Lakeview 3200 eyes March 2017 opening at Clark and Belmont

Posted on October 20, 2016 by danieldschell

Lakeview 3200 nears completion at 3200 North Clark Street.

Located at 3200 North Clark Street in the heart of Lake View, the controversially-named** Lakeview 3200 is topped out and almost fully clad in glass. A design from Hirsch Associates, the new mixed-use development from BlitzLake Partners will deliver 90 apartments, 40 parking spots, 8,000 square feet of office space, and a Target-anchored 29,000 square feet of retail space upon opening. Clark Construction has been building Lakeview 3200 since late last year. A Dunkin Donuts had to be torn down to make way for the new project, but you can still get those Ann Sather cinnamon rolls across the street, so it all works out.

** The official map from the City of Chicago I rely on to determine which neighborhood a project is located in uses two words for “Lake View.” So that’s how I spell Lake View. Lakeview 3200 uses one word, obviously. It’s not really a controversy. It’s just a difference in preference.

: Early, moody, tower crane shot.

: Early wood work.

: May 2016

: May 2016, from the Belmont L platform.

Another day, another new name. The Linea forms on the right.

Posted on October 11, 2016 by danieldschell

What hasn’t changed about Linea is that it looks wonderful in the morning sunlight.

Goodbye, Level Apartments. Hello, Linea.

As the Chicago Architecture Blog reported yesterday, the abodes formerly known as Level Apartments were renamed recently. The residential tower at 215 West Lake Street in The Loop has confused us with names before. Early renderings of the project showed the word “Elevate” on some photos, and that name was picked up by some outlets. Then came Level, complete with a website, and signage at the construction site itself. That signage is still present, but the old website name has been erased. Erased from existence, as Doc Brown would say.

And now we have Linea. Not to be confused with the best restaurant in the world, Alinea. (Or is it? There is expected to be several thousand feet of ground-floor retail space at Linea; could Alinea be taking some of that space? That’d be rad.)

Quick reminder: Linea will be 33 stories tall, with 265 apartments and 150 or so parking spaces. Thomas Roszak Architecture did the design; Clark Construction is on the build. Completion is expected in 2017.

: Old sign, with Level website.

: Same sign, with Level info gone.

Construction Update: The Marriott Marquis Chicago at McCormick Place

Posted on October 6, 2016 by danieldschell

That’s the Marriott Marquis Chicago, way over there. Don’t worry; I’ll get you closer.

39 stories. 1,205 rooms. 25,000 square feet of ballroom space. 90,000 square feet of meeting space. Two pedestrian bridges. Lots of glass.

The Marriott Marquis Chicago will have it all when it opens in July of 2017. But for now, what it has are lots of photo ops. If you’re into that sort of thing.

I am.

: Attaching the Marriott Marquis to the old American Book Company building.

: The pedestrian bridge from the West Building of McCormick Place, to the Marriott Marquis.

: The other pedestrian bridge, connecting the Marriott Marquis to the McCormick Place Event Center.

Construction Update: The McCormick Place Event Center

Posted on October 4, 2016 by danieldschell

The McCormick Place Event Center under construction.

It’s surely a combination of blue steel and red crane, but the construction process at the McCormick Place Event Center in the Prairie District of the South Loop is as much fun to watch as any building site in Chicago. And with the rooftop garden at McCormick Place accessible for Open House Chicago this weekend, you can climb up there and take in the view for yourself. (Make a point to check out the vegetables and herbs as well, just to have a memory of being in a garden on a roof, but you’ll be swept in by the construction.)

Quickly, before you’re deluged by a huge gallery of photos: The McCormick Place Event Center will be a 10,000-seat arena designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli serving as the home court for DePaul basketball, as well as a host to concerts, conventions, business meetings, and other sporting events. Clark Construction is the general contractor.

: They always spot me watching them.

Level Apartments continues to rise above Lake Street

Posted on September 19, 2016 by danieldschell

In this view from North Franklin, Level Apartments rises behind what will be the new CNA Center.

Level Apartments, the 33-story rental tower by Thomas Roszak Architecture at 215 West Lake Street in The Loop, keeps edging toward its ultimate height. Dwarfing the much-loved Monk’s Tavern next door, which many feared would meet the wrecking ball to clear additional space, Clark Construction is adding glass and floors to Level at a furious pace. When completed, expect about 260 apartments and 150 parking spaces.

