Flora is ready for its October 15 debut

Posted on October 12, 2024 by danieldschell

Flora (1114 West Carroll Avenue) is the newest addition to the western Chicago Skyline.

Flora, the brand-spankin’-new apartment tower at 1114 West Carroll Avenue in the Fulton Market District, is getting ready for its big opening on Tuesday, October 15. If you’ve been to the website to check on availability for studio, one-bed, two-bed, and even three-bedroom floor plans, you know that’s the day you can move in to your new pad.

The 34-story, 368-unit apartment tower, includes a below-grade 95-space garage and storage for 185 bicycles, is a sharp-looking addition to the westward-spreading West Loop. And there’s more coming to the neighborhood soon. Very soon. And Flora is one great reason to add a station to the Metra lines that don’t stop between Western Avenue and the Ogilvie Transportation Center.

Not that this should ever be a barometer for good or bad from a development, but this one lives up to its renderings. Congratulations to the Flora team, including developer Trammell Crow Company, design architects ESG Architecture & Design, and general contractor Power Construction. May your units fill up quickly. I’d happily live here, and I have a birthday coming up (next year) if anyone wants to gift me a one-bedroom.

Power got their first permit for Flora back on January 9 of 2023 with the issuance of the foundation permit. Several more permits followed, including the tower crane two weeks later, the full building permit on March 7, 2023, and permission to install four passenger elevators on October 26 of last year.

Enjoying the photos? Metra and CTA rides (and Amtrak trains to Milwaukee), Zipcars, Divvy Bikes, camera lenses, domain fees, snacks & energy drinks, and comfortable walking shoes add up. You can help offset expenses by making a greatly-appreciated donation to Building Up Chicago.

Loyola University Chicago wraps up Centennial Forum demolition

Posted on August 28, 2024 by danieldschell

Loyola University Chicago’s Centennial Forum demolition is nearing completion.

Quite a bit of debris remains, but little else other than memories, of the Loyola University Chicago Centennial Forum demolition in Rogers Park. The City of Chicago issued a demolition permit for the two-story concrete building on May 23, and demo contractor American Demolition got to work almost immediately. Now the entire structure is gone, and work is being done below grade to close off the multi-level plaza that connected Centennial Forum to Mertz Hall next door.

Power Construction is the general contractor for the entirety of this project, but it still seems the only plan for the site is to make it “green space.” Not permanently, but green nonetheless. For now.

Centennial Forum at Loyola University Chicago is being demolished

Posted on June 26, 2024 by danieldschell

Concrete comes tumblin’ down.

Demolition is ongoing — and darn fun to watch — on the Rogers Park campus of Loyola University Chicago, where the Centennial Forum is being reduced to rubble. The City of Chicago issued a demolition permit for the two-story concrete building on May 23, and demo contractor American Demolition got to work almost immediately.

Power Construction is the general contractor for the entirety of this project, but as yet, I haven’t a clue what Loyola plans to erect on this site once demolition wraps up. I *can* tell you that the tall tower in the background of many of these photos — Mertz Hall — is *not* being torn down.

Here’s a whole bunch of photos from the action from Wednesday, June 26. I stood and watched a lot longer than I’d plan. That’s easier to do with demolition than with construction, because so much changes in so little time. Take a photo of a wall or beam, look in another direction, and suddenly there’s no more wall. So cool.

Demolitions near completion at 1960, 1962 North Fremont in Lincoln Park

Video

Demolition of 1962 North Fremont Street in Lincoln Park

The demolitions of two residential buildings in Lincoln Park, at 1960 and 1962 North Fremont Street, are all but complete. Both buildings were permitted for destruction by the City of Chicago on April 24, 2024.

1960 and 1962 North Fremont, fenced off for demolition.

A visit here the day after the permits were issued saw demo fencing already surrounding the two properties. I returned Wednesday the 15th to find 1960 completely gone, and 1962 torn open from the rear, with little remaining to be demolished toward the front of the house.

Demolition work moving toward the front of 1962 North Fremont.

Quality Excavation is doing the dirty work, while Power Construction’s Luxury Residence Group is the overall general contractor for the new building (mansion?) to come. Dennis Rodkin at Crain’s Chicago addressed these properties last year; whether the plan is the same, I can’t say. No new permit has been issued for these lots yet.

**Profile view of demolition, 1962 North Fremont**

1960 North Fremont before demolition began, April 25, 2024.

Flora, at 1114 West Carroll, blossoms into a stellar tower

Posted on May 6, 2024 by danieldschell

The last time I posted about 1114 West Carroll, it was 1114 West Carroll. Now, it has a new moniker: Flora. And a name change is enough of a reason (to me) to throw a few more pics out there. But more so because I just happen to really love the look of this tower.

