Counting down Eleven40’s tower crane days

Posted on September 15, 2017 by danieldschell

Eleven40 is topped out, with forms remaining only on the east side. Prepare to lose that tower crane soon.

The way I figure it, as long as there are forms atop Eleven40 in the South Loop, I’ll still have a tower crane to see in the back yard. Once those are all down though, we can expect crane removal to happen post haste, as the apartment tower from CA Ventures and Keith Giles continues toward completion at 1136 South Wabash Avenue. And only the east elevation still has forms at all, so we’re getting down to crunch time.

Lendlease is crazy busy in the South Loop, with Eleven40, Ancora at Riverline, 1407 On Michigan, and Hilton Homewood Suites at 1101 South Wabash all climbing at the same time. Like Eleven40, 1407 is topped out, and its tower crane is expected to come down this weekend. Ancora is less than half way from its ultimate height, and the Hilton is just starting to go vertical.

But back to Eleven40. It will bring 320 apartments across its 26 stories when complete, with delivery expected in Spring 2018. As of Today 2017, there are 14 levels of glass installed above the podium, with crews banging and clanging pieces into place daily. From here, we’d say that Spring opening is a cinch.

: Night shots are the best.

: Mooncrane.

: East-side forms.

With caissons wrapped up, 808 West Van Buren scores a tower crane permit

Posted on September 7, 2017 by danieldschell

808 West Van Buren received a tower crane permit Wednesday.

The hideous garbage hole that used to occupy the Greektown corner of Halsted and Van Buren will soon be beautified by a tower crane.

808 West Van Buren, the bKL Architecture-designed 12-story apartment building from Loukas Development, has a clean slate of smooth dirt now that all the caissons have been dug. A few remained to be filled along the north end of the lot Tuesday, but those are probably done by now. The next step for Lendlease is to get that new tower crane in the air and send the 148-unit tower skyward.

: A smooth, clean slate at 808 West Van Buren.

: Hauling off equipment.

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.

1407 On Michigan is glassing up the South Loop

Posted on August 25, 2017 by danieldschell

New glass of 1407 On Michigan hovers above the Chicago Firehouse Restaurant.

The newly-renamed 1407 On Michigan now has some newly-installed cladding to show off. The 15-story rental tower from Russland Capital Group looks to have reached the underside of the 15th floor, so it should be topping out very soon. Unless, of course, we missed a floor of the podium, and it already has topped out.

And that would mean Lendlease is that much closer to having the 199 apartments and 40,000 square feet of commercial space open. As you can see from the signage, Rush Primary And Specialty Care will be included in that space.

Russland originally planned to have 1407 On Michigan open before the year was out. There’s a lot of work to do in the next four months; we’ll see if construction extends into 2018, or if that goal will be met. Stay tuned.

So this is what One South Halsted looks like from the ground

Posted on August 22, 2017 by danieldschell

727 West Madison, seen here from a *bit* of elevation, is starting to grow in the West Loop.

There are two things we need to get used to about One South Halsted around the B.U.C. South Loop Bureau. First, we no longer have our stellar overhead perspective of the 44-story apartment tower from Fifield Companies and F&F Realty. And second, it looks like we’ll need to stop using One South Halsted as a moniker, as it appears 727 West Madison is not only the address, but the name, of the project. No one asked us, but the extra syllables from that pair of 7s just don’t flow well as when you have a one-word number in the there. “One” plays. “One” works. Oh well. We’ll adjust.

A June view of 727 West Madison from the original B.U.C. HQ. #neverforget

We took a walk around One Sou— ugh, See? There I go again — 727 West Madison last week to check on Lendlease’s progress, and the curvyness of the tower’s elliptical shape is coming into view. The tower itself is heading toward the sixth floor, while the podium is up and off the ground as well.

If you’ve gotten the feeling that curved shape is becoming a trend along the West Loop section of the Kennedy Expressway, you’re on to something. 727 West Madison joins The Parker Fulton Market in adding some rounded lines to all the right angles in the neighborhood. A brief conversation with Steve McFadden at design firm FitzGerald reveals he went with the elliptical shape to allow extra interior space within the units along those long east and west facings. Little known fact: There was to be a circular ramp leading in and out of the parking podium in the original plans (one of which went to City Council way back in October of 2012; 727 West Madison has been in the works for quite some time!) but that was rejected in favor of an easier-to-maneuver straight ramp.

