As Hubbard221 nears the top, 412 North Wells rises to the L

Posted on April 29, 2017 by danieldschell

You can get a train’s-eye view of 412 North Wells right now by taking a relaxing Brown Line ride from the Merchandise Mart up to the Chicago Ave stop. Linn-Mathes is pushing the 9-story office building skyward, now that the residential tower next door, Hubbard221, is nearly topped out. (Is that 22 stories I count?)

Hubbard221 is the 193-unit apartment tower from developer Centrum Partners and designer Hirsch Associates Architects, the team that just saw a tower crane rise on their Wicker Park Connection property. As for this tower crane, it now has double duty to pull, as it tops off the taller tower while beginning to stretch the smaller structure vertically.

: A play on words, with numbers.

Wicker Park Connection joins the Tower Crane fun

Posted on April 20, 2017 by danieldschell

A freshly-planted tower crane stub springs up at the Wicker Park Connection.

How’s this for quick. On Tuesday, the City of Chicago issued a tower crane permit for the Wicker Park Connection. That’s the 15-story, 140-unit Transit Oriented Development Centrum Partners is building next door to the T.O.D. they built at 1664 West Division Street, Centrum Wicker Park. The Wicker Park Connection is another collaboration with Hirsch Associates Architects, who also teamed with Centrum in River North on 412 North Wells and Centrum Hubbard (is it called “Hubbard221” now?)

Where was I? Oh yeah, tower crane permit. Anyway, general contractor Linn-Mathes wasted no time in getting the tower crane stub planted in the ground. Foundation work is still underway, but expect that new tower crane to start lifting heavy stuff off the ground in no time.

: Rendering of the Wicker Park Connection from Hirsch Associates.

: Rendering of the Wicker Park Connection from Hirsch Associates.

: Rendering of the Wicker Park Connection from Hirsch Associates.

Prepping for a tower crane jump at Centrum Hubbard

Posted on March 7, 2017 by danieldschell

Two new sections of tower crane wait to take their reps at Centrum Hubbard.

All the tell-tale signs are there: Extra tower crane parts … Okay, that’s really the only tell-tale sign there is. But it’s also the only one you need.

Centrum Hubbard made (my) headlines last week by installing the first few panes of glass on the future residential building, and now it looks like the tower crane is gonna be jumpin’ very soon. of course, if you look towards the top of the crane, it appears it may have jumped recently, as well.

Centrum Hubbard brings a touch of glass to the River North neighborhood

Posted on March 3, 2017 by danieldschell

Centrum Hubbard gets in on the glass action.

A big milestone has been reached in River North this week. The first level of cladding is being installed at Centrum Hubbard, the residential tower going up at 215 West Hubbard Street. The 23-story, 193-unit apartment companion to the 9-story office building next door at 412 North Wells, both designed by Hirsch Associates Architects, is up to the 17th floor.

Construction Progress: Centrum Hubbard and 412 North Wells

Posted on February 6, 2017 by danieldschell

Conveniently located right next door to 225 West Hubbard (foreground, with water tank), aka HQ for both Centrum Partners and Hirsch Associates, Centrum Hubbard is rising in River North.

There may not be a whole lot to report as far as progress goes on 412 North Wells, the 9-story office building from Centrum Partners and Hirsch Associates. But that’s because work efforts are being concentrated on the 23-story, 193-unit apartment tower Centrum Hubbard next door. These are the closest projects to downtown for the dynamic duo, which is also currently building Centrum Bucktown, Centrum Wicker Park, and the Wicker Park Connection, among others.

At 412 North Wells, a hole. At Centrum Hubbard, a whole lot more.

Posted on December 16, 2016 by danieldschell

Construction progress continues at Centrum Hubbard in River North, the 23-story, 193-unit residential tower in River North from Centrum Partners and Hirsch Associates Architects. 412 North Wells, on the other hand, the accompanying 9-story, 41,000-square-foot office building next to it, still redeems itself as a convenient material-staging site for the apartment tower construction. To be honest though, it’s easier to observe and keep tabs on one project at a time, don’t you think?

: With train.

: Without train.

Centrum Hubbard digs itself a great big hole

Posted on October 11, 2016 by danieldschell

They’re digging down below grade for Centrum Hubbard.

The tower crane’s in place, and now Power Construction crews are really getting down to it. Literally. There’s a big hole in the earth from which the 23-story Centrum Hubbard residential tower will rise. On the other end of the lot, 412 North Wells….well, let’s just say its time will come.

Quick reminder on Centrum Hubbard: 23 stories, 193 apartments, 91 parking spots, and 6,000 square feet of retail space. The design is by Hirsch Associates; the developer is Centrum Partners.

: There’s been a bit of digging going on at 412 North Wells, too.

: Do you mind? Trying to take photos here.

Tower Crane Update: Centrum Hubbard and 412 North Wells

Posted on September 30, 2016 by danieldschell

Centrum Hubbard 412 North Wells tower crane

The tower crane is real. And it is spectacular.

The stump has been planted, the foundation poured and cured, and all the parts are assembled in mid-air. The tower crane at Centrum Hubbard and 412 North Wells is ready to go.

That single tower crane will erect both the 9-story office building (412 North Wells) and the 23-story, 193-unit residential tower (Centrum Hubbard) in the lot at Wells and Hubbard. Both buildings were designed by next-door neighbor Hirsch Associates. And with it now in place, it’s time for digging some foundations. Not by the tower crane though. The excavation equipment will handle that task.

Gallery I: Tuesday assembly

Gallery II: The finished crane and the foundation dig.

Your late-night preview of the Centrum Hubbard tower crane

Posted on September 26, 2016 by danieldschell

In pieces for now, a future tower crane awaits assembly on the Centrum Hubbard/ North Wells lot.

A tower crane waits for no man.

Except for the men who have to assemble the crane. Which means the tower crane at Centrum Hubbard/412 North Wells will have to wait until Tuesday morning to continue climbing into the sky. But crews got a good start on Monday, stacking a few sections atop each other, while filling the lot with more crane parts, including the ever-important sky cab. Which is what I’m calling it, starting just now.

Have a look at the progress so far, night-vision style.

: Foundation work for the crane on Thursday the 22nd.

: The crane-building crane was on site Monday morning.

Centrum Hubbard and 412 North Wells get a tower crane to share

Posted on September 22, 2016 by danieldschell

Crews work on the foundation for the Centrum Hubbard/412 North Wells tower crane.

This is the time we find out just how well Centrum Hubbard and 412 North Wells get along.

One is an office building, and one is a residential tower. So right off the bat, you’d think there might be tension. They’re being built in a very confined space, at the corner of Hubbard and Wells in River North, so they won’t have much of a chance for alone time. And now, they’ll have to start sharing a tower crane.

Yesterday, crews were busy working on the foundation and base section of a nice red tower crane toward the back and center of the lot. That tower crane will pivot to both sides to service the needs of the two-structure project from Centrum Partners and Hirsch Associates.