be 94-story hotel-and-residential combination.
And don’t miss out on the newly-updated Earthcam shots from Lake Point Tower. You’ll want to check it out at night, for sure.
Night time is the right time to see Vista Tower.
This thing is gonna be HUGE.
Vista Tower continues its climb along East Wacker Drive and the Chicago River. And the more it grows, the more it’s visible from new vantage points. For instance, you can now stand on the Chicago Riverwalk and look straight up and see construction. It may be a little too cold to stand there for long, though.
McHugh Construction’s tower crane at Renelle on the River, from East Upper Wacker Drive.
We’d only gone by the new tower crane at Renelle on the River once since McHugh Construction erected it back in the second week of November. It famously became Chicago’s 60th tower crane in the air for this calendar year. The Mayor was there. It was a big deal. It was also dark, so I didn’t get a great look at it
Of course, Tuesday was kind of a dud as far as weather goes, but that didn’t stop us from getting a few more angles on the shiny yellow Liebherr 200 HC model. Aside from standing in the plaza just outside Trump Tower, where you can look straight up at the beast, we suggest East Wacker Drive and the Michigan Avenue Bridge as the best crane-gawking spots.
The tower crane at The Van Buren is the 58th erected in Chicago this year.
The tower crane at The Van Buren (808 West Van Buren in the West Loop) was the 58th crane of 2017 erected in Chicago when Lendlease assembled it last month. However, I’ve done a poor job of getting over there for a good look, so allow me to share a few photos of #58 with you now. Sorry, but the sun has also done a poor job of showing up while I’m near this site.
While we’re at it, we might as well remind you that The Van Buren is a 12-story, 148-unit apartment building from Loukas Development, designed by bKL Architecture.
Chicago’s 60th tower crane of 2017 is up and lifting at Renelle on the River.
The Big 6-0 is on the board, as Chicago’s 60th tower crane takes to the skies at Renelle on the River, at 403 North Wabash in River North. If you want to count backwards, Home2 Suites, also in River North at 110 West Huron, was #59. The Van Buren, at 808 West Van Buren in the West Loop, came in at #58 last month. And 210 North Carpenter, another West Loop project, was Chicago’s 57th crane of the year when it went up.
*60 cranes. That’s a big year for tower cranes. And with the stub Hayden West Loop planted in the ground at 1109 West Washington, #61 will be added to the count very soon. Two other cranes have permits: 3833 North Broadway, where we expect a stub to be planted around Thanksgiving; and The Bentham, at 146 West Erie, which doesn’t have a construction permit yet.
*I am not counting the derrick crane at Simpson Querrey.
A tower crane stub has been planted at Renelle on the River.
One of the city’s tightest construction spaces has planted a shiny yellow tower crane stub. Renelle on the River is the 18-story, bKL Architecture-designed condo tower Belgravia Group is sliding atop the underground parking garage at 403 North Wabash in River North. And a walk-by yesterday reveals McHugh Construction working around the new crane.
Rendering of Renelle on the River from bKL Architecture.
Renelle on the River is a curious project. Not only is it the aforementioned tight squeeze where a small plaza once stood, but it will also be angled in such a way as to give all residents a view of the Chicago River. And then there’s the foundation. No caissons were drilled for this one (the building permit went straight to full-build, with no foundation permit), leaving one to assume the existing parking structure was built to support much more weight than a few cars. And that tower crane’s foundation? It appears to be suspended in mid-air, even while being rooted in a huge block of concrete. It’s a mesmerizing set-up, to be sure.
Renelle on the River will bring 50 three- and four-bedroom condominiums to the neighborhood. There’s a sales office right next to the site, if you want to stop in and check them out. We highly suggest taking their virtual tour.
Vista Theater is fading; the best views of Vista Tower are no on the north side of the Chicago River.
I saw construction on three Wanda Vista Tower projects during October: the one you’re most familiar with, Vista Tower here in Chicago, plus two in Australia: one in the demolition phase in Sydney, New South Wales, and the three-tower Jewel Residences project on the beach in Gold Coast, Queensland. I managed to get to Chicago’s site on the last day of the month to make sure McHugh Construction crews hadn’t finished up while we were gone. Thankfully, they had not.
Checking out a caisson from above at GEMS World Academy Upper School.
The Upper School at GEMS World Academy Chicago has begun caisson work at 355 East Wacker Drive. Case Foundation is on site digging long, slender holes in the ground and then filling them right back in with rebar and concrete.
Originally issued a foundation permit way back in March of 2015, the GEMS Upper School got a new caisson permit on September 20. Designed by bKL Architecture, as was the first GEMS school, Power Construction will take build the school atop the Case’s caissons.
A rendering of The Van Buren, at 808 West Van Buren from bKL Architecture.
Once known simply as “808 West Van Buren,” The Van Buren will break ground in an official ceremony Wednesday morning at its Greektown construction site at Halsted and Van Buren Streets.
Representatives from developer Loukas Development, design architect bKL Architecture, and general contractor Lendlease will all be on hand to plunge shovels into the ground to celebrate the new 12-story West Loop tower, according to a press release issued by Loukas Development on Monday.
The Van Buren began with a foundation permit back in April, and has since completed caisson work, done a major amount of foundation digging, and planted a tower crane stub. When complete late in 2018, The Van Buren will deliver 148 rental apartments to the neighborhood.
You can read Loukas Development’s full Press Release below, followed by a few more gorgeous renderings from bKL Architecture:
Groundbreaking Event: Wed. Oct. 4, 2017
Loukas Development Announces Construction Start of The Van Buren, a mixed-use development at 808 West Van Buren Ave., Chicago
WHAT: Loukas Development will host a groundbreaking ceremony at The Van Buren, a 12-story boutique mixed-use development in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood. The 148-unit building is being developed at 808 West Van Buren Ave.
When: Wed. Oct. 4th — 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
WHO: Representatives from Loukas Development, bKL Architecture, Lendlease and Washington Capital will break ground and discuss the project.
WHERE: 808 West Van Buren Ave., Chicago; on the northwest corner of Halsted St. and Van Buren Ave.
PHOTO OPPS:
During the event, members of the media will be able to:
About Loukas Development
Established in 1978, Loukas Development is an innovative commercial real estate development and management firm with a strong focus on infill, transportation-oriented development in dynamic and high growth urban locations. The company has completed the development, renovation, leasing and conversion of over 500 residential units, including several high profile mixed-use developments in the Chicago area.
Loukas Development has an operating and development platform capable of scaling quickly for institutional opportunities while remaining connected to the Chicago neighborhoods we serve. Our mission is to redefine and reshape the urban commercial, residential, and mixed-use experience through a combination of state-of-the-art design and solid construction techniques. For more information, visit www.loukasdevelopment.com.
About Washington Capital Management, Inc.
Loukas Development’s capital partner on the project is a limited liability company managed by Seattle-based Washington Capital Management, Inc. on behalf of its clients.
Washington Capital Management, Inc. (WCM) is an employee owned investment advisory firm founded in 1977. WCM headquarters are located in Seattle, Washington, with branch offices in Portland, Spokane, Anchorage, Southern California, Northern California and Boston. For more information on WCM, please see http://www.wcmadvisors.com.
About bKL Architecture
Founded and led by Thomas Kerwin, bKL Architecture is a Chicago based architectural firm with extensive experience in the design and execution of large scale mixed-use building projects. bKL’s core principles include design excellence, technical acumen and viable solutions to complex problems. Open dialogue within its studio cultivates collaboration, communication and cohesive designs that enrich the sites and cities around the world in which they build.
Building Up Chicago 