That’s not glass on Harrison Hall, but we’re clad to see it anyway.
There’s no glass on UIC’s Harrison Hall yet, but swing by the site these days and you’ll notice the exterior getting a new outfit. Pepper Construction is cladding the outer layer, just not with windows. And most impressively, they’re doing it without the tower crane, which is down from the site already. Just one more surprisingly-fast step in progress on the new academic & residential center.
A train goes by as a crane goes bye-bye at 210 North Carpenter.
“Why is that big tall street crane in my shot?” I said to myself as I aimed the camera over the Chicago River into the West Loop. I knew I was looking at tower cranes from the Hoxton Chicago hotel and 210 North Carpenter, but couldn’t figure out what construction site I had missed that would have such a big crane. Then I zoomed in. Noticed the people up on top of the more distant crane. And realized 210 North Carpenter was, in fact, on its way down.
See? Those are people up there, removing the counterweights from the counterjib.
I had just been in the West Loop earlier in the day, and that street crane wasn’t erected yet. So this came as a surprise. Plus, it meant I had to walk all the way back over there to check things out. Central Contractors Service was on site with GC Leopardo Companies and concrete contractor Adjustable Forms starting to dismantle Manitowoc MD485 (don’t be impressed; I copied that info from the permit.) Leopardo is now one step closer to finishing their new headquarters.
***Whilst in the area of the West Loop Saturday, I stopped at the new McDonald’s HQ and had a go at those new Australian bacon-cheese fries everyone’s been talking about. I suggest you try them.
Chicago’s southernmost tower crane has risen at 5252 South Cornell in Hyde Park.
Earlier this week, we published our Chicago Tower Crane Survey for May 2018, where we noted that a crane at 5252 South Cornell (this thing needs a name) would be erected very soon. As it turns out, very soon was retroactive. A visit Thursday to Hyde Park showed a new, shiny red tower crane atop the construction site, which is where Linn-Mathes is building a 26-story apartment building for Mac Properties. Designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz, the tower will deliver 246 new apartments to the Hyde Park neighborhood, atop four levels of parking.
For someone whose facade is being saved from destruction, you could look happier.
There isn’t much left to see at the corner of Clark Street and North Avenue in Old Town, save for a few blue shipping containers and the facade of the old Village Theater. Those two features, of course, are there for a reason, as one supports the other while the block comes down around them.
Fifteen Fifty on the Park, a 10-story condominium tower being developed by Golub, CIM Group, and Avoda Group, will soon begin construction. Designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz, Fifteen Fifty will boast 32 new condos, with parking for 66 cars, and 2,600 square feet of ground-level retail space.
Power Construction will be the general contractor. They got a foundation permit on May 3, so they can start work as soon as demo work is cleaned up.
We can expect Pepper Construction to top out concrete at UIC’s Harrison Hall this week. That comes as no surprise when visiting the site, and seeing how quickly this project has climbed.
Solomon Cordwell Buenz designed the residential/academic complex, which marks the first new dorm facility for UIC since 2007. Included will be 550 student beds, with 16,000 square feet of community space for scholars to share, a top-floor sky lounge, and 1,600 square feet of retail space. UIC plans to open Harrison Hall in Fall 2019.
Off on the distance, glass is being added to the upper floors at 210 North Carpenter in the West Loop.
We’re seeing milestone after milestone in the impossibly-busy West Loop. Parking lots being plowed under, ground being broken, buildings topping out, glass being installed. It’s all happening, all over the neighborhood.
210 North Carpenter, the 12-story office building from Sterling Bay and the new HQ of general contractor Leopardo Companies, has recently met two of those milestones, having topped out and added the first level of glass to the tower. Curiously, that level is near the top, rather than the ground. The advantage to glazing your building that way, obviously, is to make it more noticeable to passers-by with cameras.
Have a look.
The glassy, sunny Paragon Chicago is growing into its lot at 1326 South Michigan Avenue in the South Loop.
Few of the city’s construction sites bask in the sunlight quite like The Paragon Chicago.
Walsh Construction continues to make upward progress on the future 47-story apartment tower by Solomon Cordwell Buenz. The joint effort by Murphy Development Group and CIM Group will deliver 500 new units to the South Loop upon its opening next spring.
There are bright yellow Case Foundation rigs at the corner of 53rd Street and Cornell Avenue in Hyde Park, and you know that must mean foundation work is about to begin at 5252 South Cornell. Curbed Chicago had all the info you need to know about this 26-story tower getting started back in March. But we’ve gleaned from the foundation permit that we can expect 246 apartments atop a four-level parking podium.
Linn-Mathes, the general contractor on 5252 South Cornell, is putting the finishing touches on Solstice on the Park just three blocks to the south of this latest project, so that should be a nice, easy transition for construction crews.
Pepper Construction’s progress at UIC’s Harrison Hall.
I took a boatload of photos last week at the University of Illinois at Chicago’s new Harrison Hall construction site (there’s a live-stream!) Apparently, it’s been longer than I remembered since I’ve stopped by. Either that, or Pepper Construction is looking to break some sort of speed record.
Wanna see the pics? Cool. Here ya go.
Central Contractors Service was on the UIC campus Tuesday, schooling the masses on proper tower-crane assembly procedures.
What a teaching tool it could be, that big yellow tower crane across the street from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Higher learning, or something like that.
Anyway, tower-crane assembly at the academic/residential complex UIC is building on West Harrison Street between Peoria and Morgan began Monday, and Tuesday saw the jib lifted into place. A few gears and cables will be attended to Wednesday, and it should be ready to go as we enter March.
This marks Pepper Construction’s first tower crane in town since they removed the self-erecting crane from the Moxy Hotel job in River North.
Normally, the photo gallery below would include the building permit for that shiny yellow crane. However, this project isn’t being built on city land. Therefore, the City of Chicago doesn’t issue any permits at all for it. UIC is responsible for making sure the tower crane is erected properly and safely.
Building Up Chicago 