18 stories and 80 units permitted for 450 West Belmont

Posted on June 9, 2018 by danieldschell

Demolition at 450 West Belmont at the end of May.

Developer CA Ventures received a permit yesterday for the start of construction on an 18-story residential tower at 450 West Belmont in the Lake View neighborhood. Demolition of a pair of three-story residential buildings 450 and 454 W Belmont) and a detached garage were permitted to clear the site, allowing for foundation work to begin.

Antunovich Associates designed the building for CA Ventures, whose Design Build arm will also act as general contractor; Pepper Construction looks to be the concrete contractor and will operate the tower crane.

There’s a plethora of information on 450 West Belmont here, at the 44th Ward website. It’s from back in 2016, so consider some of this out-of-date.

: Rendering of 450 West Belmont from the 44th Ward presentation.

: Rendering of 450 West Belmont from the 44th Ward presentation.

: The Foundation Permit, issued June 8.

: 450 West Belmont demo permit, issued April 19.

: The 454 West Belmont demo permit, issued April 19.

: The garage was demolished on its own permit, issued March 23.

Eleven40 drops its pretty yellow tower crane

Posted on October 10, 2017 by danieldschell

A crane too low. (It’s okay to be sad.)

When I got home last night, in the dark, which angers me because I hate winter, I said out loud “Hey, does that crane look too low to you?” None of you answered, which is good, because it would have been creepy if you’d have been here, but sure enough, Lendlease began the task of dismantling the tower crane at Eleven40 yesterday, meaning Chicago’s tower crane count dips to 33.

Work will continue for the next couple days on removal. This morning, a crew is taking apart the upper tie-in. Photos follow:

Counting down Eleven40’s tower crane days

Posted on September 15, 2017 by danieldschell

Eleven40 is topped out, with forms remaining only on the east side. Prepare to lose that tower crane soon.

The way I figure it, as long as there are forms atop Eleven40 in the South Loop, I’ll still have a tower crane to see in the back yard. Once those are all down though, we can expect crane removal to happen post haste, as the apartment tower from CA Ventures and Keith Giles continues toward completion at 1136 South Wabash Avenue. And only the east elevation still has forms at all, so we’re getting down to crunch time.

Lendlease is crazy busy in the South Loop, with Eleven40, Ancora at Riverline, 1407 On Michigan, and Hilton Homewood Suites at 1101 South Wabash all climbing at the same time. Like Eleven40, 1407 is topped out, and its tower crane is expected to come down this weekend. Ancora is less than half way from its ultimate height, and the Hilton is just starting to go vertical.

But back to Eleven40. It will bring 320 apartments across its 26 stories when complete, with delivery expected in Spring 2018. As of Today 2017, there are 14 levels of glass installed above the podium, with crews banging and clanging pieces into place daily. From here, we’d say that Spring opening is a cinch.

: Night shots are the best.

: Mooncrane.

: East-side forms.

New Neighbor Eleven40 continues to rise in the South Loop

Posted on July 18, 2017 by danieldschell

A little project I’m working on in the back yard.

Of course, Eleven40 isn’t the new neighbor; I am. But so far, the new apartment tower from the CA Ventures – Keith Giles team doesn’t seem to mind its new spectators, as Lendlease keeps pushing the project skyward. The tower crane is still doing tower-crane things, and the cladding is starting to wrap around a fourth level.

A Spring 2018 arrival date for the 320-unit, SCB-designed South Loop tower fast approacheth, so don’t expect activity to slow down anytime soon.

: Night view.

: Construction at night is a beautiful sight.

: Anatomy of a Window Install, a play in six acts.

1136 South Wabash gets a name change. Meet Eleven40

Posted on July 3, 2017 by danieldschell

New signage introduces Eleven40 to the South Loop. Photo via Jennifer Healy.

In the midst of ongoing progress at 1136 South Wabash comes new signage announcing a new name: 1136 is now Eleven40. Follow that link to a whole bunch of shiny new renderings of the SCB-designed tower, as it continues upward toward its ultimate 26 stories. The CA Ventures – Keith Giles production will have 320 apartments and is being built by Lendlease. Spring 2018 is the projected opening.

