Tag Archives: Hirsch Associates

Addition by subtraction at 168 North Michigan

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Back in July, the Chicago Plan Commission approved plans to finally get the renovation of the former Atlantic Bank Building at 168 North Michigan Avenue restarted. The design to turn the building into a 210-room hotel, by Hirsch Associates Architects, calls for five additional floors to be added to the existing structure. But first, the 13th floor penthouse and everything occupying the roof has to be removed, and that work is taking place now on 168 North Michigan’s rooftop.

W.E. O’Neil is the general contractor (have you checked out the job they did at LondonHouse?!) on the renovations, having replaced the original contractor back in May.

168 North Michigan

The renovation permit, allowing for removal of the 13th floor penthouse.

168 North Michigan

This is what the rooftop looked like in July.

168 North Michigan

As of this week, there isn’t much left up there.

168 North Michigan

A look from street level.

 

Caisson work completed at Centrum Hubbard

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Centrum Hubbard

It’s back to a clean slate for Centrum Hubbard and 412 North Wells.

That didn’t take long.

The last pieces of Case Foundation equipment have left the (future) building(s) at Hubbard and Wells in River North. Now, Linn-Mathes can get to the task of digging foundations, so Centrum Hubbard and 412 North Wells can begin to rise up from the dust.

The development, from Centrum Partners and the architects at Hirsch Associates, received foundation permits back in late June and early July. Up next, expect to see full-build and TOWER CRANE permits.

Centrum Bucktown digs a foundation at 1767 North Milwaukee

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Centrum Bucktown

Centrum Bucktown is being built at 1767 North Milwaukee Avenue.

Centrum Bucktown, another collaboration (see also: Centrum Hubbard, 412 North Wells, among others) from Centrum Partners and Hirsch Associates (Forum Studio is the architect of record), is digging foundations along the Bloomingdale Trail in Bucktown.

Centrum Bucktown will sit in the large lot at 1767 North Milwaukee Avenue, at North Leavitt Street. The site is the former home of an Aldi store, and will be again. Plans call for a 6-story building with 100 dwelling units, plus a new Aldi store at ground level. Surface parking will be provided for shoppers, while underground parking will be included for residents. Arco/Murray is the general contractor.

 

Construction Update: Caisson work at Hubbard and Wells

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221 Hubbard 421 Wells

A CTA Purple Line trains passes construction at Hubbard and Wells.

Case Foundation is on the case at Hubbard and Wells, where Centrum Partners is developing not one, but two new buildings for River North: a 9-story office building at 412 North Wells Street, and a 23-story, 193-unit apartment tower at 221 West Hubbard Street. You can get a great view off progress by hopping a Purple or Brown Line train at Merchandise Mart and riding north.

**Better yet, get on a train at Chicago Avenue, get in the last car, ride south, and take a lap through The Loop. Back-of-the-train views are the best.)**

The two Hirsch Associates projects got foundation permits a week apart at the end of June and early July, the parking lot it used to be was immediately fenced off, and Case brought their big toys in to start drilling caissons. Once that’s all done, Linn-Mathes takes full control of the process, getting these two glass edifices off the ground and heading skyward.

Construction begins on 101-Unit Evanston TOD

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1571 Maple Evanston

This rendering from Hirsch Associates depicts 1571 Maple from the CTA tracks, looking west on Davis Street.

It’s important, when visiting Edzo’s in Evanston, to make sure the staff isn’t on vacation before jumping on a Metra train to the northern suburbs. Oh well. At least there was a construction site to check out.

Work has just started on the Hirsch Associates Architects-designed TOD Centrum Evanston. Evanston has TODs, right? Because this would certainly qualify, situated as it is at the south end of the Davis Street Metra UP-N line, and the Davis Street CTA Purple Line station. The 12-story development from Centrum Partners (Centrum and Hirsch have teamed up before, most recently on the office/residential buildings at Hubbard and Wells in River North) will have 101 apartments, and 3,100 square feet of ground-floor retail space. Novak Construction is on the build. Completion is expected in early 2017.

Chicago Plan Commission Approves Improving 168 North Michigan

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168 North Michigan

The former Atlantic Bank Building, at 168 North Michigan Avenue.

It was gonna be fixed up. Then it stopped. Now it’s on again. And then some.

168 North Michigan Avenue hasn’t been one of the more glamorous buildings along the Magnificent Mile’s southern counterpart. (Millennium Mile? Cultural Mile?) The former Atlantic Bank Building was sold to its current owner, Oxford Hotels & Resorts back in December. That transaction followed the planned renovation of the building that started, then stalled, after a permit was issued in May of 2014.

