A quick look around The Reed at Southbank Monday showed an awful lot of piles driven into the South Loop soil, with lots more stacked up waiting their turn. I only saw one caisson above ground, and that was there on my most recent trip June 21 (part of the “vertical access shaft” work, I think). I thought to myself, Self? Are they doing piles before caissons? Are the caissons done already? Are there only piles and no caissons? In the June photo, you’ll notice there were already piles of piles to be driven.
My conclusion? I don’t know. But I have some photos to show you.
One big caisson. 
That one big caisson (same one?) in June. 
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DonateThe Reed at Southbank scores its foundation permit
FOUNDATIONS ONLY PERMIT FOR THE NEW CONSTRUCTION OF A HIGH RISE RESIDENTIAL BUILDING
And with those words, issued by the City of Chicago Monday, The Reed at Southbank may begin construction. Lendlease is the general contractor, with McHugh Concrete doing the concrete work. (Note: in “official” contractor-speak, the tower crane “belongs” to the concrete contractor. But around here, we aren’t diligent enough to find and name all the sub-contractors on construction projects, so the general contractor is credited for the tower crane. We don’t mean to slight anyone; it’s just how we do it.)
The Reed at Southbank will be the second tower at Lendlease’s Southbank development. Its first, The Cooper, opened in 2018. The Reed, also designed by Perkins + Will, will be a 41-story mix of apartments and condominiums
They’ve been out there tearing up the ground for while now, prepping the site and doing that vertical shaft thing we mentioned before. But now it’s time for the real fun to start.
Earth is being moved at The Reed at Southbank
“Vertical access shafts” are a thing. Which explains why crews are at the future home of The Reed at Southbank are tearing up the yard and digging in the dirt. For-real construction is expected to begin by the time summer months arrive in Chicago. Lendlease will, of course, be their own general contractor, in addition to their developer duties.
The Reed at Southbank will be the second tower at Lendlease’s Southbank development. Its first, The Cooper, opened in 2018. The Reed will be a 41-story mix of apartments and condominiums. This is how Lendlease describes it:
THE REED AT SOUTHBANK
Developed and constructed by Lendlease, The Reed is a 41-story luxury residential high-rise located at 234 W. Polk Street, as the next phase of its Southbank neighborhood development in Chicagos South Loop. The new building, which will offer 216 luxury condominiums on its upper floors and 224 rental apartments located on floors 9 through 22, marks the second residential tower in Southbank, a 7-acre master plan centered around 2 acres of public green space, known as Southbank Park, along the South Branch of the Chicago River.
The Reed boasts two well-appointed amenity suites for residents to enjoy, including a 12,000-square-foot outdoor amenity deck on the eighth floor overlooking Southbank Park. Residents will share access to an indoor amenity space on the eighth floor and owners will have exclusive use of an additional amenity space on the second floor, which is at grade with Southbank Park. The intentional placement of the second-floor amenities and use of full-height windows is intended to establish continuity between the park and tower, according to project architect Perkins+Will, which also designed The Cooper and the broader Southbank master plan.
Condo layouts include one, two- and three-bedroom plans priced from the $390,000s and ranging in size from 630 to 1,670 square feet. Occupying floors 23 to 41 of the tower, The Reeds condominiums celebrate the buildings idyllic location with floor-to-ceiling windows that showcase stunning views of the skyline, Lake Michigan and Chicago River, as well as Southbank Park, which borders the northern side of the building. The towers interiors pay homage to the surrounding neighborhood with an industrial-chic aesthetic that is realized through concrete ceilings and metal finishing throughout residences.
The Reed from Willis Tower.
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DonateThe aliens have been cleared to land. In Chicago.
The above photo, taken from Skydeck at the Sears Tower, shows the rooftop of the recently remodeled Old Post Office. It purports to be a park. Come on. Look at that layout, particularly at the south end of the roof (towards the top of the photo). How is that not an airport for aliens? Stay alert, Chicago.
