The Wicker Park Connection digs in

Posted on February 15, 2017 by danieldschell

A rendering of the Wicker Park Connection from Hirsch Associates Architects.

After filing a foundation permit late in 2016, the Wicker Park Connection is burrowing into the soil on its lot at 1640 West Division Street. The 15-story project from Centrum Partners will sit right next to the nearly-completed Centrum Wicker Park, another collaboration between Centrum and Hirsch Associates Architects.

Revcon is out there drilling caissons now; Linn-Mathes is the general contractor assigned to sending the 140 apartments skyward.

: Rendering of the Wicker Park Connection via Hirsch Associates.

: Centrum Wicker Park, right next door, is nearing completion.

Construction Progress: Centrum Hubbard and 412 North Wells

Posted on February 6, 2017 by danieldschell

Conveniently located right next door to 225 West Hubbard (foreground, with water tank), aka HQ for both Centrum Partners and Hirsch Associates, Centrum Hubbard is rising in River North.

There may not be a whole lot to report as far as progress goes on 412 North Wells, the 9-story office building from Centrum Partners and Hirsch Associates. But that’s because work efforts are being concentrated on the 23-story, 193-unit apartment tower Centrum Hubbard next door. These are the closest projects to downtown for the dynamic duo, which is also currently building Centrum Bucktown, Centrum Wicker Park, and the Wicker Park Connection, among others.

Centrum Bucktown looming large above the Bloomingdale Trail

Posted on December 29, 2016 by danieldschell

Centrum Bucktown rises at the intersection of Milwaukee Avenue and The 606.

Centrum Bucktown is an under-construction development at 1767 North Milwaukee Avenue that will have 606 residential units, with 606 parking spaces and 606 square feet of retail space.

None of that is true, of course. But 606 is a key number in the development of Centrum Bucktown, as it sits right along side the Bloomingdale — or “606” — Trail. What the joint effort from Centrum Partners and Hirsch Associates (with an assist from Forum Studio) will have is 100 units in its six stories, plus retail space for a new Aldi store, replacing the one demolished for the project.

ARCO/Murray is the general contractor.

Here comes the Wicker Park Connection

Posted on December 21, 2016 by danieldschell

The Permit. Let The Wicker Park Connection begin!

A permit filed Tuesday by the City of Chicago signals the beginning of the Wicker Park Connection. Another project from the combined forces of Centrum Partners and Hirsch Associates Architects, the Wicker Park Connection will fill the surface parking lot at 1640 West Division Street.

The Wicker Park Connection will be a 15-story building, bringing 140 residential units with 52 parking spaces, along with ground-floor retail. Linn-Mathes has been hired to be the general contractor.

: Rendering of The Wicker Park Connection from Hirsch Associates.

: Rendering of The Wicker Park Connection from Hirsch Associates.

: Rendering of The Wicker Park Connection from Hirsch Associates.

: The Wicker Park Connection will be the new neighbor of Centrum Wicker Park, another Centrum/Hirsch collaboration, seen here under construction back in August.

: Bye bye, surface parking lot. And a really ugly one at that.

: Looking through the soon-to-be-gone surface parking lot. That’s Centrum Wicker Park in the background.

At 412 North Wells, a hole. At Centrum Hubbard, a whole lot more.

Posted on December 16, 2016 by danieldschell

Construction progress continues at Centrum Hubbard in River North, the 23-story, 193-unit residential tower in River North from Centrum Partners and Hirsch Associates Architects. 412 North Wells, on the other hand, the accompanying 9-story, 41,000-square-foot office building next to it, still redeems itself as a convenient material-staging site for the apartment tower construction. To be honest though, it’s easier to observe and keep tabs on one project at a time, don’t you think?

: With train.

: Without train.

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.

Centrum Hubbard digs itself a great big hole

Posted on October 11, 2016 by danieldschell

They’re digging down below grade for Centrum Hubbard.

The tower crane’s in place, and now Power Construction crews are really getting down to it. Literally. There’s a big hole in the earth from which the 23-story Centrum Hubbard residential tower will rise. On the other end of the lot, 412 North Wells….well, let’s just say its time will come.

Quick reminder on Centrum Hubbard: 23 stories, 193 apartments, 91 parking spots, and 6,000 square feet of retail space. The design is by Hirsch Associates; the developer is Centrum Partners.

: There’s been a bit of digging going on at 412 North Wells, too.

: Do you mind? Trying to take photos here.

Tower Crane Update: Centrum Hubbard and 412 North Wells

Posted on September 30, 2016 by danieldschell

Centrum Hubbard 412 North Wells tower crane

The tower crane is real. And it is spectacular.

The stump has been planted, the foundation poured and cured, and all the parts are assembled in mid-air. The tower crane at Centrum Hubbard and 412 North Wells is ready to go.

That single tower crane will erect both the 9-story office building (412 North Wells) and the 23-story, 193-unit residential tower (Centrum Hubbard) in the lot at Wells and Hubbard. Both buildings were designed by next-door neighbor Hirsch Associates. And with it now in place, it’s time for digging some foundations. Not by the tower crane though. The excavation equipment will handle that task.

Gallery I: Tuesday assembly

Gallery II: The finished crane and the foundation dig.

Your late-night preview of the Centrum Hubbard tower crane

Posted on September 26, 2016 by danieldschell

In pieces for now, a future tower crane awaits assembly on the Centrum Hubbard/ North Wells lot.

A tower crane waits for no man.

Except for the men who have to assemble the crane. Which means the tower crane at Centrum Hubbard/412 North Wells will have to wait until Tuesday morning to continue climbing into the sky. But crews got a good start on Monday, stacking a few sections atop each other, while filling the lot with more crane parts, including the ever-important sky cab. Which is what I’m calling it, starting just now.

Have a look at the progress so far, night-vision style.

: Foundation work for the crane on Thursday the 22nd.

: The crane-building crane was on site Monday morning.

Centrum Hubbard and 412 North Wells get a tower crane to share

Posted on September 22, 2016 by danieldschell

Crews work on the foundation for the Centrum Hubbard/412 North Wells tower crane.

This is the time we find out just how well Centrum Hubbard and 412 North Wells get along.

One is an office building, and one is a residential tower. So right off the bat, you’d think there might be tension. They’re being built in a very confined space, at the corner of Hubbard and Wells in River North, so they won’t have much of a chance for alone time. And now, they’ll have to start sharing a tower crane.

Yesterday, crews were busy working on the foundation and base section of a nice red tower crane toward the back and center of the lot. That tower crane will pivot to both sides to service the needs of the two-structure project from Centrum Partners and Hirsch Associates.