The City of Chicago filed two new permits in May of this year, reflecting the new ownership, and also changing the general contractor to W.E. O’Neil.

And then last week, the Chicago Plan Commission approved not only the continuation of the renovation project, but also the addition of five more floors atop the existing 12, turning 168 North Michigan into a 210-room hotel. Chicago’s Hirsch Associates Architects designed the new portion.

“We are excited about turning a building that has sat vacant and in a state of disrepair for many years into a vibrant and exciting addition to Michigan Avenue and Millennium Park,” Hirsch Associates president Howard Hirsch told me. “The yet un-named hotel will have 210 rooms and a 2-story restaurant facing Michigan Avenue with a fully operable facade. The original building was designed by Marshall and Fox, and the new design restores the existing Terra-Cotta facade while adding a modern five-story addition to the top, and weaving the modern glass element throughout. Demolition and facade restoration is in progress. Permit for addition and interior work has been submitted to the City. Working towards a Spring 2018 opening.”

Mr. Hirsch sent a few renderings to share with you of the project, which, as he said, is already being renovated.

 

 

Site Prep Underway at Centrum Hubbard

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First the cars were kicked out of the parking lot. Then the fencing went up. Then the Divvy station got kicked to a different curb. And now, there’s scraping and digging going on at 221 West Hubbard (and 412 North Wells, for that matter) in preparation for Centrum Partners’ two-building development in River North.

Designed by Hirsch Associates Architects, 412 North Wells will be a 9-story office building, next to 221 West Hubbard’s 23-story apartment tower.

Linn-Mathes, general contractor for both structures, must be champing at the bit to get going on this lot. It was hoped building permits would be filed around the first of April, but some soil samples turned up negative results, and that set things back awhile. But they’re up and running now. Jump on a Brown or Purple Line train and enjoy the fun.

Lincoln Park Lost Its Edge. Now It’s Getting Schooled.

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Altschool

A rendering of Altschool, 2720 North Clark Street, courtesy of Hirsch Associates Architects.

AltSchool’d, that is.

At 2720 North Clark Street in Lincoln Park, Centrum Partners and Hirsch Associates Architects have teamed up for a two-story mixed use project that will be the home of AltSchool, and a Banana Republic Factory Store. (If the Centrum Partners/Hirsch Associates combo sounds familiar, they’re the two responsible for bringing the just-permitted 412 North Wells and 221 West Hubbard project to life.)

AltSchool provides education for pre-kindergarten through 8th-grade students. Chicago will be its fourth location, joining San Francisco, Palo Alto (CA) and New York City.

William A. Randolph Inc. of Gurnee is the general contractor. Construction is expected to be completed in time for the 2017-2018 school year.

 

412 North Wells Joins 221 West Hubbard on the Permit List

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412 North Wells

In this rendering from Hirsch Associates, 412 North Wells stands front and center; 221 West Hubbard is to the right.

Last week, the residential tower from Centrum Partners at 221 West Hubbard Street in River North got a permit from the City of Chicago to begin foundation work. And now, officially, that lot at Hubbard and Wells is twice as busy.

Yesterday, a permit was filed for caisson work to get started for the other half of this couple, the 9-story office building at 412 North Wells Street. The two towers, both designs from Howard Hirsch of Hirsch Associates Architecture, were delayed slightly by negative results from soil sampling on the site. But the delay is no more. With permits in hand, general contractor Linn-Mathes can flood that lot with caisson equipment, and get to drilling.

412 North Wells

412 North Wells will curve with the L tracks that pass by.

412 North Wells

The (Caisson) Permit.

221 West Hubbard Gets a Permit

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221 West Hubbard

A rendering of 221 West Hubbard (and 412 North Wells) from Hirsch Associates.

This one took awhile.

When last I heard about the proposed office and residential development at 221 West Hubbard Street in River North, it was February. Crews were working in the dirt, and I jumped the gun, assuming construction was ready to begin. It wasn’t. Turns out, soil sampling results were less than ideal, stalling the entire process.

221 West Hubbard

The Permit

I was told it was hopeful a construction permit would be filed for 221 West Hubbard around April 1. And here we are three months later, and finally, the City of Chicago has filed a permit to begin foundation work on the 23-story residential tower portion of the two-structure project.

Designed by Howard Hirsch at Hirsch Associates Architecture, the Centrum Partners development will have 193 apartments in the tower on the west end of the lot at Hubbard Street and Wells, and a 9-story office building with 41,000 rentable square feet on the east end. 91 parking spaces will be included in the residential portion.

For folks getting on and off the Brown and Purple Line trains at the Merchandise Mart, like me, this will be a prime spectating venue as LInn-Mathes, the general contractor, gets to work.