Construction Update: 215 West Lake

Posted on July 25, 2016 by danieldschell

215 West Lake continues ever skyward.

By now, you know the basic details of 215 West Lake. Designed by Chicago firm Thomas Roszak Architecture (who may or may not be calling the new tower “Level”), the new apartment tower at 215 West Lake Street in The Loop replaces a parking garage and a late-1800s-era office building with 33 stories and 265 apartments. Throw in ground floor retail and 152 parking spaces in floors 2-4, and you’ve got yourself a new downtown digs.

This is a Clark Construction build. They’ve been on the job since demolition started last fall. And they’ll continue to build until 215 West Lake opens in 2017.

: 215 West Lake used to be a parking garage. No one was sad to see it go.

: 209 West Lake, however, was built in the 1870s, and many called for it to be saved.

: Gratuitous tower crane shot.

: Looking down at the east-facing facade.

: 151 North Franklin street crane in the foreground, tower crane in the background.

: Looking straight up from Lake Street.

: Looking west.

: Through the crane.

: Clark markings on the core.

: What can I say. I love tower cranes. Especially when they’re right in the middle of the city.

Quick Look: 151 North Franklin Gets a Non-Tower Crane Tower Crane Permit

Posted on July 24, 2016 by danieldschell

The permit for the kinda-sorta tower crane at the CNA Center, 151 North Franklin Street.

On Thursday, I passed along the heartbreaking news that the new CNA Center, the 35-story office tower being built at 151 North Franklin Street in The Loop, wouldn’t have a regular tower crane, but instead would utilize a crane attached to the structure itself. Well, that apparatus still requires a permit from the City of Chicago, and it was filed on Friday.

Phase 1 Temporary construction of World Free Standing Tower Crane Model Potain MR608

World Free? Wasn’t he an NBA player?

Interesting factoid: The standard tower crane permit shows an estimated cost of $60,000. This pseudo-tower crane permit goes for just $30,000. So they’re saving half from the get-go. Let’s just hope it’s cool to watch.

More Photos Than I Know What To Do With: 215 West Lake

Posted on June 16, 2016 by danieldschell

215 West Lake, in the Chicago Loop.

It started with the demolition of a parking garage, then upping the ante by taking down an office building dating back to the late 1800s. Now, 215 West Lake Street in the Loop is a construction site for a 33-story, 265-unit apartment tower.

Designed by Thomas Roszak Architecture, 215 West Lake started foundation work back in February. Surrounded by parking garages, it’s a fun one to watch. Clark Construction is providing the entertainment.

: What’s in that cooler? I assume it’s High-C.

Demolition Equipment Takes Over Empty 130 North Franklin Lot

Posted on June 8, 2016 by danieldschell

National Wrecking started tearing holes in the 130 North Franklin soil on June 6.

“Hey, Dufus” your letter to the editor begins, “that makes no sense. Why would an empty lot need to be demolished?”

HOLES. That’s why. Sometimes the very equipment that tears a structure down becomes the excavation tools, the first step in building one up. And that’s the case at 130 North Franklin in The Loop, where the National Wrecking Company has moved in to start prepping the land for a 54-story office tower from developer Tishman Speyer.

The Chicago Plan Commission approved the Krueck & Sexton-designed tower on August 20, 2015, and construction nerds have been staring at the half-dirt/half-parking lot ever since, as us construction nerds do. And now we finally get to see some action. There are no permits filed as yet for 130 North Franklin, but when we know about them, you’ll know about them.

A long view.

Please don’t back up, Sir.

The parking lot portion at the north end of the site will be developed as well.

A rendering of 130 North Franklin from Krueck + Sexton.

151 North Franklin Goes Deep

Posted on June 6, 2016 by danieldschell

Crews shored up the pilings around the perimeter, then started digging. And digging.

It’s a bad time to grab a quiet lunch in The Loop. And it will be for quite some time, save weekends. Particularly in that cute little pop-up park on the northwest corner of Franklin and Randolph streets. Unless, of course, eating dust is on your menu. In that case, consider those dump trucks going in and out of 151 North Franklin your personal food trucks.

151 North Franklin is a 35-story, John Ronan Architects-designed office tower being developed by The John Buck Company. Lendlease is the general contractor.

Maybe you miss the Walgreen’s store that occupied this space; I do not. Come on, the best prescription for this lot was new construction. Admit it.

Digging under the shore line. Sort of.

Don’t mind me, Lendlease. Just grabbing a few shots, then I’ll be on my way.

That’s 215 West Lake rising in the background. This is a busy corner of The Loop.

From the 151 North Franklin website, a rendering of the finished tower.

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