The second tower crane is coming down at McDonald’s HQ

Posted on November 17, 2017 by danieldschell

Piece by piece, the West Crane at McDonald’s new HQ is coming down.

West Crane at the new McDonald’s Headquarters in the West Loop was the first one to work, and now it’s the last one to go home. Of the two tower cranes, that is.

The two cranes were erected about a week apart back in February, did what McHugh Construction needed them to do, and East Crane came down back in September. West Crane stuck around to get the last of the heavy lifting accomplished, but this week sees it leaving the site as well. Trucks and personnel from Central Contractors Service were out there Thursday disassembling the second Peiner SK415 and lowering it to the ground.

With a stub in the ground at Hayden West Loop but no crane assembled there yet, the West Loop tower crane count drops to 7, tying it with the South Loop for the neighborhood lead. It’ll get it back soon though.

Renelle on the River erects Chicago’s 60th tower crane of 2017

Posted on November 13, 2017 by danieldschell

Chicago’s 60th tower crane of 2017 is up and lifting at Renelle on the River.

The Big 6-0 is on the board, as Chicago’s 60th tower crane takes to the skies at Renelle on the River, at 403 North Wabash in River North. If you want to count backwards, Home2 Suites, also in River North at 110 West Huron, was #59. The Van Buren, at 808 West Van Buren in the West Loop, came in at #58 last month. And 210 North Carpenter, another West Loop project, was Chicago’s 57th crane of the year when it went up.

*60 cranes. That’s a big year for tower cranes. And with the stub Hayden West Loop planted in the ground at 1109 West Washington, #61 will be added to the count very soon. Two other cranes have permits: 3833 North Broadway, where we expect a stub to be planted around Thanksgiving; and The Bentham, at 146 West Erie, which doesn’t have a construction permit yet.

*I am not counting the derrick crane at Simpson Querrey.

: Renelle on the River.

: Renelle on the River.

: Renelle on the River, 403 North Wabash.

: The Van Buren tower crane.

: Home2 Suites River North tower crane.

: 210 North Carpenter tower crane.

Triple-Branded Hilton McCormick Place missed milestones: Topping out, glassing up

Posted on November 13, 2017 by danieldschell

McHugh Constructions Hilton, Hilton & Hilton has grown to 22 stories at 123 East Cermak Road.

It’s been longer than I realized since we’ve walked around the Triple-Branded Hilton Hotels that McHugh Construction and UJAMAA is building at McCormick Place. Not only are there seven floors all glassed in, but the tower appears to have reached the 22nd floor. And it looks topped out. The permit called for 22 stories, but other specifications show 21 and 23 floors. Guess what? If this is a future 22-story hotel, and construction has indeed reached the 22nd floor, then by golly, she’s topped out.

Expect a skybridge to shoot out of here soon.

One thing not added is the skybridge over Indiana Avenue that will connect the hotel to McCormick Place, but you can see where it will attach on the south corner of the east elevation.

Antunovich Associates designed the 466-room hotel, situated on Cermak between Michigan and Indiana Avenues. It is expected to open late in 2018.

Renelle on the River plants a tower crane on North Wabash

Posted on November 8, 2017 by danieldschell

A tower crane stub has been planted at Renelle on the River.

One of the city’s tightest construction spaces has planted a shiny yellow tower crane stub. Renelle on the River is the 18-story, bKL Architecture-designed condo tower Belgravia Group is sliding atop the underground parking garage at 403 North Wabash in River North. And a walk-by yesterday reveals McHugh Construction working around the new crane.

Rendering of Renelle on the River from bKL Architecture.

Renelle on the River is a curious project. Not only is it the aforementioned tight squeeze where a small plaza once stood, but it will also be angled in such a way as to give all residents a view of the Chicago River. And then there’s the foundation. No caissons were drilled for this one (the building permit went straight to full-build, with no foundation permit), leaving one to assume the existing parking structure was built to support much more weight than a few cars. And that tower crane’s foundation? It appears to be suspended in mid-air, even while being rooted in a huge block of concrete. It’s a mesmerizing set-up, to be sure.