And I’m not going to be neutral when it comes to the West Loop/Fulton Market District. It’s my favorite neighborhood in Chicago. And while Flora feels like it’s situated a little too far west for my liking, this portion of Fulton Market is going to become very dense very soon, putting Flora right in the middle of everything. Yep, I’d live here.

The 34-story, 368-unit apartment tower should be welcoming its first residents this summer. Won’t be surprised if it fills up quickly.

Darn Near Done: North Union’s 868 North Wells

Posted on March 9, 2024 by danieldschell

868 South Wells, the second tower at North Union, is Darn Near Done

The thing about taking a break is that projects in the middle of construction suddenly seem completed when you miss a few months. Take 868 North Wells. I blinked, and now there’s no more tower crane, the glass is full to the top, and there isn’t much left to see.

Granted, I did stop by North Union a few times in late summer, but didn’t get around to posting photos. So what the heck. Let’s post some photos from visits in August and September of 2023, and a few of the Darn Near Done tower from March 2024, starting with the most recent.

Congrats to the development team on topping out at 868:

JDL Development – Developer
Intercontinental Real Estate – Co-Developer
Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture – Design Architect
Power Construction – General Contractor

868’s permit history:

Foundation – issued 09/06/2022
Tower crane – issued 10/12/2022
Full building – issued 01/04/2023
Hoist – issued 03/03/2023
Tower crane phase 2 – issued 04/06/2023

And finally, photos from my last 4 visits to 868 North Wells:

March 2024:

September 2023:

August 2023:

Sunny afternoon at 1114 West Carroll

Posted on March 8, 2024 by danieldschell

When I was at 1114 West Carroll a couple weeks ago, I promised I’d come back soon on a sunny day for better light. Because I think this is one of those building that looks so much better in direct sunlight. I think it’s mostly because of those windows. I love those windows.

A man of my word, returneth I have. And here are the photos to prove it. (…By the way, the above link from ESG Architecture & Design has some fantastic renderings)

First Visit: Northwestern Medicine Bronzeville Outpatient Center

Posted on February 29, 2024 by danieldschell

Rendering from Lamar Johnson Collaborative.

There’s a 237-stall parking garage with a tower crane stabbing through it, and now it’s on to the healthcare portion of Northwestern Medicine’s new facility at 4822 South Cottage Grove in the Grand Boulevard Community Area of Chicago.

The Bronzeville Outpatient Center will be a 120,000 square foot building containing an immediate care center, a cancer center with chemotherapy services, primary and specialty care services, and a pharmacy, among other features. Expected to treat over 50,000 patients each year, its anticipated opening is Fall 2025.

The rest of the construction team includes:
Lamar Johnson Collaborative — Design Architect
Power Construction — General Contractor
UJAMAA — General Contractor
Adjustable Concrete Construction — Concrete Contractor
As always, links to those team members will provide a wealth of information on the new development.

To date, Northwestern Medicine has received building permits for:
Foundations — Issued 03/30/2023
Tower Crane — Issued 09/21/2023
Full Building — Issued 01/30/2024

Photos from a short visit on Monday, Feb 26 (shout-out to the Power Pro I talked to briefly):

Hyde Park Labs (Harper Court Phase II) has topped out

Posted on February 28, 2024 by danieldschell

The tower crane that topped out Hyde Park Labs, Hyde Park, Chicago.

As reported by Urbanize Chicago earlier this month, Hyde Park Labs has topped out at 5207 South Harper in the Hyde Park Community Area (and neighborhood.) The 13-story, 302,000-square-foot facility includes a 125-space parking garage, plus nine levels of lab and office space. Its anticipated opening is in the fourth quarter of 2024.

Congrats on the topping out to:

Trammell Crow Company and Beacon Capital Partners, the developers.
Elkus Manfredi Architects, the design architect.
Power Construction, general contractor, with an assist from UJAMAA
Adjustable Concrete Construction, concrete contractor.

I hope you all went to the ground floor and got one of those fried catfish Po-boys and a frozen hurricane.

Photos from February 26 (photos of construction, not of the Po-boys):

Tower crane’s down, glass is near the top, at 1114 West Carroll

Posted on February 25, 2024 by danieldschell

1114 West Carroll from the corner of Carroll and May.

There isn’t much construction left to see at 1114 West Carroll. Trammell Crow Company’s 34-story, 368-unit residential tower has topped out, the tower crane has been taken down, and the curtain wall is inching ever closer to the top. So I decided not to wait for a sunny day to snap some progress shots. As with all glass towers, this one deserves better lighting, so I’ll be back when the sun’s out.