Wolf Point East digs in for the long haul

Posted on November 3, 2017 by danieldschell

Excavation crews work atop the trestle bridge as digging continues at Wolf Point East.

Wolf Point East was one of my first stops upon returning to Chicago. Mostly to see that trestle bridge in action, but also to see how much progress Walsh Construction has made on one of the city’s newest skyscrapers. No surprise that the bridge is being used to help with the deep excavation going on now. Truckload after truckload of dirt and mud and Chicago River muck is being hauled away, while diggers great and small eat away at the earth between the bracing.

We should be keeping an eye out for a tower crane permit at Wolf Point East. It could be coming any day now.

Hey, how about more of that trestle bridge at Wolf Point East?

Posted on October 7, 2017 by danieldschell

You know, because it’s cool. Ridiculously cool.

: The Beast.

: We watch. All day.

: Oh, so it’s like a jigsaw puzzle?

The Big Green W is building a bridge at Wolf Point East, and I can’t get over it

Posted on October 2, 2017 by danieldschell

Walsh Construction is building a trestle bridge at Wolf Point East to give equipment easier access the site.

It’s not a building permit you see every day.

CONSTRUCTION OF TEMPORARY TRESTLE BRIDGE FOR CONSTRUCTION PURPOSES ALL WITHIN PRIVATE PROPERTY.

As part of the Wolf Point East tower project, Walsh Construction is building a trestle bridge. Why? Well, they can, for one. But seriously, they gave a much better explanation on Twitter:

Looking like trestle will allow access to adjacent property for job site construction traffic.

— Pete Doherty (@dohertytweets) September 17, 2017

There you have it. Equipment needs to get to the site one way or another. Sometimes, you just have to build “another.”

: A permit you won’t see often.

Walsh Construction and Case Foundation keep doing stuff at Wolf Point East

Posted on September 13, 2017 by danieldschell

Chicago Water Taxi cruises past Wolf Point East on Tuesday.

I thought the caissons were done. I guess they’re not quite. Sheeting might be done, because the pile driver is folded up like it’s driving away soon. But maybe not. I don’t know.

The Big Green W and Case Foundation are doing work at Wolf Point East, and I have no idea what it is. But they have cool toys, and they all seem to know what they’re doing. So I took some photos and now you can see them too.

The end.

: I ain’t the only one out here.

Wolf Point East presents Caisson Theater

Posted on August 17, 2017 by danieldschell

Across the Chicago River, Case Foundation continues caisson work for Wolf Point East.

It’s Air & Water Show weekend in Chicago. Thousands of people will flock to the Lake Michigan waterfront to watch the boats and fighter jets do their thing. But if you’re looking for entertainment while still being able to move from side-to-side, get thee over to Wacker Drive and the Franklin Street bridge, from where you’ll get a great view of Case Foundation’s caisson work on Wolf Point East.

Case had 50 bell caissons to do (those are almost done) and 14 rock caissons to drill (seven of those are done.) Once foundation work is complete, The Big Green W can set about the task of sending the 60-story, 700-unit apartment tower skyward.

: I love this farmstead porch loo.

: Fresh from a Hot Wheels package. Collect all 4!

: I’ve seen some rebar tubes, but I just can’t get oval this one.

Caisson work is underway at Wolf Point East

Posted on July 24, 2017 by danieldschell

Kayakers get a close-up look at Wolf Point East caisson work.

Rendering of Wolf Point East from Hines.

Who’s ready for Wolf Point East? That’s rhetorical, because ready or not, it’s here.

Skyscraper nerds had already left the fork in the Chicago River for sites like Vista Tower and One Bennett Park, what with Wolf Point West, River Point, and 150 North Riverside all completed and open. But now, time will once again be split, and attention divided, as the next phase begins.

Hines is developing the 60-story, 700-unit apartment tower here, along with land-owners the Kennedy family. A collaboration between architect-of-record Pappageorge Haymes Architects and designer Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, Wolf Point East is the second of the three towers slated for this corner of the river. There will be about 3,500 square feet of retail space as well, plus a whole bunch of parking spots. But don’t worry about eyesores; that parking will be located underground.

Case Foundation is there as we speak, drilling caissons into the ground. Walsh Construction is the general contractor. When their tower crane goes up (soon, please?) it’ll be Walsh’s second in Chicago, having just erected one at 1326 South Michigan, and removing one at Alta Roosevelt over the weekend.