The Near North loses a tower crane

Posted on February 20, 2017 by danieldschell

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Meetinghouse

A street crane prepares to pluck the tower crane from atop 822 North Clark Street on Saturday morning.

It was Crexit (Tower Crane Exit, obvs) Weekend in the Near North, as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 822 North Clark Street dropped its tower crane. Remember, that’s only a seven-story building, so the crane got things done and got out of there in a hurry. Where could it be headed next? One Grant Park? The Hilton hotels at 123 East Cermak? Those are the two most recently-permitted tower cranes for Chicago.

Caisson work almost complete for three-headed Hilton monster at McCormick Place

Posted on February 17, 2017 by danieldschell

Caisson work is wrapping up at the triple-brand Hilton hotel project at McCormick Place.

If you think it’s tough work building a hotel, try building three of them. At once.

That’s what First Hospitality Group and Hilton are doing. You may remember this started out as McHugh Construction’s baby, as they owned the lot, until the developers signed on to triple-brand the project. Under just one roof will be a Hilton Garden Inn, a Hampton Inn by Hilton, and a Home2 Suites by Hilton. Seems like a lot to say? It is. But remember, you’ll only need to book a room at one of the three. Unless you really like having options when you sleep. According to the press release from Hilton linked above, the three hotels will be officially named the Hilton Garden Inn Chicago McCormick Center, the Hampton Inn by Hilton Chicago McCormick Center, and the Home2 Suites by Hilton Chicago McCormick Center.

The 23-story hotel(s), designed by Antunovich Associates, will provide 466 rooms and suites at 123 East Cermak Road. A skybridge will connect the new building to McCormick Place. There promises to be a whole host of amenities and dining options, which, again, you can read about straight from the Hilton’s mouth here.

The permit to build was filed by the City of Chicago back in December. Foundation work began in earnest almost immediately, and now caisson work is just about finished. A tower crane permit was flied last week, on the 9th, so look for that to appear in the Prairie District skies very soon. McHugh Construction is, of course, the general contractor.

Tower Crane #1 pops up at the new McDonald’s HQ

Posted on February 17, 2017 by danieldschell

East Crane has been planted at the McDonald’s HQ site, under the watchful gaze of the 171 Aberdeen tower crane.

Thanks to a heads-up from Skyscraper Page forum user BB 1871, who pointed out that McHugh Construction has planted the seedling for the first of two tower cranes to be used to build the new McDonald’s Corporation headquarters. The first crane is on the east side of the site; it will henceforth be known as East Crane. Over on the west side of the lot, crews were working on the foundation for West Crane. That’ll mean three tower cranes on two blocks, including the one in use at 171 North Aberdeen.

Caisson work is still ongoing at McDonald’s, but lots of other foundation work has been done as well. There’s a large hole in the ground toward the north end of the site, plus a couple of rebar mats that look like they’re just about ready for concrete pours. So yeah, lots of action going on here.

: That’s the foundation for West Crane.

: When caisson guides go back on trucks, you know that phase is just about a wrap.

Wanda Vista Tower starts going 3-dimensional

Posted on February 14, 2017 by danieldschell

Those kinds of heights are right about at my level. And you want me on that wall. You *need* me on that wall.

Tired of Wanda Vista Tower photos yet? Don’t be. Because before you know it, all the fun construction will be hundreds of feet in the air, and much harder to watch. So let’s enjoy Vista Theater being presented by McHugh Construction while it lasts.

With the gigantic mat pour done (the junior mat at the east end of the site has been poured too), the tower has started going vertical. I was especially happy to see guys hanging on a wall, four feet off the ground. I could do that; anything over six feet high would have to be someone else’s job, though.

Construction Progress: Chicago Blackhawks Community Training Center

Posted on February 14, 2017 by danieldschell

Work continues on the Chicago Blackhawks Community Training Center.

