An office in Salesforce Tower, and an apartment next door in Wolf Point East, is still the dream. For me, at least.
Hiding behinf the old BUC HQ
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This past weekend, Open House Chicago gave the public access to the 55th floor of 110 North Wacker. That’s a vantage point most of us rarely see without ponying up the dough to visit an observation deck.
Very few of you will be surprised to learn I took advantage of that vantage by snapping a ton of pics of Salesforce Tower. (I took a few from the ground too.) Hey you go.
110 North Wacker (Bank of America Tower to some of you) is open to the public this weekend for Open House Chicago 2021. The 55th floor is a continuous, wide-open space, and a great vantage point to see Chicago. If you’re like me, and think the Sears Tower is just a tad too high for your modest camera-lens collection, this is the ticket.
I got a good view of our five remaining tower cranes from up here.
Salesforce Tower (333 West Wolf Point)
345 North Morgan
354 North Union
1371 West Randolph
The Reed at Southbank (234 West Polk)
And an honorable mention for 300 North Michigan, which is being taken down.
I don’t usually do a tower crane count mid-month, but dang, only five of them?
Yeah, our tower crane count has dipped to five, with 2050 West Ogden and 300 North Michigan recently (or currently) being taken down.
But take heart, Chicago. We have more on the way soon, with eight having permits and expected to be in the air relatively soon:
The Obama Center has a permit for three of them
164 North Peoria has wrapped up caisson work.
1306 E. 61st (U of C) has a permit
ALLY Lincoln Yards has a permit
513 South Damen has a permit
4611 North Broadway has a permit
410 South Wabash has completed caissons, but we’re still waiting for a tower crane permit for it.
Don’t forget, 1000M (1000 South Michigan) had a stub in the ground, but the crane was never erected. And 178 West Randolph and 320 South Clinton have permits, but . . . who knows.
Let’s keep an eye on LG Development’s HUGO project at Hudson and Chicago. Maybe one tower crane to build both nine-story buildings?
166 North Aberdeen is in caisson mode. That’s a 20-story tower, and will need a TC for sure.
Fine, that seems a little dramatic. But seven tower cranes ain’t a lot of tower cranes. (And one of them isn’t even in operation yet.) The Chicago Seven are:
3. Plumbers Local 130 Parking Garage (1371 West Randolph.) W.E. O’Neil is the general contractor. Plumbers Local 130 is the developer. OKW Architects is the design architect.
Yes, there are a few on the way. These have tower crane permits:
410 South Wabash is done with foundation work. 1000M will hopefully be back in business soon. 164 North Peoria is still in caisson mode. ALLY at Lincoln Yards hasn’t broken ground quite yet, but site work has started, at it got a foundation permit last week. 1306 East 61st Street – The University of Chicago doesn’t have any other permits yet. 178 West Randolph and 320 South Clinton? I’m not holding my breath.
No permit, but . . .
UIC had a tower crane at the UI Health Outpatient Surgery Center & Specialty Clinics crane is being dismantled this week. UIC may need a crane at 700 West Taylor for its Computer Design Research and Learning Center. But there won’t be a city permit for it, should there be one, because this is being built under the State of Illinois’ authority. 513 South Damen just got a foundation permit for 21 stories.
This update on Salesforce Tower is simple: Walsh Construction continues their curtain wall installation at Hines’ 60-story office tower at Wolf Point on the Chicago River, all while the tower keeps shooting skyward. I see about 30 levels of steel, and 36 levels of core. (Not a scientific poll.)
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The first row of glass. A bridge lift for the spring boat run. Sunshine and blue sky with a few wispy clouds. Wednesday had it all. Salesforce Tower continues to put on a show.
If you can’t make it to the Riverwalk (the big comfy chairs are back on the lawn!) here are a few photos to get you caught up on Walsh Construction’s progress. (LOL. “a few”)
Lots more glass on site.
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This is important; you all need to hear it. You do not need a reason to share photos of Salesforce Tower construction. But for those of you who appreciate a good milestone, we’ve got one for you.
It’s another milestone in the construction chronology of Wolf Point South. 333 Wolf Point. Salesforce Tower. The first row of curtain wall has arrived on the north façade. Yeah, don’t look for it from the river (though the views from there are still spectacular.) You’ll have to walk around Wolf Point Plaza to see it. Until, obviously, it starts wrapping ’round the rest of the tower.
Thank goodness for Spring Bridge Lifts. That was the main reason I got off the train at Merchandise Mart. The glass was a surprise. It made me miss the Lake Street Bridge lift, but I forgive easily.
Enjoy the fresh glass. I’ll post photos of the rest of the tower Thursday.
Salesforce Tower, May 26, 2021
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Visits to Skydeck aren’t quite back to pre-pandemic normal. I usually go up there and spend a couple hours taking pictures of everything I see. Three times. Can’t do that anymore. So I got what I could remember I wanted to get.
Like tower cranes. Some of them, anyway.
One of the secrets to taking photos from Skydeck is avoiding the bad windows. Much of what looks like smooth, clear glass will distort your pictures. Short on time, I failed to be selective. I also failed to be prepared.
You’ll see what I mean.
Clarendale Six Corners is missing; it’s too far away. I also tried to see the tower crane in Oak Park, but had no luck. Oh for a tripod, more time, and something ridiculous like a 1000mm zoom lens.
320 South Canal is the easiest one to see. That booom just about touches the Sears Tower. Okay, not really. But it’s nearby.
609 West Randolph.
1043 West Randolph. I forgot to look for ths one, so instead of using a zoom lens, I cropped a photo. Fail.
1400 and 1454 West Randolph.
Gild Chicago. Another one I forgot to look for. It is *barely* visible, and only partially so, dead-center of this crop.
300 North Michigan. Yep, forgot this one too. Another crop. Another tough-too-see one.
One Chicago.
Salesforce Tower
The Gateway Apartments (2050 West Ogden)
UI Health
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