: Shout-out to the CTA operator for stopping the train in the perfect spot.

: Level Apartments is at Lake and Wells. Here’s proof.

: Artsy.

8 East Huron is getting so real, it has a website

Posted on September 7, 2016 by danieldschell

Banners announce the arrival of EightEastHuron.com

Because that’s how you know a project really exists. Besides the tower crane, of course. And all that racket from caisson work. And the core. And all the rebar.

8 East Huron (I’ll let you guess the address) in River North has a brand-spanking new website now. Click on that link, have a gander at a bunch of renderings (check out that pool!), give them your email address so you can get updates on apartment availability, and when you get back, there will be a bunch of construction progress photos waiting for you. Enjoy.

: First, two photos from last week, pre-banner.

Quick Look: Level Apartments. Which came first, the glass? or the name?

Posted on August 1, 2016 by danieldschell

So far, there’s glass on only one level of Level Apartments.

Seems like it was only hours ago…and it was…that I wandered past 215 West Lake and drank in all the beautiful glass that has been installed on the first residential floor. And because I can’t leave well enough alone, I walked past there again Monday evening. And was pleased to see confirmation of what I thought I’d seen recently: 215 West Lake is now called Level Apartments.

I first noticed Level being used for 215 West Lake last week on Thomas Roszak Architecture‘s website. Now the name must be official. Because not only is there a website, but there are signs on site. And that’s all you really need to make anything official: signs and a website. And maybe a Twitter account.

So say hello, officially, to Level Apartments.

Signs. A sign Level Apartments is on its way to Chicago.

Glazing all the glass is a gas, baby. Can you dig it?

Posted on August 1, 2016 by danieldschell

215 West lake has new glass. And like all new glass, it’s glorious.

215 West Lake can.

Not to be outshone by the brand new, sitting-on-the-coolest-of-cool-steel-truss-work tower crane at 151 North Franklin, Clark Construction has started installing glass in 215 West Lake on the first level above its podium. And while any building getting its first glass is always a major event, it feels even sweeter when it’s a residential tower, when the panels aren’t all exactly alike. A little variety adds character.

Construction Update: 215 West Lake

Posted on July 25, 2016 by danieldschell

215 West Lake continues ever skyward.

By now, you know the basic details of 215 West Lake. Designed by Chicago firm Thomas Roszak Architecture (who may or may not be calling the new tower “Level”), the new apartment tower at 215 West Lake Street in The Loop replaces a parking garage and a late-1800s-era office building with 33 stories and 265 apartments. Throw in ground floor retail and 152 parking spaces in floors 2-4, and you’ve got yourself a new downtown digs.

This is a Clark Construction build. They’ve been on the job since demolition started last fall. And they’ll continue to build until 215 West Lake opens in 2017.

: 215 West Lake used to be a parking garage. No one was sad to see it go.

: 209 West Lake, however, was built in the 1870s, and many called for it to be saved.

: Gratuitous tower crane shot.

: Looking down at the east-facing facade.

: 151 North Franklin street crane in the foreground, tower crane in the background.

: Looking straight up from Lake Street.

: Looking west.

: Through the crane.

: Clark markings on the core.

: What can I say. I love tower cranes. Especially when they’re right in the middle of the city.

Construction Update: McCormick Place Event Center

Posted on July 21, 2016 by danieldschell

The McCormick Place Event Center and the Marriott Marquis Chicago.

Yes, DePaul University will play its basketball games here. But it will be much more than a basketball arena.

The new McCormick Place Event Center is being constructed in the Prairie District of the South Loop. In addition to being a 10,000-seat arena, the Event Center is also expected to host concerts, conventions, business meetings, and other sporting events not featuring the Blue Demons.

The architect of record for the McCormick Place Event Center is Curtis Moody, of Moody Nolan, while Pelli Clarke Pelli and Goettsch Partners lead a who’s-who of architecture firms also involved in the project. Similarly, Clark Construction is the general contractor, but you’ll find a number of other companies involved in construction, including Bulley & Andrews.

They hoop (see what I did there?) to have the court open in time for the 2017-18 NCAA basketball seasons.