1411 South Michigan is so last-week. Say hello to 1407 On Michigan

Posted on July 25, 2017 by danieldschell

1407 On Michigan has taken over what 1411 South Michigan began.

That’s right. What we’ve all known as 1411 S. Michigan now has a new name and some new signage in the South Loop. 1407 On Michigan has taken over, and it continues upward toward its ultimate 15-story height. The mixed-use tower from Russland Capital Group will include 199 apartments and 40,000 square feet of commercial space. And at least a portion of that space will be Rush Primary And Specialty Care.

Lendlease is the contractor responsible for the progress at 1407 On Michigan, which to the naked eye appears to have reached the 11th floor. Sunshine made this the prefect day to stop by and take a look.

: Rush signage at 1407 On Michigan.

Essex On The Park is Off Of The Ground

Posted on July 25, 2017 by danieldschell

Essex On The Park is beginning its climb into the Michigan Avenue skyline.

Essex On The Park raised a tower crane earlier this month, and now work has begun going vertical along Michigan Avenue in the South Loop. Power Construction has 56 stories to stack atop each other, so there’s a whole lot of work to do. But that’s what tower cranes are for, right? Wait and see; this thing will be topped out in no time.

A few reminders for you as Essex On The Park begins to rise: It’s a development from Oxford Capital Group. It’s designed by Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture. As previously mentioned, Power Construction is the general contractor. 808 South Michigan Avenue is the address. There will be 476 apartments, 84 parking spots, and some ground-floor retail space. Oxford plans to have the apartment tower open to residents in 2019.

Alta Roosevelt drops the tower crane

Posted on July 24, 2017 by danieldschell

This was the scene Saturday morning, as the Alta Roosevelt tower crane was turned parallel to Financial Place one final time, before beginning its descent to earth.

Always the saddest of positive milestones, Saturday marked the beginning of the end for the tower crane at Alta Roosevelt at 801 South Financial Place in the South Loop. Twitter user @GNWIII3 alerted us Friday to the pending dismantle. Then well into the evening hours, general contractor Walsh Construction, along with Morrow Equipment Company and Central Contractors Service, were pooling their talents to assure a smooth transition from towering crane to crane parts on trucks.

What’s next for the Pappageorge Haymes-designed apartment tower to achieve? Let’s guess the completion of cladding installation, as glass has moved within three levels of the top. Then it’s just a matter of finishing a mere 496 individual units, and folks can start moving in before winter hits Chicago.

: No sadder sight than a falling crane.

: Fear not, for the crabne shall return to Morrow.

: The view Saturday evening. That’s the Ancora at Riverline crane in the foreground.

Coming Attractions: Soil sampling rig takes over Columbia College lot

Posted on July 24, 2017 by danieldschell

A soil-sampling rig stands at the ready on the site of the future Columbia College Student Center.

Maybe there were some gardens there. I remember some pieces of art too, including a funky-looking airplane with a mean face that hung from a pole. But it looks like the small lot at Wabash Avenue and 8th Street in the South Loop is on its way to becoming the new Columbia College Student Center.

There’s a soil-sampling rig on the site now, tasting the dirt to make sure it’s ready to be dug into and built upon. And on that very spot will be the 5-story, 114,000-square-foot, Gensler-designed center. Work should get underway soon, as Columbia College plans to have work completed in time to open the student center before 2018 closes.

: Columbia College Student Center rendering by Gensler.

: Columbia College Student Center rendering by Gensler.

: The lot at Wabash and 8th.

One Grant Park is blueing up the South Loop

Posted on July 20, 2017 by danieldschell

The Big Blue Forms of One Grant Park.

Many legal-types will tell you to fill out your forms in blue. Which is exactly what McHugh Construction is doing at One Grant Park. Eschewing the usual yellow forms you see throughout Chicago, McHugh has opted for blue on Rafael Viñoly Architects’ 76-story apartment tower in the South Loop. And with Lake Michigan just a couple blocks away, why not? Working blue can be a bad thing for a comedian, but not for a construction company. Your children can watch. Blue screen of death? Nah, that’s for your old laptop. These are Blue Screens of Safety.