Renelle on the River will bring 50 three- and four-bedroom condominiums to the neighborhood. There’s a sales office right next to the site, if you want to stop in and check them out. We highly suggest taking their virtual tour.

An end-of-October update at Vista Tower

Posted on November 4, 2017 by danieldschell

Vista Theater is fading; the best views of Vista Tower are no on the north side of the Chicago River.

I saw construction on three Wanda Vista Tower projects during October: the one you’re most familiar with, Vista Tower here in Chicago, plus two in Australia: one in the demolition phase in Sydney, New South Wales, and the three-tower Jewel Residences project on the beach in Gold Coast, Queensland. I managed to get to Chicago’s site on the last day of the month to make sure McHugh Construction crews hadn’t finished up while we were gone. Thankfully, they had not.

Quick Look: October progress at One Grant Park

Gallery

Posted on October 11, 2017 by danieldschell

This gallery contains 33 photos.

It’s Go Time for Renelle on the River

Posted on September 28, 2017 by danieldschell

It’s official: Construction may begin on Renelle on the RIver.

A building permit issued yesterday by the City of Chicago signals the official start of Renelle on the River at 403 North Wabash Avenue in River North. The bKL Architecture design is being developed by Belgravia Group, and it will deliver 50 new condominiums to the former plaza next to Trump Hotel and Tower. McHugh Construction will be the general contractor.

We’ve been waiting on this one for awhile. Construction fencing went up around the plaza early this year, but demo didn’t begin until summer. But with permit in hand (and at least 40% of those 50 condos already sold) it’s finally time to get busy and get Renelle on the River on the plaza.

: bKL rendering of Renelle on the River.

: Plaza demolition as of August.

And then there were two. Twice.

Posted on September 25, 2017 by danieldschell

One tower crane is cool. Two is spectacular. There might be sound functional reasons to employ two tower cranes on a job site, but it’s usually done for our entertainment. And two jobs sites came through for us last week.

The two tower cranes of The Lincoln Common.

W.E. O’Neil added a second crane up at The Lincoln Common. It.s two 20-story towers each require a crane of its own. And McHugh Construction added a second crane at One Grant Park. It’s primary function will be to construct the 16-story parking deck, while the first crane continues with the residential portion of the 76-story apartment tower.

A luffing crane has joined the fun at One Grant Park.

Chicago now has five construction projects with two tower cranes, joining the Simpson Querrey Biomedical Research Center, One Bennett Park, and Vista Tower.

Here comes Tower Crane #2 at One Grant Park

Posted on September 20, 2017 by danieldschell

One Grant park’s original tower crane stands proudly over its latest project: Tower Crane #2.

As One Grant Park continues to grow, we saw growth of another kind on Tuesday: Tower Crane #2 has sprouted up from the stub planted on the site last week.

When I arrived late in the afternoon, the crane’s tower had grown, but the crawler crane on the lot last week planting the stub was nowhere to be found. That tells me Tower Crane #1 is putting Crane #2 together. Doesn’t that kind of teamwork just melt your heart. Crane #1 will continue working on the residential of the tower (that being the 792 apartments we all want to see the views from) and Crane #2 will work on the parking deck that extends up through the 16th floor.

As for the rest of work at One Grant Park that doesn’t involve assembling tower cranes, McHugh Construction crews look like they’ve reached the 15th floor, by my count. Just 61 stories to go to reach 76. We’ll have plenty of progress to watch for over the coming fall and winter months.

And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for: More photos than you’ll ever need of a tower crane that isn’t even finished yet… plus the rest of progress on One Grant Park.

: This is what we can see without leaving the B.U.C. HQ.

: That view, zoomed.

Late Night with Vista Tower

Posted on September 19, 2017 by danieldschell

Vista Tower glows from across the Chicago River at River Esplanade Park.

Vista Tower has been under construction for just over a year now. This blog has featured approximately 17,648 posts about progress on the 95-story hotel and residential tower. And yet, I’ve somehow managed to neglect it. How? By not stopping by the site after dark. That situation has been rectified, as of this past weekend.

I know, you just saw a bunch of photos of Vista Tower yesterday. But here we go again.