Construction Update: The Marriott Marquis Chicago at McCormick Place

Posted on October 6, 2016 by danieldschell

That’s the Marriott Marquis Chicago, way over there. Don’t worry; I’ll get you closer.

39 stories. 1,205 rooms. 25,000 square feet of ballroom space. 90,000 square feet of meeting space. Two pedestrian bridges. Lots of glass.

The Marriott Marquis Chicago will have it all when it opens in July of 2017. But for now, what it has are lots of photo ops. If you’re into that sort of thing.

I am.

: Attaching the Marriott Marquis to the old American Book Company building.

: The pedestrian bridge from the West Building of McCormick Place, to the Marriott Marquis.

: The other pedestrian bridge, connecting the Marriott Marquis to the McCormick Place Event Center.

1136 South Wabash gets permits to begin construction

Posted on October 5, 2016 by danieldschell

The cart has been here for a while; now there’s finally a horse to pull it.

1136 South Wabash is a 26-story apartment tower approved by the Chicago Plan Commission back in May. A development of Chicago’s CA Ventures, the project received a tower crane permit on August 3rd. That’s all well and good; every high rise needs a tower crane. But no one plants a tower crane before starting foundation work. And at long last, that permission has been granted. Yesterday, the foundation permit for 1136 South Wabash was filed, as well as the full-build permit, allowing general contractor Lendlease to begin work on the SCB-designed building.

That’s right, first came the tower crane, then, two months later, both the foundation permit and full-build permit, on the same day. That’s a new one to me.

Those permits tell us to expect 320 rental units, 143 parking spaces, and retail on the first floor. Expect work to begin sooner rather than later, so that tower crane permit can make itself useful.

Nothing to see here. Yet. But soon.

I hope Hebru Brantley can somehow save this work. Or, paint about 2,000 more around Chicago.

The tower crane permit, filed a full two months before the foundation permit.

The foundation permit. At last.

The full build permit.

Construction Update: The McCormick Place Event Center

Posted on October 4, 2016 by danieldschell

The McCormick Place Event Center under construction.

It’s surely a combination of blue steel and red crane, but the construction process at the McCormick Place Event Center in the Prairie District of the South Loop is as much fun to watch as any building site in Chicago. And with the rooftop garden at McCormick Place accessible for Open House Chicago this weekend, you can climb up there and take in the view for yourself. (Make a point to check out the vegetables and herbs as well, just to have a memory of being in a garden on a roof, but you’ll be swept in by the construction.)

Quickly, before you’re deluged by a huge gallery of photos: The McCormick Place Event Center will be a 10,000-seat arena designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli serving as the home court for DePaul basketball, as well as a host to concerts, conventions, business meetings, and other sporting events. Clark Construction is the general contractor.

: They always spot me watching them.

Riverline mega-development begins caisson work in the South Loop

Posted on September 29, 2016 by danieldschell

Caisson work for Building B at Riverline is underway at 720 South Wells.

Everything has to be massive these days. Now you know that. Granted, some of the things we’re all referring to as “massive” lately are quite large, but we’re about two days away from ruining that word.

Anyway, the quite-large Riverline development CMK Companies is building along South Wells Street, in the lot just to the north of River City condominiums, is in full caisson mode these days. Case Foundation crews are out in full force, with the usual array of tools and equipment, drilling holes into the earth that will eventually support the weight of “Building D,” as the first of five phases is affectionately known. Per the permit on file, at least.

Building D will get Riverline started with a 27-story residential tower, containing 452 units and 246 parking spaces. It’s a design by Chicago’s Perkins+Will. Lendlease is the general contractor.

Prairie Court starts going vertical in the South Loop

Posted on September 29, 2016 by danieldschell

Prairie Court won’t rise high, but it will indeed rise.

The nine buildings that comprise 55 four-story luxury townhomes of Prairie Court from Golub & Company and Sandz Development Company have started to rise from the South Loop soil. Summit Design + Build got started on the project after permits were filed back in March. The townhomes will vary in size from 2,800 to 4,500 square feet, in 3 or 4-bedroom configurations. Completion will occur in stages, with overall construction lasting about 30 months.

Quick Look: A tower crane in the distance

Posted on September 26, 2016 by danieldschell

Alta Roosevelt Tower Crane, September 25, 2016.

There’s more to construction than tower cranes.

But man, tower cranes are cool.

From the West Loop, the photo above shows the tower crane at Alta Roosevelt (801 South Financial Place) with 1001 South State serving as a backdrop.

You remember 1001 South State, right? Yep: Moon Crane

Alta Roosevelt begins the slow climb skyward

Posted on September 6, 2016 by danieldschell

https://twitter.com/801Financial/status/768916034526904320

If you ever need up-to-the-minutes status reports on the progress of Alta Roosevelt (801 South Financial Place) in the South Loop, look no further than Alta’s own Twitter account. They’re on top of all things constructive as Walsh Construction continues to work on the future 33-story apartment tower. Designed by Pappageorge Haymes Architects for developer Wood Partners, Alta Roosevelt will sport 496 rental units, 348 parking spaces, and zero square feet of retail.