What if 1000M was renamed for Helmut Jahn
We lost a titan of the industry over the weekend when architect Helmut Jahn was struck and killed while riding his bike in the western suburbs. We can honor him.
I’m in no position to make demands. Or even requests. This is merely a suggestion. When work on 1000M resumes, once the city and developers work out the details on how halted construction of his South Loop tower should continue, let’s rename it for him. Jahn Tower. Helmut Jahn Tower. Jahn on Grant Park. Jahn On Michigan. Anything to remember him.
It seems like a good thing to do.
Stubless, progress-less 1000M takes another beating
Its caissons are done, the tower crane stub was set, and things were rockin’ and rollin’ at 1000M, the new residential tower next to Grant Park in the South Loop. But it hasn’t seen new progress in almost a year now, and Crain’s Chicago Business reported Monday that no one within the potential shadow of the future tower seems at all pleased with the new direction developers would like to take the tower in. Apartments? Condos? A mix? Heck, even that website seems to be dead.
Bummer. Here are a couple shots of the sad, idle construction pit at 1000 South Michigan Ave.
More Chicago Stub News: 1000M plants a tower crane
A freshly-planted stub takes root at 1000M.
It’s an embarrassment of riches for stub fans, with Chicago’s second planting last week of a tower crane. This one is at 1000M, and it too will be fulling erected this week. The rebar beds that will soon be filled with concrete provide one serious crane pad. It’s funny; the Crane Company Building is right around the corner. Coincidence? Yeah, probably.
Imprint raises the glass, drops the crane
Move along, folks. No tower cranes to see here.
Make it 17.
One of Chicago’s 18 March tower cranes is already gone, with Imprint (717 South Clark) now topped out and craneless. The good news is, we won’t have to wait long to replace that 18th crane, and add a 19th. But more on that later.
As you can see in the photos, curtain wall progress is inching toward the top of the 30-story Imprint. A Spring 2020 opening is planned, though not all units will be available for immediate occupancy in the spring. Click on the Imprint link and you’ll see what’s gonna be ready when.
1000M foundation work pivots to piles with caissons complete
No longer on site.
Caisson work is complete at 1000M in the South Loop. Now, foundation work continues as piles are driven and earth is moved. In fact, the pile driving might be done; I didn’t notice the Keller rig I saw earlier this month still on site Sunday with which to pound them into the ground.
A tower crane permit was issued January 16 for 1000 South Michigan, so that’s another milestone to keep an eye out for. I wish could say I spotted the caissons sticking up out of the ground that I think will be the crane’s location, but I ain’t that smart. I’ll keep guesses, assumptions, and speculation to myself.
The basics on 1000M: Designed by Helmut Jahn. James McHugh Construction is the general contractor. There’s a three-member development team — Time Equities, JK Equities, and Oak Capitals. It will be 74 stories and 832 feet tall, and if you live there, I will invite myself over constantly. Now you know that.
Stuff That’s Done: Coeval
Coeval has two addresses: 51 East 14th St. and 1419 South Wabash. Ave
I had surgery on a knee as a young adult. I was fascinated by the effects of anesthesia. One moment after drifting off to sleep, my eyes popped open in the recovery room. To me, the surgery happened faster than the snap of the fingers. Like time travel in Back To The Future.
Those questionable analogies are a means of explaining Coeval. I stopped by 14th and Wabash twice; once during demolition of 1415 South Wabash, and once as the rolling crane was being set up on the freshly-demoed lot. The third time I visited, this past week, Coeval was open. Heck, I didn’t even know it was called Coeval now. If only construction could be instantaneous like that.
Coeval is a two-towered apartment development from CMK Companies. Consisting of a 14-story tower to the north, and a 10-story tower to the south, the project contains about 260 units in total. It was designed by Pappageorge Haymes Partners and built by Clark Construction. It opened to residents last summer.
