As 150 North Riverside opens, a look back

150 North Riverside

150 North Riverside, casting gorgeous reflections onto Randolph Place, though I’m sure condo owners aren’t pleased with their new views.

150 North Riverside is the first construction project that caught, and kept, my attention. I wandered past it daily when it was still a figment of someone’s imagination, curious about the oil-drilling-rig-looking thing sitting in an empty lot along the Chicago River. Of course, I’d learn later that I was looking at a soil-sampling rig, but that had no significance to me at the time.

Shortly after construction started, some genius in Public Relations came up with a fool-proof way to garner publicity; crews excavating soil form the site sank a barge. Sure, it *looked* like an accident, but suddenly 150 North Riverside was thrust into the spotlight. And there it remained, though it didn’t hurt bringing in a giant red floating crane to erect steel trusses that stopped pedestrian traffic on the Randolph Street Bridge.

That was 28 months ago. And now, on Monday, February 13, 2017, 150 North Riverside opens its doors to office workers. Had I not dropped a hard drive on the ground and lost them, I could show you at least 1,000 photos I’ve taken of this beauty in the last 2+ years. Instead, have a look at a select few along the way. Then, make sure you stop by the tower and check out the media stream.

The Team

Goettsch Partners: Design architects

Riverside Investment & Development Company: Developer

Magnusson Klemencic Associates: Structural engineer

Clark Construction: General contractor

150 North Riverside along the way

150 North Riverside today

Linea is just about as glassy as it gets

Linea 215 West Lake Street

Linea, 215 West Lake Street in The Loop, is all glazed over. Yes, that’s a tree up there.

Save for one little corner that looks like it may not get windows at all, Linea is a glass that’s full. The 33-story apartment tower at 215 West Lake Street from Moceri + Roszak has been glazed over thoroughly, as work continues on the interior as well. A design by Thomas Roszak Architecture, Linea brings 265 apartments to the heart of Chicago’s Loop. Clark Construction has been on the build since breaking ground, a really old building, and a parking garage beginning late in 2015.

 

8 East Huron glasses up River North

8 East Huron glass

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.

Quick Look: Wintrust Arena has a roof

Finally got a look at the roof of Wintrust Arena this week. Glad I’m not the one who has to shovel the snow off so work can continue.

 

Construction Update: You can call it Wintrust Arena now

Wintrust Arena

Wintrust Arena, from the corner of Cermak Road and Indiana Avenue.

What was once the McCormick Place Event Center is now, through the miracle of naming rights, Wintrust Arena. The 10,000-seat basketball arena/300,000-square-foot event space by Pelli Clarke Pelli is almost fully enclosed on all four sides now. Sadly, no access to the McCormick Place rooftop garden this visit. Pictures from street level will have to suffice.

 

Progress Update: 8 East Huron keeps climbing

You remember 8 East Huron. It’s a 26-story, 105-unit apartment tower being developed by CA Ventures in River North. 8 East Huron was designed by Valerio Dewalt Train Associates, and will include some ground-floor retail spaces, and also about 30 parking spaces, all wedged right up against the Consulate General of Ukraine at 10 East Huron. Clark Construction is on the build.

Linea gets out of the Chicago cranes business

Linea 215 West Lake Street

No more tower crane atop Linea at 215 West Lake Street. But the curtain wall is starting to work its way down.

Tower cranes, that is. Linea, the residential tower by Thomas Roszak Architecture at 215 West Lake Street in The Loop, still has a baby crane on the top level to help finish off the building. But it’s topped out and getting more glass by the day. In fact, curtain installation has been working from the top, down, as well. Once known as Level Apartments, Linea is a 33-story, 265-unit development with about 150 parking spaces. Clark Construction is the contractor tasked with having Linea move-in ready in 2017.

River Point is open!

River Point Plaza

Looking north through River Point Plaza, with the Kinzie Street railroad bridge standing at attention on the right.

River Point, the 52-story office tower from Hines, is now open. That’s likely uncontrollably exciting to those of you who have or will have your new office at 444 West Lake Street in the West Loop, but it’s quite a spectacle for the rest of us, too.

I haven’t been inside yet (insert hopeful emoji here), but I took a stroll through River Point Plaza Thursday evening. The one-and-a-half-acre park, designed by landscape architect The Office of James Burnett, sits above the fork in the Chicago River, offering views to the east past the Merchandise Mart, and to the north toward the Kinzie Street railroad bridge. During construction of River Point, Hines promised us a spectacular public park at the foot of the tower. What Hines delivered is, in fact, a spectacular park at the foot of the tower. But don’t take my word for it. Take my photos that follow instead, then get yourselves over and see for yourself.

Kudos to everyone involved in the River Point project, including design architect Pickard Chilton, civil engineer Magnusson Klemencic Associates, and contractors Lendlease and Clark Construction. Magnificent work, all around!

Renovation Update: The American Book Company building

American Book Company building

The American Book Company building, 330 East Cermak Road.

Being rehabbed as part of the Marriott Marquis Chicago in the Prairie District of the South Loop, the American Book Company building is being re-purposed as meeting rooms, office space, and retail.

Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998, the American Book Company building, designed by architect Nelson Max Dunning, was on the endangered list as recently as 2008, when a proposal for the block on which it’s located called for its demolition. It was then designated a Chicago Landmark in 2009.

Speaking of 330 East Cermak Road, Crain’s Chicago reported Thursday that a new data center is coming to this address, and would be situated directly behind the American Book Company building, just north on Calumet Avenue.