One Bennett Park keeps wowing in Streeterville

Posted on March 20, 2017 by danieldschell

You’d think someone was in a hurry to see One Bennett Park accomplish completion, as fast as it’s risen so far. Not me. I want progress to slow down while it’s still close enough to the ground to get a good look. At least until we put a deposit down on our penthouse unit. Then we’ll need construction to ramp up considerably so we can move in before another month’s rent is due.

Also, how has it been a month and a half since I’ve stopped by? Oh, that’s right, it was my own refusal to see it on anything but a beautiful sunny day.

Well, I got one. And that means you get many. Photos, that is. Here ya go:

: From across the river at Vista Tower.

: Reflections in 500 North Lake Shore Drive.

: LaGrange Crane is on hand.

The John Buck Company’s 151 North Franklin tops out

Posted on March 3, 2017 by danieldschell

Watching the beam rise at today's #151NFranklin topping out pic.twitter.com/ctX999RXrw

— The John Buck Company (@TheJohnBuckCo) March 2, 2017

And there it goes. Thanks to The John Buck Company for sharing news that 151 North Franklin topped out, and for capturing the moment the final beam rose skyward in photos. I stopped by Randolph and Franklin later in the afternoon to find Lendlease celebrating the event by hanging more glass.

You can see more photos from TJBC’s on its Facebook page here.

Landmark West Loop takes over where 1035 West Van Buren began

Posted on February 23, 2017 by danieldschell

From this day forward, 1035 West Van Buren would like to be called Landmark West Loop.

You know the guy at the office who refills the stapler for you, then staples the last four pages together and takes credit for the TPS reports you spent all week working on? Well, that’s a very vague analogy for what’s just happened at Related Midwest’s new apartment tower in the West Loop.

New signage had been spotted, and Stephanie Lulay at DNAinfo reported yesterday, that what had been called 1035 West Van Buren through all the digging and heavy lifting shall henceforth be known as Landmark West Loop.

There’s still a little ways to go to top off the 30-story tower, as it’s reached about 25 floors in height, but still, a lot of the work was done before this new name swooped in. Though to be fair, buildings named after their addresses aren’t especially clever, and three-word street names are just clunky anyway. Besides, no one has moved into any of the 300 new, unfinished rental units yet, so it isn’t like they’ll need change-of-address cards already. So a new moniker for this one seems fitting. Landmark West Loop it is.

Landmark West Loop rises along the Eisenhower Expressway.

Flyboy vanishing as 1136 South Wabash rises

Posted on February 20, 2017 by danieldschell

1136 South Wabash is obstructing Flyboy’s flight path. The CTA Roosevelt platform is still your best vantage point.

You may wish to make one last pilgrimage to see Hebru Brantley’s Flyboy in the South Loop soon, as construction on 1136 South Wabash continues its rapid upward progress. He won’t be visible much longer, as the 26-story apartment tower by CA Ventures need only grow another level or two before he’s completely hidden. Forever.

Tower crane at its disposal, 1411 South Michigan starts going vertical

Posted on February 18, 2017 by danieldschell

The freshest tower crane in the South Loop is stacking building parts at 1411 South Michigan.

That new tower crane at 1411 South Michigan has construction going vertical. 3-D portions are popping up all around the lot, with some digging going on in the middle. Pretty sure the crane has less to do with the large hole than it does with the vertical pieces.

On a side note: 1411 South Michigan will sit next door to the Chicago Firehouse Restaurant. Two years ago, it was gutted by a fire, but it’s open again now as of the beginning of February. Kudos to ownership for committing to the neighborhood, and a great old Chicago building, to come back. All the best!

Chicago Firehouse Restaurant, about a week before its grand reopening.

One South Halsted officially begins ripping holes in the earth

Posted on February 16, 2017 by danieldschell

The first (?) caisson has been started at One South Halsted.

Having spent the last few days flooding the lot at Halsted and Madison with foundation equipment, Case Foundation is officially on the case for One South Halsted, having begun its first caisson Wednesday.

: Thumbs up

: Rebaristas at work.

Construction Progress: 151 North Franklin glazes a trail in The Loop

Posted on February 14, 2017 by danieldschell

Just a couple guys, hanging out, and in, and over, 151 North Franklin.

151 North Franklin, the future CNA Center in The Loop, keeps getting taller and shinier. Go by at any time of day, and you’ll see crews on a couple sides of the building hanging glass panels. It’s the kind of work that’s fun to watch from down here, until you see someone lean out over the edge to watch what’s happening below them, and you need to move on before you lose your lunch.

Here, have a bunch of progress photos, all taken without having to dangle precariously from, over, or above anything.

A Sunny Day At: 1035 West Van Buren

Posted on February 13, 2017 by danieldschell

Okay, this one isn’t from a sunny day. I just really like the way 1035 West Van Buren looks at night. I won’t try to fool you again.

Another segment in the A Sunny Day At series. This time, it’s 1035 West Van Buren. With its new rows of glass, yellow forms, and red wraps, it begs to be photographed when the sun is out.

1035 West Van Buren works its way into Chicago’s western skyline.

A Tuesday update at One South Halsted

Posted on February 7, 2017 by danieldschell

Both excavators have been busy Tuesday at the Crowne Plaza parking lot/One South Halsted construction site.

If you didn’t think they were serious about moving your car out of the Crowne Plaza parking lot, it’s too late now.

Asphalt continues getting torn up at the future One South Halsted, even in Tuesday’s rain and fog. One interesting change, aside from the digging: the sidewalk protection on Halsted Street has been removed. It remains on the Madison Street (north) side.

: Halsted Street sidewalk protection, gone.

: It remains in place on Madison.

: The Halsted Street sidewalk protection of days gone by.

: UPDATE: A mini-excavator — with jack hammer — showed up for work just after lunchtime.

Riverline’s Ancora tower ramps up construction progress

Posted on February 7, 2017 by danieldschell

A ramp takes shape and form on the Ancora tower site at Riverline in the South Loop.

Ancora, the first building of the Riverline development in the South Loop, continues to jut out of the ground like stalagmites in a cave. General contractor Lendlease‘s handiwork is starting to peek above the secretive fencing that lines South Wells Street, so those of us curious about construction progress don’t need to stand on the roof of our buddy’s van as he slowly drives by anymore. And you kids shouldn’t try that.