Construction Progress: Wicker Park Connection

Posted on August 29, 2017 by danieldschell

A growth spurt at the Wicker Park Connection, 1640 West Division Street.

When last we dropped in on the Wicker Park Connection, Linn-Mathes had just erected a tower crane, and construction was starting to poke up out of the ground. My, how times have changed.

Foundation work seems to be completed on the Centrum Partners & Hirsch Associates project, and now steel and slab work is approaching the fifth floor, on its way to 15 stories and 140 apartments.

: Wicker Park Connection rendering courtesy of Hirsch Associates.

: Wicker Park Connection rendering courtesy of Hirsch Associates.

412 North Wells climbs and curves into River North

Posted on June 20, 2017 by danieldschell

412 North Wells follows the curve of the CTA’s elevated railway.

412 North Wells, the nine-story office building from Centrum Partners and Hirsch Associates, continues to grow along, and with, the CTA’s Brown/Purple Line tracks in River North. Wedged as it is into the oddly-shaped lot at the corner of Wells and Hubbard Streets, 412 North Wells has no choice but to follow the path of the trains next to it.

If we’re grading on a curve, the future office tower gets an A so far. And just wait until that rounded wall gets all glassed in.

Wicker Park Connection starts poking out of the ground

Posted on June 19, 2017 by danieldschell

The Wicker Park Connection is going 3-D.

The large earthen pit at 1640 West Division Street in Wicker Park shows signs of becoming the Wicker Park Connection, as Linn-Mathes has begun building atop foundation work that began back in the winter. A joint project of the tag-team combo Centrum Partners and Hirsch Associates Architects, the Wicker Park Connection will deliver 140 apartments within the 15-story tower.

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.

Quick Look: The Wicker Park Connection tower crane is up

Posted on April 27, 2017 by danieldschell

The finished tower crane over the Wicker Park Connection, Monday evening.

It got started over the weekend, and by Monday evening it was completed. The Wicker Park Connection can begin going vertical, now that there’s a tower crane on site. We watched most of the erecting from the B.U.C. HQ, but a well-timed going-away dinner (Bon Voyage, Steve!) on Division Street meant a good look at the new kid on that block.

: Sunday morning, a crane-building crane went to work.

: Getting ready to lift the first section of the tower.

: And the tower starts to climb on the stub.

: Lifting the top into place.

: The top is on.

: Hoisting the jib.

: NOPE

: Tuesday afternoon shot of the finished crane.

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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.

The Wicker Park Connection digs in

Posted on February 15, 2017 by danieldschell

A rendering of the Wicker Park Connection from Hirsch Associates Architects.

After filing a foundation permit late in 2016, the Wicker Park Connection is burrowing into the soil on its lot at 1640 West Division Street. The 15-story project from Centrum Partners will sit right next to the nearly-completed Centrum Wicker Park, another collaboration between Centrum and Hirsch Associates Architects.

Revcon is out there drilling caissons now; Linn-Mathes is the general contractor assigned to sending the 140 apartments skyward.

: Rendering of the Wicker Park Connection via Hirsch Associates.

: Centrum Wicker Park, right next door, is nearing completion.

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.