One Grant Park, a development from Crescent Heights, will stack 792 rental units atop 12 levels of parking. Work began on the lot at Roosevelt, Indiana, and Michigan back in December.

: All that’s visible of One Grant Park from the new B.U.C. South Loop Bureau. So far.

: #Mooncrane.

New Neighbor Eleven40 continues to rise in the South Loop

Posted on July 18, 2017 by danieldschell

A little project I’m working on in the back yard.

Of course, Eleven40 isn’t the new neighbor; I am. But so far, the new apartment tower from the CA Ventures – Keith Giles team doesn’t seem to mind its new spectators, as Lendlease keeps pushing the project skyward. The tower crane is still doing tower-crane things, and the cladding is starting to wrap around a fourth level.

A Spring 2018 arrival date for the 320-unit, SCB-designed South Loop tower fast approacheth, so don’t expect activity to slow down anytime soon.

: Night view.

: Construction at night is a beautiful sight.

: Anatomy of a Window Install, a play in six acts.

The B.U.C. HQ is changing Loops

Posted on July 7, 2017 by danieldschell

The B.U.C. is moving to the South Loop.

The time has come for Building Up Chicago to abandon its West Loop Headquarters and move the entire operation south. South Loop, that is. As we speak, ticker-tape readers, fax machines, and hand-cranked pencil sharpeners are being packed into boxes. After two years of towering above the Kennedy Expressway and all points west, our reporting will soon be done exclusively from the South Loop Bureau.

Fear not, good people. Divvy bikes and durable footwear will still allow us to move throughout the city to all points tower-crane. But expect things to be a little more South Loop-centric, just as they had been for the West Loop.

We watched the Parker Fulton Market grow up and open at 171 North Halsted Street.

No more eagle-eye views of One South Halsted.

We’ll miss you most of all, 625 West Adams.

1136 South Wabash gets a name change. Meet Eleven40

Posted on July 3, 2017 by danieldschell

New signage introduces Eleven40 to the South Loop.

In the midst of ongoing progress at 1136 South Wabash comes new signage announcing a new name: 1136 is now Eleven40. Follow that link to a whole bunch of shiny new renderings of the SCB-designed tower, as it continues upward toward its ultimate 26 stories. The CA Ventures – Keith Giles production will have 320 apartments and is being built by Lendlease. Spring 2018 is the projected opening.

Eleven40 continues its rise in the South Loop.

1136 South Wabash has been renamed Eleven40.

Rooftop rendering of Eleven40.

Nighttime rendering of Eleven40.

Pool rendering of Eleven40.

Essex On The Park celebrates the Poureth of July

Posted on July 3, 2017 by danieldschell

A swarm of activity at Essex On The Park as the concrete flows freely.

Monday is Concrete Day for Essex On The Park, as Power Construction crews spend the day between the holiday weekend and the actual holiday pouring concrete into the foundation for the new 56-story apartment tower from Oxford Capital Group. And of course, we’re not talking about little bits of concrete. We’re talking trucks lined up down the street, waiting to get their pour on.

One segment of the concrete being poured today is the foundation for the tower crane. The stub was planted almost two weeks ago, sitting there looking all lonely. But now it will have a home, and the crane can be fully assembled, and soon (we hope.) If it goes up before any other cranes come down, it will be #34 on the Chicago Tower Crane Survey.

1326 + 1 = 33: 1326 South Michigan erects Chicago’s 33rd tower crane

Posted on July 3, 2017 by danieldschell

It’s the new math. 1326 South Michigan put up a tower crane last week, raising Chicago’s total to 33.

https://twitter.com/skenrou/status/881190910649933825

That tweet from Twitter used @skenrou Saturday morning confirmed the shiny yellow luffer (not fighter) was up and ready to do Walsh Construction’s heavy lifting. 1326 still looks like a barren lot, albeit with a tower crane now poking up through the north edge of the site. But that will all change quickly, as the 47-story tower can now begin to go vertical.