Cook County Central Campus Health Center plants a tower crane

Posted on April 10, 2017 by danieldschell

Cook County Central Campus Health Center tower crane

Spring is the season for sprouting tower cranes, like this one for the Cook County Central Campus Health Center.

Thanks to a little birdie’s tip, we heard the nine-story, 282,000-square-foot Cook County Central Campus Health Center at the corner of Damen Avenue and Polk Street planted a tower crane stub this past week. The project was designed by Gensler, in collaboration with Forum Studios. Also joining the design/build team is Clayco, Inc. which is serving as the general contractor as well. They got some help from Stalworth Underground, who drove the sheeting for the foundation two weeks ago that you’ll see in the photos below.

: Rendering of Cook County Central Campus Health Center from Gensler.

: Rendering of Cook County Central Campus Health Center from Gensler.

: Rendering of Cook County Central Campus Health Center from Gensler.

: The tower crane permit was issued March 28.

McDonald’s goes three-dimensional. And I’m lovin’ it

Posted on March 22, 2017 by danieldschell

The second floor is showing at the new McDonald’s Headquarters in the West Loop.

Life happens quickly. What did you expect from two tower cranes?

To no one’s surprise, the new McDonald’s Corporation Headquarters in the West Loop has lifted off the ground. After weeks of attending to ground-level matters (they’re still at it) McHugh Construction has started going vertical. That mostly good news, because now we can see what’s going on above the perimeter fencing, but bad news because no one with an adjacent balcony or rooftop has offered their vantage point to me for looking downward onto progress. Stuff is harder to see as it gets higher, you know.

Surprise! West Crane is first to be erected at McDonald’s HQ

Posted on February 21, 2017 by danieldschell

A piece of West Crane is hoisted into place at the new McDonald’s HQ in the West Loop.

East Crane went into the ground first. So obviously it gets set up before West Crane even gets planted. Right?

Wrong. Crews from Central Crane are busy Tuesday erecting a tower crane on the west side of the McDonald’s Headquarters construction site, leaving pour ole East Crane to watch and wait its turn.

: Poor East Crane, just sitting there. Waiting.

: The view from the B.U.C. HQ.

: NOPE

: Part of the boom being offloaded.

: The cab is ready.

: Boom.

: Another B.U.C. view.

Tower Crane #1 pops up at the new McDonald’s HQ

Posted on February 17, 2017 by danieldschell

East Crane has been planted at the McDonald’s HQ site, under the watchful gaze of the 171 Aberdeen tower crane.

Thanks to a heads-up from Skyscraper Page forum user BB 1871, who pointed out that McHugh Construction has planted the seedling for the first of two tower cranes to be used to build the new McDonald’s Corporation headquarters. The first crane is on the east side of the site; it will henceforth be known as East Crane. Over on the west side of the lot, crews were working on the foundation for West Crane. That’ll mean three tower cranes on two blocks, including the one in use at 171 North Aberdeen.

Caisson work is still ongoing at McDonald’s, but lots of other foundation work has been done as well. There’s a large hole in the ground toward the north end of the site, plus a couple of rebar mats that look like they’re just about ready for concrete pours. So yeah, lots of action going on here.

: That’s the foundation for West Crane.

: When caisson guides go back on trucks, you know that phase is just about a wrap.

Caisson work begins on the Cook County Central Campus Health Center

Posted on February 10, 2017 by danieldschell

The unmistakable yellow masts of Case Foundation drilling caissons at the new Cook County Central Campus Health Center.

Case Foundation is on the case in the Illinois Medical District, as caisson work is underway for the new Cook County Central Campus Health Center. The nine-story, 282,000-square-foot facility at the corner of Damen Avenue and Polk Street was designed by Gensler, in collaboration with Forum Studio. Also joining the design/build team is Clayco, Inc. which is serving as the general contractor as well.

*** Forum and Clayco share a motto, “The Art & Science of Building” and an address, at 35 East Wacker. Their involvement in this together is no coincidence. ***

The Cook County Health & Hospitals System broke ground on the new digs back on December 1, 2016. A foundation permit was filed by the City of Chicago January 20.

You can read the entire press release immediately below the photo gallery.

: Rendering of Cook County Central Campus Health Center from Gensler.

: Rendering of Cook County Central Campus Health Center from Gensler.

: Rendering of Cook County Central Campus Health Center from Gensler.

: The Foundation Permit.

Construction Begins on New Cook County Central Campus Health Center

December 1, 2016

Today, the Cook County Health & Hospitals System (CCHHS), Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, and the Cook County Board of Commissioners broke ground on a new state-of-the-art health center in Chicago.

“The Central Campus Health Center represents a true and lasting commitment to the Cook County Health & Hospitals System, the patients it serves, and our greater community,” said President Preckwinkle. “Today’s celebration is not just about the construction of a new building, but about the promise this project brings to people across Cook County who are in need of expert health care.”

The new 9-story, 282,000 square foot building located at the corner of Polk Street and Damen Avenue, will be completed in 2018. The construction of the new Central Campus Health Center represents a more than $100 million investment by Cook County.

“Thanks to the support from the Cook County Board of Commissioners, the health system will have the modern space and amenities it needs to thrive and expand its capacity to serve,” said M. Hill Hammock, Chair, CCHHS Board of Directors.

Clinical services provided in the new health center will include outpatient specialty services such as dental, ophthalmology, oncology, infusion, dermatology, diabetes and endocrine and adult medicine. The first four floors will house clinical space, with the remaining floors serving as administrative space. The flexible building design allows for administrative to be turned in to clinical space as necessary.
“The new health center will provide our patients an updated, welcoming space, reflective of the high-quality care they receive,” said Dr. Jay Shannon, CEO, CCHHS. “With this project we are coming closer to realizing our future as a modern, integrated person-centered health system, providing expert care while fulfilling our historical mission to care for all in need. Our patients deserve no less.”

Demand for primary and specialty care on the Central Campus is significant. CCHHS cares for more than 300,000 unique patients across the county each year, seeing approximately one million outpatient visits annually- more than half of which take place on the health system’s Central Campus.

“The development of this health center will transform the inner core of Chicago’s West side,” said Cook County Commissioner Robert Steele. “In addition to better serving the patients of our county health system, the construction of the health center will generate new jobs, stimulating our local economy.”

With the new health center, CCHHS will be able to decommission the dilapidated Fantus Health Center, as well as the outdated Administration and Hektoen buildings. Together, these buildings would otherwise require $128 million in deferred maintenance.

“The Central Campus Health Center project is an exciting development opportunity for both the 27th Ward and all of Cook County; a welcomed addition to the Illinois Medical District and upgrade to the way specialized and ambulatory health care services are delivered to all its patients,” said Chicago Alderman Walter Burnett, Jr.

Clayco, the developer and design/builder in partnership with project manager CBRE, has assembled a world-class team including executive architect Forum Studio and design architect Gensler, along with numerous local minority- and women- owned business enterprises. The health center’s design is intended to meet LEED Silver standards for energy-efficiency and environmental impact.

“We are honored to be a partner in the development and delivery, of not only an amazing architectural building, but an integrated health center that meets patient needs,” said Robert G. Clark, CEO, Clayco. “We are committed to reaching out into the community for a diverse workforce and to truly make an impact in Cook County.”

The Central Campus Health Center building and a complimentary project to construct a women and children’s center inside CCHHS’ Stroger Hospital were approved by the Illinois Health Facilities Planning & Services Review Board in September 2016.

As it approaches completion, a big day for Fulton West

Posted on January 27, 2017 by danieldschell

Way out at the west end of the Fulton Market District (I know, it’s practically the suburbs, right?) Sterling Bay’s Fulton West, a 290,000-square-foot office building designed by Gensler, is moving steadily toward its scheduled April 2017 opening. The nine-story building, a combination of new construction and renovation to an existing structure, will also include more than 600 parking spaces and 20,000 square feet of green space.

And though the photos that follow may look gloomy, that was only the weather. Thursday was a bright, cheery day for Fulton West, as Crain’s Chicago reported that Dyson, the company famous for the swiveling vacuum you’ve seen on television, has signed on to lease almost 41,000 square feet of Fulton West space. Dyson currently resides at 600 West Chicago Avenue, and, as mentioned by Ryan Ori at Crain’s, would make the move by the end of the year.

So if there appears to be a little extra sparkle in the cladding around Fulton West, now you understand why. See for yourself, in the photos below showing how far Leopardo Construction has progressed on the project.

There’s no sun anyway; might as well do McDonald’s HQ caisson work at night

Posted on January 25, 2017 by danieldschell

Night work on caissons, McDonald’s Headquarters in the West Loop.

Caissons continue to sink into the West Loop soil at the new McDonald’s HQ. And not just by the light of day. (Like we’ve had any light during the day around here lately anyway…) Crews were burning the early-evening oil Tuesday night, in addition to their usual shift under the harsh light of another cloudy Chicago day.

How about a McDouble? There will be a pair of tower cranes at McDonald’s headquarters

Posted on January 4, 2017 by danieldschell

That tower crane obscured by all the caisson equipment doesn’t belong to the McDonald’s HQ site. But soon, there will be two of them here.

By now you know, tower cranes are a favorite of mine. Two tower cranes? I can barely contain my bliss. We’ve seen them here in Chicago within the past 12 months at The Sinclair, the Simpson-Querrey Biomedical Research Center, and most recently, at Vista Tower. And coming soon, McDonald’s HQ. (HQ stand for headquarters, not headquarter-pounders)

On December 15, the City of Chicago filed permits for the two cranes at 110 North Carpenter Street in the West Loop, and look what they did! They’ve already named them West Crane and East Crane! Which really takes the pressure to come up with clever crane monikers off me.

They’re still busy with caisson work at the new Home of the Golden Arches, so don’t expect cranes to sprout right away. But they’ll be here soon enough. Now, if that completes your order, please pull up to the next window.

East Crane.

West Crane.

Obvious Update: Driving piles at McDonald’s headquarters is noisy

Video

Crank up the volume on your pc/tablet/phone, and you’ll be able to enjoy what West Loopers are hearing, as piles are driven into the ground at the new McDonald’s headquarters at 110 North Carpenter Street.

But don’t worry. Locals know the importance of bringing such a high-profile company to the neighborhood, so they’re willing to put up with the noise for a few days. Besides, all major construction projects are noisy, and the folks on adjacent properties are always understanding of the temporary inconveniences.

Right?

: This guy was working much more quietly, not disturbing a soul…

: …despite working right beside the pile driver.

Construction Progress: Plumbers Local 130 Training Center

Posted on December 22, 2016 by danieldschell

Work continues on the new Plumbers Local 130 Training Center at 1400 West Washington Boulevard in the West Loop. Ground was broken on the Gensler-designed training facility back in June; W.E. O’Neil has been hard at work ever since. The state-of-the-art, 50,000-square-foot project should be complete and ready to start training new plumbers next summer.