Milieu is about to move into the West Loop

Posted on April 23, 2018 by danieldschell

Construction fencing is up around the Milieu site, as another FiztGerald design, 727 West Madison, watches in the background.

More West Loop news!

A pair of permits last week–one demolition, one construction–signaled the beginning of Milieu, a 19-story, 275-unit apartment project from co-developers White Oak Realty Partners (625 West Adams) and Crayton Advisors. Designed by the West Loop’s very own FitzGerald, Milieu (205 South Peoria Street) will also include 13,000 square feet of retail space and parking for 183 cars. Power Construction will handle the GC honors.

You can read the full press release on Milieu from Murphy Knott Public Relations after you take a gander at a few photos of the soon-to-be-dust 847 and 855 West Adams.

: The Foundation Permit, issued April 16.

: The Demolition permit for 847 West Adams, issued April 17.

: Two addresses…

: …one demolition.

: Milieu rendering provided by Murphy Knott Public Relations, Inc.

WHITE OAK AND CRAYTON ADVISORS ANNOUNCE MILIEU, WEST LOOP BOUTIQUE APARTMENT PROPERTY

First of its Kind: Lifestyle-Centered, Amenity-Rich; Adjacent to Chicago’s Fulton Market Delivering Summer 2019

CHICAGO— April 4, 2018 — White Oak Realty Partners and Crayton Advisors announce Milieu, a new 19-story apartment development expected to deliver summer 2019 in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood.

Milieu, which will feature 275 residential units, will include a mix of studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom spaces, with approximately 183 parking stalls and 13,000 square-feet of commercial retail space. When complete, Milieu will be the first of its kind: a lifestyle-centered, amenity-rich, boutique apartment property pushing the norms of residential interior and amenity design. Milieu’s environment will encompass natural earth elements and a superior social engagement experience to meet the desires of Chicago’s discerning apartment dweller.

The boutique apartment property’s prominent location overlooks Mary Bartelme Park, the West Loop’s most sought after green space and urban refuge. With its close proximity to both Fulton Market and the more traditional West Loop business district, work-life balance will be front and center.

Milieu will be located at 205 S. Peoria St. The property will be built in partnership with Pacific Life Insurance Company, contractor Power Construction, and a design team headlined by architect Fitzgerald Associates, interior designer Patina Collection|Design, and engineering firms WSP, WMA, and Eriksson Engineering.

# # #

About White Oak Realty

White Oak is a privately held, fully integrated acquisition and development firm focused on the investment and management of high net worth and institutional capital into apartment, office, and retail investment opportunities in targeted CBD and select suburban locations.

About Crayton Advisors

Crayton Advisors is an investment and advisory firm, who through its affiliated companies, is focused on acquiring and managing multifamily, retail and assets in major markets throughout the U.S. with an emphasis on extending its VCollective Brand.

The Hoxton Chicago adds some glass to the West Loop party

Posted on April 23, 2018 by danieldschell

Panes of glass are starting to appear on the Hoxton Chicago hotel at Lake and Green Streets.

Can you handle another bit of window news in the West Loop? Well, brace yourself anyway. Because if you’re going to build all this new stuff, and you want people (especially hotel guests) to be able to the outdoors from inside, then you better have windows. Lots of them.

The Hoxton Chicago hotel in the West Loop has reached that step in its development. Not the usual curtain-wall style glass you might find on an office tower, but real, honest-to-goodness panes of glass have started to appear on the exterior.

Whether the Hoxton Chicago has topped out is a legitimate question, but that certainly appears to be the upper-most floor that Power Construction is working on.

Caisson work is underway at 333 North Green

Posted on April 20, 2018 by danieldschell

Case Foundation sends caissons into the ground at Sterling Bay’s 333 North Green office-tower project.

Perhaps you’ve noticed some recent activity in the Fulton Market District area of the West Loop. What’s that? Be more specific? Oh, a wise guy.

Yeah, there’s a lot going on in this very busy neighborhood. And it’s not about to slow down yet. Case in point: 333 North Green, a 19-story office tower from the West Loop’s own mega-active developer Sterling Bay. (Editor’s note: the three 3s in “GR333N” is a nice touch.) Designed by Gensler, 333 North Green will boast 555,524 square feet of office space from the 6th floor on up. The ground floor will provide 35,000 square feet of retail space, while floors 2-5 will contain parking spots for 300+ cars.

Case Foundation is on site at this very moment–go look, I can wait–drilling caissons into the earth. Power Construction, another ridiculously-busy entity right now in the West Loop, is the general contractor. Their task is to have 333 North Green open for business in 2019.

: The Foundation Permit, issued April 12.

: Site prep, early April.

: Bye bye, parking lot.