808 West Van Buren digs in to Greektown

Posted on August 18, 2017 by danieldschell

Revcon moves caisson equipment around the lot at 808 West Van Buren in the West Loop’s Greektown sub-neighborhood.

The unsightly pit formerly known as a Greektown garbage dump has come alive with caisson work, as Revcon and Lendlease set about laying the foundation for 808 West Van Buren. bKL Architecture has designed a 12-story, 148-unit residential building here for Loukas Development that the City of Chicago permitted back in April. Also included will be 65 parking spots and some ground-level retail space.

Maybe some of that space will be a new bakery, to replace the beloved Pan Hellenic Pastry Shop, which closed earlier this summer. The website says “New Location To Be Announced” so, fingers crossed!

: Rendering of 808 West Van Buren courtesy of bKL Architecture.

: The Foundation Permit.

Hilton Homewood Suites at Wabash and 11th makes an appearance above street level

Posted on August 9, 2017 by danieldschell

Hilton Homewood Suites 1101 South Wabash

Lendlease continues work on the Hilton Homewood Suite at 1101 South Wabash in the South Loop.

Bird’s eye view in June of foundation work.

After lots of foundation work — not to mention the demolition of the two-story parking deck previously on the site — Lendlease is sending the new Hilton Homewood Suites vertical at Wabash Avenue and 11th Street in the South Loop.

The 30-story tower, designed by Lothan Van Hook DeStefano Architecture and developed by Hinsdale’s S.B. Yen Management Group, will start with parking up to the 7th floor, then rise upward with an amenity level on the 8th floor, hotel rooms from 9 to 23, corporate suites on floors 24 through 29, capped off with another level of creature comforts on the 30th floor.

The garage demolition was permitted in January of last year. Ground was broken in December 2016; completion is expected late next year.

BREAKING NEWS: One Bennett Park keeps growing taller

Posted on August 7, 2017 by danieldschell

Staring up at the two tower cranes atop Streeterville’s One Bennett Park.

Maybe file this one in the “not surprising news” column, because if there’s one thing you can count on with 69-story towers, it’s that they’ll grow high.

One Bennett Park continues to do just that in Streeterville. How do I know? There are two tell-tale signs of tall buildings. First, the more it hurts your neck to see the top, the taller they are. Second, if most of your progress photos have to be in portrait mode instead of landscape, then you’re looking at a relatively tall building. It’s science.

More photos than I know what to do with: Ancora at Riverline

Posted on July 28, 2017 by danieldschell

Ancora at Riverline rises next door to River City. You can see the outline of the townhomes facing west, toward the South Branch of the Chicago River.

There will be construction at Riverline for a long time. A very long time. Ten new buildings, 3,600 residential units, covering 14 acres in the South Loop along the Chicago River. Designed by Perkins+Will, Riverline will basically be its own new neighborhood once completed, sometime around 2024.

Ancora, the first building of Phase One, broke ground in September. Lendlease, the general contractor and part of the development team with CMK Companies, is kicking tail on the podium, as the core rises to about ten stories. Ancora will be a 29-story tower, with 420 apartments and 24 townhomes. The second tower, Current, doesn’t have a start date yet, but we do know it will be an 18-story condominium tower with 251 condos and 28 more townhomes.

1411 South Michigan is so last-week. Say hello to 1407 On Michigan

Posted on July 25, 2017 by danieldschell

1407 On Michigan has taken over what 1411 South Michigan began.

That’s right. What we’ve all known as 1411 S. Michigan now has a new name and some new signage in the South Loop. 1407 On Michigan has taken over, and it continues upward toward its ultimate 15-story height. The mixed-use tower from Russland Capital Group will include 199 apartments and 40,000 square feet of commercial space. And at least a portion of that space will be Rush Primary And Specialty Care.

Lendlease is the contractor responsible for the progress at 1407 On Michigan, which to the naked eye appears to have reached the 11th floor. Sunshine made this the prefect day to stop by and take a look.