Eleven40 continues its rise in the South Loop. Photo via Jennifer Healy.

1136 South Wabash has been renamed Eleven40. Photo by Jennifer Healy.

Rooftop rendering of Eleven40.

Nighttime rendering of Eleven40.

Pool rendering of Eleven40.

A Hard-Hat Tour of 625 West Adams with Power Construction

Posted on June 29, 2017 by danieldschell

Luis Monroy, Project Engineer at 625 West Adams, discusses all things tower crane with Emily East and Rashad Young. All three work for Power Construction.

A huge thank you to Luis Monroy and Power Construction, who led me on a hard-hat tour of 625 West Adams on Wednesday. Power topped out the SCB-designed office tower back on May 22. Now, cladding is being installed and has reached the 11th-floor terrace.

Come take a walk with me.

The bracing you see in the photo above (also visible in the top photo) is part of the tie-off reinforcement for the tower crane. The steel braces run from the crane to the core.

Remember the oculus I’ve been showing you on the 19th-floor terrace? We’re now looking at it from eye-level, way off in the corner. This is taken on the 21st (penthouse) floor. Yes, it’s a 20-story tower with a penthouse for a mechanical floor.

This is Eddie. Eddie is a master at hanging glass panels. You can watch him work in the time-lapse video below.

Luis, Emily, and Rashad standing out on the soon-to-be terrace of the 19th floor. Behind them, the inverted tripod that supports the oculus. You may also notice the Sears Tower.

625 West Adams puts a ring on it

Posted on June 19, 2017 by danieldschell

Power Construction is doing everything they can to make 625 West Adams look like its renderings. Monday morning, a piece was set in place to form the oculus that will be featured on the upper of two outdoor terraces.

: This rendering of 625 West Adams shows what the oculus will look like when finished.

1136 South Wabash keeps glowing…errrr, growing… in the South Loop

Posted on June 16, 2017 by danieldschell

Looking from the north toward the rising 1136 South Wabash.

Forgive my faux pas. Must be all those yellow forms and the shiny yellow Liebherr adorning 1136 South Wabash that confused me. But it sure is hard to miss.

The 26-story, 320-unit apartment tower from CA Ventures has soared past the CTA Roosevelt platform, past the Hebru Brantley Flyboy mural, on its way to about 300 feet in height. Lendlease is the general contractor, tasked with completing the SCB design for a 2018 opening.

Topped out, 8 East Huron drops its tower crane

Posted on June 15, 2017 by danieldschell

The tower crane at 8 East Huron fades away behind Holy Name Cathedral.

Chicago’s ever-changing tower-crane count has changed yet again, dropping to 34 as the crane at 8 East Huron comes down in River North. Perched high atop the intersection of State and Huron, the pretty yellow Liebherr crane did what it was born to do, and as of Thursday afternoon is halfway to the ground.

8 East Huron, the 26-story apartment tower from Harlem Irving Companies and CA Ventures, is on schedule to deliver 105 new units by early Fall 2017, with 31 parking spaces and about 2,800 square feet of retail space on the ground floor.

This was Clark Construction’s only tower crane in Chicago, so here’s hoping we can get 145 South Wells on the books soon, and get Clark back on the board.

625 West Adams has topped out in the West Loop

Posted on May 30, 2017 by danieldschell

The final beam is lifted to the top of 625 West Adams. Photo courtesy of Power Construction.

Sadly, 625 West Adams, the 20-story office building from White Oak Realty and CA Ventures, topped out last week.

Let me explain. Of course, topping out is a huge milestone, and should certainly be celebrated. But it also means the days of that pretty yellow Liebherr tower crane right outside the B.U.C. HQ are numbered. Sadder still, 625 topped out while we were in London, so after countless hours of staring out the window at progress, I missed the soiree.

Power Construction was kind enough to share the photo above, taken as the last beam was lifted into place on Monday, May 22.