: Bye bye, cool I-beam thing.

Essex on the Park taking over the skyline on Michigan Avenue

Posted on April 11, 2018 by danieldschell

Essex on the Park, and the Plane.

Not North Michigan Avenue, where the sidewalks are narrow and choked with pedestrians. This is South Michigan Avenue, in the South Loop. Where one can actually stop on the sidewalk and take in the sights without getting in anyone else’s way. The Other Mile. The cool Michigan Avenue.

Essex on the Park keeps rising higher and higher at 808 South Michigan Avenue, on its way to 56 stories in height. Credit Power Construction for the progress; Hartshorne Plunkard Associates for the design; Oxford Capital Group for the development.

After 18 months of labor, the tower crane comes down at 465 North Park

Posted on April 9, 2018 by danieldschell

A tower crane at half-mast; you know a tower is nearing completion.

Remember when the stub photobombed groundbreaking ceremony? (Photo courtesy 465 North Park)

A year and a half after being put into service above Streeterville, the tower crane at 465 North Park came down last week. Power Construction used it to erect the 48-story, 444-unit apartment tower by Pappageorge Haymes Partners for Jupiter Realty, but with the exterior topped out and glazed, it’s time to concentrate on getting interiors ready for the anticipated opening later this year.

You can reminisce about tower crane assembly at this link, then check out the gallery of the crane coming down below.

Progress Update: The Simpson Querrey Biomedical Research Center

Posted on April 3, 2018 by danieldschell

Simpson Querrey Biomedical Research Center April 2018

The Simpson Querrey Biomedical Research Center, at 303 East Superior Street in Streeterville.

My apologies in advance for not making it here in nicer weather. This curvy-on-one-side glass beauty deserves to be viewed under blue skies.

Gone are the two tower cranes that held court atop the Simpson Querrey Biomedical Research Center that Northwestern University is building in Streeterville. Power Construction has been hard at work on this one since ground was broken back in May 2015. Designed by Perkins+Will, the exterior looks nearly complete, while interior work continues, with the goal of a late-2018 opening.

180 North Ada puts that new tower crane to work

Posted on April 3, 2018 by danieldschell

180 North Ada reaches for the West Loop sky.

180 North Ada was approved by the Chicago Plan Commission back in August, then received its first building permit on December 18, 2017. That permit allows for the foundation through Level 2 of a “14-story, 263-unit apartment building with 148 parking spaces.” And like stalagmites stretching up from the floor of a spelunker’s paradise (I learned in second grade that stalactites “have to hold on tight so they don’t fall from the cave ceiling.” That’s how I remember the difference. No Googling), concrete columns are starting to rise from the West Loop construction site’s floor.

As Power Construction makes progress on the foundation, we’ll keep an eye out for the next permit, which will allow 180 North Ada to reach its ultimate 14-story height.

The Hoxton Chicago rises in the West Loop

Posted on March 26, 2018 by danieldschell

A few shots of Power Construction’s progress at the GREC Architects-designed Hoxton Chicago hotel at Lake and Green Streets in the West Loop.

GEMS foundation work includes a tower crane pad

Posted on March 1, 2018 by danieldschell

Sparks fly as the tower crane pad is readied at the GEMS World Academy Upper School.

Caisson work at GEMS World Academy Upper School in Lakeshore East started and finished in the fall. Then, we all settled in for winter. But now that the ground is thawing, Power Construction is back to work on the bKL Architects-designed school.

Will this be the next tower crane erected in March? It sure looks like that pad is just about ready for a stub. That would get Chicago back into the 30s, as long as the crane is fully assembled before any of the topped-out projects bring theirs down. No pressure, Power! (But don’t take 900 West or 465 North Park down too soon…)

Fifteen Fifty on the Park begins demolition, but saves the Village Theater facade

Posted on February 28, 2018 by danieldschell

Demolition for Fifteen Fifty on the Park

3 stacked shipping containers are being used to stabilize the Village Theater facade, which is being saved.

Demolition has begun at three addresses in Old Town, as space is cleared for the new Fifteen Fifty on the Park. The threes are wild, as another trio, this one of developers, are building the new project. Golub, CIM Group, and Avoda Group are collaborating on the 10-story building, designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz.

One of the buildings to be demolished, at 1548 North Clark Street, is the old Village Theater. Its facade is being saved, and Power Construction is utilizing one more 3-fer, this time with three shipping containers stacked atop each other, as a means of stabilizing that facade while everything else crumbles around it. We’ve seen Power use this technique before, at the Ace Hotel site in the West Loop.

According to Golub’s website, Fifteen Fifty on the Park will include 32 luxury condos, 2,600 square feet of retail space, and parking for 66 vehicles.

Taylor Excavating is doing the demolition work.