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.

: Soldier Field keeps a watchful eye on the new kid.

: Even the cheap seats get special attention to detail.

: There’s more of that blue steel waiting to be put into the game.

Tower Crane Update: 8 East Huron

Posted on July 19, 2016 by danieldschell

If you erect them, they will come watch. Them being tower cranes, they being I.

To be fair, and uncreepy, I was hardly the only interested party spectating at State and Huron Streets Saturday, as a crew from Morrow Equipment Company erected another of its pretty yellow cranes at the 8 East Huron construction site.

Recapping 8 East Huron, it will be a 26-story apartment tower with 105 units. CA Ventures is the developer, Valerio DeWalt Train Associates the designer, and Clark Construction he general contractor. Units are expected to be ready for occupancy in 2017.

: The stub.

: This looks like a scene form Charlie & The Chocolate Factory to me.

: The crane-building crane.

: None of these men are in danger of losing their jobs to me.

: East Huron was closed for the festivities, between State and Wabash.

: Piecing the cab together.

: Lifting crane parts off a truck.

: Staging equipment on East Huron Street.

: The cab.

: Preparing for lift-off.

: Artsy.

: Looking down State Street.

: Monday morning finishing work.

: Monday morning, and the tower crane is almost ready for use.

Marriott Marquis Hotel: More Photos Than I Know What To Do With

Posted on July 14, 2016 by danieldschell

The Marriott Marquis Chicago, and the American Book Company building. Soon to be joined as one.

Down in the South Loop (you may call it this part of the South Loop the Prairie District if you like. McCormick Square? That jury’s still out), Clark Construction is working feverishly on the new Marriott Marquis Chicago hotel at 2121 South Prairie Avenue. Part of the expansion of McCormick Place by the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (McPier), the new Marriott Marquis will be a 39-story tower boasting a whopping 1,206 hotel rooms.

Designed by Goettsch Partners (150 North Riverside! YAY!) the Marquis will also include 90,000 square feet of meeting space. As part of the project, renovations are being done to the American Book Company building next door at 330 East Cermak Road, which will then be connected to the new hotel.

It’s a huge construction site. And that, of course, means I take a billion photos. In fact, it’s more like a field trip than a visit every time I go down there.

Enjoy the gallery.

: This is the American Book Company building, with the Marriott Marquis rising next door.

: American Book Company building and the Marriott Marquis Chicago.

: Shiny new glass.

: Installing glass.

: I watched them work on glass for awhile. No doubt they think I’m nuts. But I’m not the one hanging off a building.

: Equipment being used for glass installation.

: The view from across Cermak Road.

: The crane lifting glass panels.

: From in front of McCormick Place, on the southwest corner of Cermak Road and Prairie Avenue.

: Standing down low, pointing to things. I appreciate this.

: Upper-level crew.

: This will support the pedestrian walkway over Cermak Street from the Marriott Marquis Chicago to McCormick Place.

: The same walkway support.

: And this is the hole in McCormick Place where the walkway will be.

: STEVE! Steve is helping with the walkway.

: Looking straight up the south wall from Cermak Road.

: This will be the “front” of the Marriott, along the now-closed-off Prairie Avenue.

: The back of the American Book Company building. yes, they too a large chunk out of it. yes, they will fix it.

: Looking west at the east wall.

: Atop the core.

: Giant street crane.

: Marriott construction reflected in the windows of McCormick Place.

: A rendering from Marriott.

: And another Marriott rendering.

: Sadly, I couldn’t get up to the rooftop garden at McCormick Place this visit. So here’s a shot from up there in May.

: And another May shot.

8 East Huron Digs Down, Shores Up

Posted on June 23, 2016 by danieldschell

Foundation work is ongoing at 8 East Huron in River North.

With two buildings torn down at the northeast corner of State and Huron Streets, a new residential tower is starting to grow.

8 East Huron is a 26-story, 105-unit building being developed by CA Ventures. (That’s CA as in Campus Acquisitions, not something from California. CA Ventures is the new branding, as of 2012.) There will be ground floor retail as well, and 30 or so parking spaces on levels 2-4.

8 East Huron is designed by Valerio Dewalt Train Associates. Clark Construction is on the build. Or, under the build, as you’ll see from the photos below.