1136 South Wabash keeps climbing into the South Loop sky

Posted on May 11, 2017 by danieldschell

One of Lendlease’s 8 Chicago tower cranes works above 1136 South Wabash in the South Loop.

Ever wonder which general contractors have the most tower cranes in the air around Chicago? Well, for right now, the leader in the clubhouse is Lendlease with 8. Power Construction and McHugh Construction are hot on their heels with 7 apiece.

One of Lendlease’s cranes is busy stacking floors atop floors at 1136 South Wabash. 1136 was previously best known for obscuring Hebru Brantley’s Flyboy mural on the wall of next-door neighbor 1132 South Wabash Avenue. But art lives on, and it’s time to recognize the new Solomon Cordwell Buenz-designed project for bringing 320 new apartments to the South Loop. Developed by CA Ventures, there will also be 143 parking spaces in the 26-story tower. Never mind that you’ll be able to fall out of bed and land in Stan’s Donuts, or Five Guys, or Belly Up Smokehouse, or Eleven City Diner, but 1136 South Wabash is also about 7 long strides from the Roosevelt CTA station. That’s delicious convenience right there.

Construction Progress: 625 West Adams

Posted on April 21, 2017 by danieldschell

625 West Adams, as seen from the B.U.C. HQ.

625 West Adams, the 20-story office tower from co-developers White Oak Realty Partners and CA Ventures, continues adding steel beams in the West Loop. After watching the elevator core shoot skyward well ahead of the rest of the building, the main floors are catching up now, so expect to see the core start growing again soon. As of today, Power Construction crews are adding beams to the 17th floor, while concrete gets poured onto the 11th. The SCB-designed tower is on schedule to open in Spring 2018.

: 625 West Adams rising in the West Loop.

: Core and Crane.

: Cold steel.

: Setting a beam in place Thursday morning.

: Stairs.

625 West Adams holds its first day of glass

Posted on April 10, 2017 by danieldschell

A car parked along Adams Street is reflected in the shiny new curtain wall at 625 West Adams.

625 West Adams reached another construction milestone last week, installing the first few panes of the curtain wall facing Adams Street. As if all that steel above the podium wasn’t distracting enough, now I have all this glass to look forward to. Thanks, Power. Now I’ll get even less done around here.

: Night vision.

: A blue car passes by…

: Crews celebrated the new glass by installing a second hoist.

Looking down on 625 West Adams progress

Posted on March 24, 2017 by danieldschell

Nope, that’s not a misplaced beam. The angle will help form the 11th-floor terrace at 625 West Adams.

You get a good look at the 11th-floor terrace in this rendering from the 625 West Adams website.

Maybe it won’t be called the 13th floor, depending on the superstitions of those in charge of such decisions, but 625 West Adams is up to the 13th floor these days. Along with all the iron beams and metal flooring being added to the 20-story office tower, the 11th-floor terrace is taking shape, what with its angled beam overhead. The word from Power Construction is to watch for another terrace at the 19th floor.

By best guestimate, the core looks to be stuck at about the 17th floor, but that will be rising soon as well. Co-developers CA Ventures and White Oak Realty Partners plan on having 625 West Adams open for tenants to start moving in their fax machines and dot-matrix printers and setting up shop in March 2018.

: Bright flashes are common. Watch your foot though.

: Core work.

: The Adams Street facing.

: From the Monroe Street 7Bridge.

A Sunny Day At: 8 East Huron

Posted on March 1, 2017 by danieldschell

Straight up, 8 East Huron looks best on a sunny day.

Okay, so sunny days were almost the norm for awhile during our February Spring. Still, new construction is meant to be seen when the sun is shining. And winter ain’t over yet, so the sun could be gone just as quickly as it appeared.

Here’s an update on progress at 8 East Huron, the residential tower from CA Ventures and Harlem Irving Companies. The building, designed by Valerio Dewalt Train Associates, will have 102 apartments, 31 parking spaces, and more than 2,700 square feet of ground-floor retail. Clark Construction is on the build.

625 West Adams transitions from concrete to steel

Posted on February 21, 2017 by danieldschell

Enough with the concrete, it’s steel time at 625 West Adams!

It’s been an enjoyable run, watching Power Construction pour yard after yard after yard of concrete at 625 West Adams in the West Loop. But the podium has reached its apex, and now steel is the main ingredient in the 20-story office tower’s progress.

From the B.U.C. HQ, we can see the six levels of concrete that have risen above what will be the two-story lobby facing north. Now, two floors of steel framing have risen on the northwest corner of the structure, with lots more iron being delivered to the site. Why, there’s even activity atop the core, which hasn’t been elevated in months.

: 625 West Adams at night.

: Arrrrr, that’s a Pirate flag, not a Steeler flag…

: NOPE

: Work atop the core.

: Cool night lights.

Flyboy vanishing as 1136 South Wabash rises

Posted on February 20, 2017 by danieldschell

1136 South Wabash is obstructing Flyboy’s flight path. The CTA Roosevelt platform is still your best vantage point.

You may wish to make one last pilgrimage to see Hebru Brantley’s Flyboy in the South Loop soon, as construction on 1136 South Wabash continues its rapid upward progress. He won’t be visible much longer, as the 26-story apartment tower by CA Ventures need only grow another level or two before he’s completely hidden. Forever.

625 West Adams-watch continues in the West Loop

Posted on January 19, 2017 by danieldschell

All’s quiet for the night at 625 West Adams, the SCB-designed office tower coming to the West Loop.

If I haven’t said it already, I highly recommend everyone get a construction site right outside the window. It should be a window that doesn’t open, so you don’t get as much noise. Or dust. Height helps too. Then you just need a zoom lens to keep tabs on the action.

Power Construction is working on the fifth and final parking level at 625 West Adams, the 20-story office tower from CA Ventures and White Oak Realty. Needless to say, it’s mesmerizing to watch.

8 East Huron glasses up River North

Posted on January 16, 2017 by danieldschell

8 East Huron is showing off 3 full levels of glass these days.

The 26-story 8 East Huron is 18 stories into its climb in River North. The latest big achievement for the CA Ventures project is glass on all four sides, starting on the fifth level. When Clark Construction completes work, 8 East Huron will be home to 105 apartments, 31 parking spaces, and some ground-floor retail.

: There’s the glass, right over there.

: Sorry about the selfie.

Construction Progress: 1136 South Wabash aims to go vertical

Posted on January 9, 2017 by danieldschell

Time is running out to see Flyboy, as 1136 South Wabash gets off the ground in the South Loop.

Caissons are done, the tower crane is in place, and 1136 South Wabash is looking more like a 3-dimensional construction site these days. CA Ventures’ 26-story residential tower will bring 320 apartments to the South Loop, with retail on the first floor, and 143 parking spaces. SCB did the design; Lendlease is on the build.