One South Halsted is on the way to Greektown

Posted on January 28, 2017 by danieldschell

Rendering of One South Halsted from FitzGerald Associates.

Friday, the City of Chicago filed a foundation permit for One South Halsted, the 44-story apartment tower designed by the West Loop’s very own FitzGerald Associates Architects. That must mean the latest round of soil sampling just a week and a half ago was successful. Or, at least it wasn’t unsuccessful.

Anyway, expect several floors of parking structure to be part of the foundation deal, as the FitzGerald plan calls for 375 parking spaces, so as to replace the Crowne Plaza parking lot One South Halsted will replace. Look for nearly 500 apartments atop retail space when all is said and done. Lendlease has been hired on as the general contractor.

The Foundation Permit.

Rendering of One South Halsted from FitzGerald Associates.

Soil sampling on January 17 of this year.

Bye bye, parking lot. Hello, ANOTHER TOWER RIGHT OUTSIDE THE B.U.C. WINDOW!!

851 West Grand takes shape alongside the Kennedy Expressway

Posted on January 5, 2017 by danieldschell

851 West Grand in River West, up to floor #3 of 6.

The 851 West logo.

Over in River West, construction crews are busy erecting 851 West, a six-story apartment building at 851 West Grand Avenue from developer Monroe Residential Partners. Designed by FitzGerald Associates Architects, 851 West will bring 36 “boutique apartments” with 18 parking spaces across West Grand Avenue from the newly-opened Kenect Apartments.

The City of Chicago filed the construction permit back in June, and Summit Design + Build has been on the job ever since, with work having now reached the third floor.

There are lots of great construction photos over on 851 West’s Facebook page.

: Rendering of 851 West from Monroe Residential Partners.

: The view of 851 West from the B.U.C. HQ.

1001 West Chicago filling up old Gonnella site

Posted on December 28, 2016 by danieldschell

The pair of towers at 1001 West Chicago rise in River West.

The dual-tower, 363-unit apartment development 1001 West Chicago from Bond Companies and Morgan Holdings keeps rising in River West, as Power Construction crews have reached the eighth and ninth floors on the respective structures, on their way to 15 and 13 stories. Not bad for having only broken ground in September.

The FitzGerald Associates project will also include 10,000 square feet of retail space and parking for 300 cars. Remember, some of that parking is necessary for the retail space, especially considering a grocery store will take some of that allotment.

Gallery I: Construction Progress

Gallery II: Anatomy of a Beam Lift

3Eleven doesn’t have glass yet. Or does it?

Posted on December 9, 2016 by danieldschell

A lone panel of glass adorns 3Eleven, at 311 West Illinois Street in River North.

You know that one guy who keeps showing up for work, so you find a job for him somewhere he can be on his own, out of the way, even though you don’t have anything for him to do? Meet the lone glass panel at 3Eleven in River North.

3Eleven has risen 8-10 stories high in River North, just enough to start rendering the parking garage next door obsolete for construction photos. And though it’s clearly too soon (or is it) to begin the curtain wall, there is one piece of glass securely fastened to the north wall. Some sort of place-holder, I presume.

You surely recall that 3Eleven is a development from the John Buck Company, featuring 25 stories of 245 apartments, and 3,000 square feet of retail space. There will also be parking, some for the apartments, and some set aside for the exclusive use of Assumption Catholic Church, from which the lot was purchased. The design is by FitzGerald Associates Architects; Power Construction is doing the heavy lifting.

: Lone glass, nighttime edition.

: it would be cool to have food delivered straight to your window like this.

Construction Update: 1001 West Chicago rises in River West

Posted on October 17, 2016 by danieldschell

1001 West Chicago, with an impressive photobomb by Saint John Cantius, which I hope you visited during Open House Chicago.

1001 West Chicago is rising on the site of the old Gonnella Baking Company site, which is the yeast of the bread puns I could have made. Developed by Bond Companies and Morgan Holdings, designed by Fitzgerald Associates, the dual-tower project will deliver 363 apartments and 10,000 square feet of retail space. Power Construction is on the build.

: Gratuitous tower crane shot.

: Gloomy crane.

3Eleven grows, and Assumption Catholic Church gets a new story

Posted on October 13, 2016 by danieldschell

3Eleven, at 311 West Illinois Street in River North, being constructed on what used to be the parking lot of Assumption Catholic Church.

Progress continues on the 25-story apartment tower 3Eleven in River North. The future home of 245 “luxury” rentals, 3,000 square feet of retail, and 109 parking spaces by the John Buck Company broke ground back in June in the parking lot of Assumption Catholic Church. 3Eleven is a design by FitzGerald Associates Architects. Power Construction is doing the build.

A related project to this is the one-story addition Assumption Church is getting to the priory on the west end of the lot. The architecture firm of McBride Kelley Baurer Architects designed the priory portion; Norcon is the general contractor for the addition.

: The single-story addition to the priory at Assumption Catholic Church.

Construction Update: Niche 905

Posted on September 20, 2016 by danieldschell

Balconies galore at Niche 905.

Balconies. If you ask me to describe Niche 905 in one word, that’s my answer: Balconies.

Named for its location at 905 North Orleans Street in Near North, Niche 905 continues toward completion. Having dropped its tower crane back in late August, the 18-story, 202-unit apartment tower by FitzGerald Associates is wrapping up exterior work, while evidence can be seen through the windows of the interior work that goes on.

But the balconies are what get your attention. Extending from the west and east sides of the building, they’re spaced vertically and horizontally like an out-of-control climbing wall. Don’t try that, though. That wouldn’t be safe.

Expect residents to start enjoying those outdoor spaces in Spring 2017. Also, expect them to use elevators to get there, not climbing apparatus.

1001 West Chicago plants itself a tower crane

Posted on September 14, 2016 by danieldschell

A crane builds a crane at 1001 West Chicago.

If it seems Power Construction is everywhere around Chicago these days, it’s because Power Construction is everywhere around Chicago these days. Tuesday, while most of the crew continued work on the foundations for 1001 West Chicago, the rest of the gang took part in yet another tower crane erection. The design from FitzGerald Associates brings 360 apartments in two mid-rise towers, 10,000 square feet of retail (including a grocery store) and 300 parking spaces for all those residents and shoppers.

: Spotted from the Building Up Chicago HQ.

: NOPE

: Let’s give the non-tower crane a little love. It’s important, too.

: Foundation work continues.

A tower crane juts into the River West sky

Posted on September 13, 2016 by danieldschell

As seen from the Building Up Chicago offices, the new tower crane at 1001 West Chicago.

Crews are assembling Chicago’s latest tower crane at 1001 West Chicago today. The crane was permitted back on August 23. Look for more photos in this space as they become available. (In other words…”when I can get up there to take some.”)

The Tower Crane Permit.

No more loafing on old Gonnella site as foundation crews rip into the earth

Posted on August 15, 2016 by danieldschell

Ahhh, the familiar din of caisson work.

Surely this development will have a cool name soon. But for now, 1001 West Chicago will have to suffice (despite the two foundation permits being filed as 728 and 738 North Morgan Street.) That was the address of the Gonnella Baking Company when it was on this site in River West. Now, the entire lot is leveled, and crews are busy drilling caissons for a huge 360-unit apartment project from Bond Companies, which came up with the bread to get this development on a roll.

The design from Fitzgerald Associates will include 10,000 square feet of retail space, and parking for 300 cars. As you can see in the photos, Revcon is out there on the caisson work; Power Construction is handling the general contractor duties.