At 1801 West Jackson Boulevard on the west side, McHugh Construction continues working on the Chicago Blackhawks Community Training Center. Wingers, defensemen, and goalies will be able to use it too though. The two-story, 125,000-square-foot facility, designed by HOK, replaces the original, now-demolished Malcolm X College, which became expendable when a new facility was built across the street.

In addition to providing practice surfaces for the Blackhawks and visiting NHL teams, the center will provide youth hockey development, and host recreational hockey leagues as well. It is expected to open in December of this year.

Breaking the Circle: The old Jane Byrne Interchange ramp comes down

Posted on February 6, 2017 by danieldschell

A bridge to nowhere hovers above the Circle Interchange, remnants of the Ryan-to-Eisenhower ramp.

Anybody remember that time I said construction on the Jane Byrne Flyover was silent?

Yeah, well that was construction. Let’s talk about demolition for a minute. Because for every reaction, there’s an equal and opposite reaction. Granted, the reaction usually comes first. As in, something is demolished to make room for something new. But in this case, the ramp that used to connect the inbound Dan Ryan Expressway to the outbound Eisenhower Expressway was replaced before it was removed. Which crews are doing now. And for some reason, they’ve chosen to do a great deal of the jack hammering at night. Or should I say, overnight. Not a huge thrill for denizens of the West Loop, South Loop, and the Medical District. Part of that has to do with removing the beams over the expressway lanes at night, when there’s less traffic to be affected by periodic closures. But it’s loud. Really loud.

You’ll note in the photos that follow the presence of caisson equipment, including rebar cages. I can’t wait to see what that’s all for.

: Rebat tubes.

: Rebar tubes.

: From the underside of Congress Parkway, between the Circle and The Loop.

: Caissons.

: I see your industrial-size jack hammer down there.

: Closing the inbound Ryan at Roosevelt in the early morning hours of Feb 2.

Quick Look: The Wanda Vista Tower concrete pour, after the fact

Posted on February 5, 2017 by danieldschell

I wanted to use “The After Mat” but decided against it.

Moon and crane above the Wanda Vista Tower construction site, Sunday evening.

The word of the day is… CONCRETE. At least at Wanda Vista Tower

Posted on February 4, 2017 by danieldschell

The big pour is underway at Wanda Vista Tower.

It’s happening. The gigantic mat pour everyone’s been talking about is going on now at Wanda Vista Tower. All manner of concrete distribution is being utilized, the coolest being a line of troughs at the west end of the mat, sending concrete flowing directly from the trucks into the mass of rebar below.

Missed the fun? No you didn’t. They’ll be at it for awhile. You’ve got time to get over there.

Rebar galore as Wanda Vista Tower prepares for its humongous concrete pour

Posted on February 3, 2017 by danieldschell

The Wanda Vista Tower site is no ordinary construction yard. It is a sea of rebar. It’s a seabar.

And very very soon, it’ll be a see of concrete. Charge your camera batteries, tighten up the tripods, and set your time-lapse mode. This will be spectacular to watch. It may take hours and hours and hours for McHugh Construction to accomplish the feet, but it’s February in Chicago. Who wouldn’t want to be outside for this?

One Grant Park caissons keep rolling along

Posted on January 30, 2017 by danieldschell

Ongoing caisson work at One Grant Park in the South Loop.

The foundation of any good building is a good foundation.

A very famous-yet-anonymous philosopher probably said something like that way back in the 1200s. And it still holds true today.

One Grant Park (you may know it as 1200 South Indiana) continues to sink caissons into the South Loop ground. Why is that newsworthy? Because it’s grownups playing in the dirt, flinging mud around. Giant machines with drill bits grinding dozens of feet into the earth. Rebar being twisted into tubes and coils. Come on, it’s just cool.

Case Foundation and McHugh Construction are doing their best to keep us all entertained, at least until One Grant Park starts digging a foundation, then shooting skyward. Skyward as in 76 stories, with 792 apartments.