A pair of tower cranes goes to work on the UChicago Cancer Care Center

Two Potain MR 608 free-standing tower cranes at work at the UChicago Cancer Care Center in Hyde Park

Both tower cranes are up and running and construction progress has gone 3-D at 5644 South Drexel Avenue in Hyde Park. That’s where the University of Chicago Medicine is building its new Cancer Care Center. The eight-story, 875,000-square-foot facility, designed by CannonDesign, broke ground in September of last year and is scheduled to open in 2027. It’s up to Turner Construction and Adjustable Concrete Construction, the General Contractor and Concrete Contractor, respectively, to make that happen.

To date, UChicago Medicine has received permits for:
South tower crane — issued 12/28/23 (addressed as 5644 S. Drexel Ave)
North tower crane — issued 12/12/23
Foundation — issued 12/12/23
Groundbreaking ceremony tent — issued 09/08/23
We’re waiting on the full-build permit. Judging by the looks of the core, that could be arriving any day now.

Photos taken May 1, 2024:

Enjoying the photos? Metra and CTA rides (and Amtrak trains to Milwaukee), Zipcars, Divvy Bikes, camera lenses, domain fees, snacks & energy drinks, and comfortable walking shoes add up. You can help offset expenses by making a greatly-appreciated donation to Building Up Chicago.

UChicago Medicine plants the first of two tower crane for its new cancer care and research facility

The first of two tower cranes at 5644 South Drexel for UChicago Medicine.

There’s one tower crane base, the first of two, in the ground at 57th and Drexel on the UChicago Medicine campus in Hyde Park. General Contractor Turner Construction, along with concrete contractor Adjustable Concrete Construction, will use those cranes to build a new cancer care center for UChicago Medicine. (There’s a ton of info at that ground-breaking link. Read it. They’re doing important work at UChi Med.)

Designed by CannonDesign (more great project info at that link), the facility, scheduled to open to patients in 2027, will be a eight-story, 875,000-square-foot building with 80 inpatient beds.

To date, UChicago Medicine has received permits for:
South tower crane — issued 12/28/23 (addressed as 5644 S. Drexel Ave)
North tower crane — issued 12/12/23
Foundation — issued 12/12/23
Groundbreaking ceremony tent — issued 09/08/23 (I don’t get to post about tent permits very often)
Three demolition permits were issued to clear space for the new facility on 11/07/23:
5627 S Maryland
5631 S Maryland
5635 S Maryland

Enjoying the photos? Metra and CTA rides (and Amtrak trains to Milwaukee), Zipcars, Divvy Bikes, camera lenses, domain fees, snacks & energy drinks, and comfortable walking shoes add up. You can help offset expenses by making a greatly-appreciated donation to Building Up Chicago.

Construction on Northwestern Medicine’s Irving Park healthcare facility ramps up

At 4445 West Irving Park, work on the parking-deck ramp is pun-derway.

The team of Power Construction and UJAMAA Construction have been hard at work getting the new Northwestern Medicine healthcare facility above street level at 4445 West Irving Park. This one’s only going up to four stories, as CannonDesign creation will top out relatively soon-ish, with just three more levels to go.

Enjoying the photos? Metra and CTA rides (and Amtrak trains to Milwaukee), Zipcars, Divvy Bikes, camera lenses, domain fees, snacks & energy drinks, and comfortable walking shoes add up. You can help offset expenses by making a greatly-appreciated donation to Building Up Chicago.

Beneath the surface, work for Northwestern Medicine at 4445 W. Irving Park continues

The tower crane at 4445 W Irving Park

Ride the #80 bus past 4445 West Irving Park Road and you won’t see many new signs of construction on Northwestern Medicine’s 4-story facility. But get off the bus and take a peek into the abyss and you’ll see there’s a lot going on below street level. The block-long site still looks like a deep excavation, but not nearly as deep as the first visit back in April.

Compare those April photos to the gallery below, and you’ll see how far the tag-team of Power Construction and UJAMAA Construction has come on the CannonDesign facility.

Enjoying the photos? Metra and CTA rides (and Amtrak trains to Milwaukee), Zipcars, Divvy Bikes, camera lenses, domain fees, snacks & energy drinks, and comfortable walking shoes add up. You can help offset expenses by making a greatly-appreciated donation to Building Up Chicago.

Northwestern Medicine digs in at 4445 W Irving Park Road

Northwestern Medicine is putting up a four-story building at 4445 W Irving Park.

There’s a very large, very organized hole in the ground at 4445 West Irving Park Road in Irving Park. Soon, a new four-story building for Northwestern Medicine will rise from it, bringing medical offices and lots of parking.

Power Construction is on the build, with an assist from UJAMAA Construction. CannonDesign is the design architect.

You can find a wealth of information at this link from Lukas over at Urbanize Chicago.

Currently, this is Chicago’s northernmost and westernmost tower crane.

Permits were issued for:
overall construction on 12/21/21
the tower crane on 10/28/21
demolition of 4441 W Irving Park on 07/17/20
demolition of 4447 W Irving Park on 07/16/20
demolition of 4457 W Irving Park on 07/16/20

Enjoying the photos? Metra and CTA rides (and Amtrak trains to Milwaukee), Zipcars, Divvy Bikes, camera lenses, domain fees, snacks & energy drinks, and comfortable walking shoes add up. You can help offset expenses by making a greatly-appreciated donation to Building Up Chicago.

Construction Update: Soul City Church builds in the West Loop

Soul City Church

Soul City Church in the West Loop is building a three-story addition.

Soul City Church, at 1150 West Adams Street in the West Loop, filed a building permit with the City of Chicago back in October to complete a three-story addition next to the existing church. Now, Focus has erected the steel work for the 45,000-square-foot addition. When finished this summer, it will include a new auditorium, office space for church staff, and covered parking.

Soul City Church gets a permit to add on in the West Loop

Soul City Church

Soul City Church sits at the corner of Adams Street and Racine Avenue.

Soul City Church, at 1150 West Adams Street, is ready to undertake a major expansion of its facilities in the West Loop.

Wednesday, a permit was filed for Soul City to build a three-story addition in the empty lot next door to the east, as well as make renovations to the existing church. The construction will add a multi-level auditorium, church offices, lobbies, even a roof terrace for use by the Soul City congregation.

Neighbors of the West Loop was there when plans were presented back in June and has details of what’s to come now that the permit is filed, including Soul City’s plan to share use of its new addition with the neighboring community. Focus will serve as the general contractor.