There’s a lot of work happening at ground level. Here are a few pictures of the first floor taking shape, though I can’t get as close (nor as high in the tower crane) as the Alta Twitter account.

: Gratuitous long-range tower crane shot.

: Flying the colors.

Glass is in session at 30 East

Posted on September 6, 2016 by danieldschell

Shiny, newly-installed windows stand along East Balbo Avenue in the new 30 East.

30 East is a residential tower from Gilbane Development Company that will cater to students from the multitude of colleges in and around the South Loop. And when better than Chicago’s official first day of class to tell you about 30 East’s first day of glass?

Last week, Power Construction crews began installing windows along the tower’s third level. In all, there will be 16 floors with 134 furnished apartments, ranging from studios to 4-bedroom units. Designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz, 30 East will also have 8,000 square feet of retail space at the ground level. Gilbane expects to have the tower ready for Fall 2017 classes.

: Prepping for pane.

: A new glass panel is positioned for installation.

: Don’t get too caulky.

: Hey. How’s it goin’?

: 30 East, as seen from State Street.

: The L passes by.

: Another L passes by – almost through – 30 East.

: Looking south from Harrison Street.

Ode to a disappearing water tank: A photo gallery

Posted on September 1, 2016 by danieldschell

It was pretty. Not the original paint scheme probably, so I have to thank the taggers for this.

Let me preface this by saying: I hate tagging. Simply put, it’s vandalism. Doesn’t matter to me how talented you are, if your drawings are on someone else’s building, or water tank, or train car, you’re a vandal.

Ditto trespassing. Partly because I’m too wimpy to risk getting caught, because there are places everywhere I’d love to sneak into for a photo or 60. But it’s not my property, I have no business being there without permission, so I stay away.

The W.M. Hoyt Co. building is available. Contact the firm of Ash Andy Angel Boogr Cushman + Wakefield for details.

This rant is related to the W. M. Hoyt Company Building at 465 W. Cermak Road in Chicago’s Cermak Road Bridge District. Built in 1909, it sits empty now, save for the spray painters who stop by to add to their work. It’s become something of a Taggers Paradise, and I have to admit, it looks pretty darn cool.

On July 20 of this year, the City of Chicago filed a demolition permit for the water tank atop this building. (The address is listed on the permit as 2210 South Grove Street: it’s the same building.) This was a “character tank,” a designation bestowed by me on any tank that stands out from the others, usually because of how it’s been painted. This one had been tagged more times than the slowest runner at recess. I really wanted to get on the roof before they dismantled it, but, you know, trespassing. And fear of heights.

I made it my mission to photograph the tank from as many angles as I could before it was gone. I didn’t know it at the time, but that gave me until August 13; that was the morning I looked out the window and saw that most of it had been attacked by the cutting torch.

The mysteriously demolished tank at 1882 South Normal Avenue.

August 13 was also the morning I discovered the water tank at 1882 South Normal Avenue had been taken down. That came as a surprise, since I’ve yet to find any permit allowing that demolition.

: Memories are indeed sacred. Other people’s property, not so much.

: My favorite view, sitting just beyond the Pennsylvania Railroad Bridge house.

: The view out the back window. Look at the graffiti on that roof!

: Looking straight down South Normal Avenue. This is the last photo I got of the water tank whole.

: Saturday morning, August 13. I looked out, and it was gone.

: Cutting torch in action.

: The river-facing facade of the W.M. Hoyt Co. Building.

On August 30, a permit was filed to demolish this water tank as well, at 809 North Racine Avenue.

Do you have photos of the now-demolished Chicago Water Tank at 2210 South Grove Street? I’d love to see them. Send them my way, and let me know if you’d like me to post them here on Building Up Chicago.

Demolition Update: 921 South Jefferson still stands

Posted on August 3, 2016 by danieldschell

921 South Jefferson looks nothing like you’d expect a building with a 2-month-old demolition permit to look.

Just yesterday, I mentioned the urgency of most Chicago demolition permits, and the developers eager to execute them so they can get on with the business of developing.

But there are exceptions to every rule. 921 South Jefferson got its death warrant on June 2nd. Yet there is sits, untouched. And not because anyone’s chained themselves to the foundation in protest of its demise. No, there doesn’t appear to be any good reason to save this dilapidated one-story structure. I’m left to guess no one’s in any particular hurry to get at this piece of property, despite the sign promising the opening of a new “Retail Mall in Spring of 2017.”

I suppose there’s still time. If it’s a small mall, y’all.

From what I’ve seen of this building, leave it alone for a couple more months and it might demolish itself. Have a look: