Eight Eleven Uptown continues upward up in Uptown

Posted on September 5, 2017 by danieldschell

Multiple levels, as Eight Eleven Uptown rises at Montrose and Clarendon (and Agatite)

Way up in the Uptown neighborhood, Chicago’s northern-most tower crane is making progress on Eight Eleven Uptown, the 27-story apartment tower from co-developers JDL Development and Harlem Irving Companies.

Designed by Hartshorne Plunkard Architects, Eight Eleven Uptown will deliver 381 rental units and nearly 300 parking spaces. Many of those parking spots will be used for the Treasure Island food store to be included in the 36,000 square feet of planned commercial space.

Amenities? Of course there will be amenities. And then some. Harlem Irving’s website says we should expect “an acre and a half of outdoor space, a full size pool, vast greenscape, BBQ area, deck seating, a jogging track, cabanas, dog area, fitness room, lounges, small and large party rooms, a theatre, and a business center” on the project’s fourth level. That should be enough creature comforts to satisfy today’s apartment seeker.

As you’ll see in the photos, Lendlease has built the sprawling site up to the fourth floor. Sorry, the pool isn’t done yet.

As Old Town Park rises, more of Atrium Village comes down

Posted on August 1, 2017 by danieldschell

Old Town Park rises beyond the rubble of Atrium Village.

The circle of life continues at Atrium Village, as all but the 207 units of 300 West Hill Street have now been reduced to rubble, even as Old Town Park rises on the northeast corner of the development. The first of tower in the rebuilding of the development, Old Town Park has reached the 21st of its ultimate 32 stories. Onni Group, the developer and general contractor, is flying along at better than a one-floor-per-week pace.

Meanwhile, demolition is all but complete, with only rubble to remove, on the remaining buildings of the complex, save for the previously mentioned 300 West Hill, which is staying. **Serious question: At what point will everyone look around at all the new, amenity-laden buildings, look back at this old one, and say “yeah, let’s tear it down after all”? Anyway, the slate will be clean in plenty of time to begin work on the second tower, hopefully in early fall.

This overhead shot from Curtis Waltz at Aerialscapes shows the Old Town Park tower, with Atrium Village demolition at lower left.

Essex On The Park is Off Of The Ground

Posted on July 25, 2017 by danieldschell

Essex On The Park is beginning its climb into the Michigan Avenue skyline.

Essex On The Park raised a tower crane earlier this month, and now work has begun going vertical along Michigan Avenue in the South Loop. Power Construction has 56 stories to stack atop each other, so there’s a whole lot of work to do. But that’s what tower cranes are for, right? Wait and see; this thing will be topped out in no time.

A few reminders for you as Essex On The Park begins to rise: It’s a development from Oxford Capital Group. It’s designed by Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture. As previously mentioned, Power Construction is the general contractor. 808 South Michigan Avenue is the address. There will be 476 apartments, 84 parking spots, and some ground-floor retail space. Oxford plans to have the apartment tower open to residents in 2019.

Essex On The Park celebrates the Poureth of July

Posted on July 3, 2017 by danieldschell

A swarm of activity at Essex On The Park as the concrete flows freely.

Monday is Concrete Day for Essex On The Park, as Power Construction crews spend the day between the holiday weekend and the actual holiday pouring concrete into the foundation for the new 56-story apartment tower from Oxford Capital Group. And of course, we’re not talking about little bits of concrete. We’re talking trucks lined up down the street, waiting to get their pour on.

One segment of the concrete being poured today is the foundation for the tower crane. The stub was planted almost two weeks ago, sitting there looking all lonely. But now it will have a home, and the crane can be fully assembled, and soon (we hope.) If it goes up before any other cranes come down, it will be #34 on the Chicago Tower Crane Survey.

Eight Eleven Uptown, you may now build to completion

Posted on June 26, 2017 by danieldschell

Going up? Eight Eleven Uptown is, thanks to the full-build permit received Monday the 19th.

Dateline 19-June-2017:

***DIRECT DEVELOPER SERVICES*** FULL BUILDING PERMIT FOR A PROPOSED 27 STORY RESIDENTIAL BUILDING WITH 373 DWELLING UNITS; GROUND FLOOR RETAIL; 278 PARKING SPACES; ALL AS PER PLANS.

And so it came to be that Eight Eleven Uptown, the newest residential tower from JDL Development and Harlem Irving Companies, was permitted by the City of Chicago to continue, and complete, construction in the Uptown neighborhood. That’s good news for Lendlease, who’ve shown no signs of slowing down while waiting on that permit. Eight Eleven Uptown, a design from Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture, will include a Treasure Island food store and 6,000 square feet of additional retail space.

Essex On The Park plants a tower crane

Posted on June 23, 2017 by danieldschell

Essex On The Park has a Stub In The Ground.

Chicago’s tower-crane count is back down to 32, and Essex On The Park won’t stand for it. Thursday, Power Construction planted a stub in the South Loop ground. Surrounded for now by rebar, the foundation will soon (today?) be filled with concrete, which will cure before the full tower crane can be assembled. Let’s watch the middle part of next week for that.

An update on progress, and the name, at Atrium Village

Posted on June 19, 2017 by danieldschell

Old Town Park rises as part of the new Atrium Village.

As Onni Group continues construction of their apartment tower as part of the rebuilding of Atrium Village in the Near North neighborhood, a new name has emerged on the Onni website. This 31-story, 405-unit rental tower is now going by the name Old Town Park. Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture designed the development for Onni, which will have studio, one-bed, two-bed, and three-bedroom units. 340 parking spaces will also be included.

: Old Town Park.

Essex On The Park wraps up caisson work; sheet driving up next

Posted on June 8, 2017 by danieldschell

Time to dismantle the caisson rig and let the sheet driver get at it.

Case Foundation is done, and now it’s Stalworth Underground’s turn, as foundation work at Essex On The Park continues in the South Loop. With all the big holes drilled into the earth, up next comes the piles of sheeting stacked in the southwest corner of the site, and then Essex can get a tower crane moved in. I hope.

: There’s your sheeting, waiting to be driven into the ground. Some life, huh?

171 Aberdeen drops the tower crane

Posted on May 27, 2017 by danieldschell

A street crane prepares to take down the tower crane at 171 Aberdeen in the West Loop Friday morning.

The last Friday of May was also the last day the tower crane at 171 Aberdeen stood above the West Loop. A crew started bright and early in the morning bringing the crane down, making the West Loop American Flag, Tower Crane, and Water Tank photo opp much more difficult.

171 Aberdeen (165 N Aberdeen now?) is a mixed-use building from MCZ Development, delivering 90 residential units, with 40,000 square feet of office space and 15,000 square feet of retail space, plus 130 parking spots, to the neighborhood. Novak Construction is the GC. Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture the designer.

: When that second crane shows up, you know your tower crane’s doomed.

: Removing counterweights.

: Removing counterweights.

: Your jobs are safe from me.

: No better place to hang out on a Friday of a holiday weekend.

: Prepping the end section of the jib.

: That’s crooked.

: We have separation.

: Down comes the first jib section. Watch out for that L train.

: Stubby crane.

Caissons roll along at Essex On The Park

Posted on April 20, 2017 by danieldschell

Like a 4th-line forward in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Case Foundation goes to work in the corners at Essex On The Park.

Two weeks ago, Case Foundation started moving equipment onto the lot at 808 South Michigan Avenue, next to the Essex Inn. And now, they’re deep into full-blown caisson work for the new Essex On The Park apartment tower from Oxford Capital Group. Soon, the 56-story, 476-unit project by Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture will have footing to stand on, allowing Power Construction to get about the task of sending it vertical.