“Uprising of the Sun” by Ethiopian-American artist Julie Mehretu.
Back in September, construction crews at The Obama Presidential Center installed a glass art installation by artist Julie Mehretu, titled “Uprising of the Sun,” on the north façade of the Museum Tower. In the meantime, the granite panels that will surround the exterior of the tower continue to be applied, one at a time.
At the south end of the Presidential Center construction site, work is underway for Home Court, an athletic and community facility featuring President Obama’s favorite sport: basketball. Home Court is expected to be the first feature of the Presidential Center open to the public.
Lots of photos taken November 2, 2024:
Enjoying the photos? Metra and CTA rides (and Amtrak trains to Milwaukee), Zipcars, Divvy Bikes, camera lenses, domain fees, snacks & energy drinks, and comfortable walking shoes add up. You can help offset expenses by making a greatly-appreciated donation to Building Up Chicago.
Chicago has begun June 2024 with eight working tower cranes around the city, down one from the nine we had in May. The base has been planted at 1723 South Michigan, but the crane won’t be erected there until early June.
The South Side still rules, with five of our eight cranes. One South Side crane came down in May (at 4822 S Cottage Grove) but two North Side cranes came down (O’Hare T5 garage and Illinois Masonic.) Here’s a quick survey for June:
What Community Area are the cranes in?
3 – Hyde Park (Hyde Park Labs, UChicago Medicine X2) 2 – Woodlawn (Obama Center, Project H.O.O.D.) 2 – Near West Side (220 North Ada, 919 West Fulton) 1 – Near North Side (400 Lake Shore)
Okay, but what neighborhood?
3 – Hyde Park (Hyde Park Labs, UChicago Medicine X2) 1 – Woodlawn (Project H.O.O.D.) 1 – Jackson Park (Obama Center) 2 – Fulton Market District/West Loop (919 West Fulton, 220 North Ada) 1 – Streeterville (400 Lake Shore)
What are they building?
Cultural Facility – 1 – 6001 S Stony Island (Obama Presidential Center) Healthcare – 2 – 5644 S Drexel X2 (UChicago Medicine Cancer Care) Office – 1 – 217 N Sangamon (919 West Fulton) Community Center – 1 – 6822 S MLK Drive (Project H.O.O.D,) Life Sciences – 1 – 5201 S Harper (Hyde Park Labs) Residential – 2 – 220 North Ada, 462 N Water (400 Lake Shore)
Cranes added in May:
220 North Ada 462 N Water Street (400 Lake Shore)
Cranes taken down in May:
900 West Nelson (Illinois Masonic) O’Hare Airport Terminal 5 parking garage 4822 S Cottage Grove (Northwestern Medicine Bronzeville)
Here are your June 2024 tower cranes, from north to south:
462 E North Water St. (400 Lake Shore)217 N Sangamon St (919 West Fulton)220 North Ada5201 S Harper Ave (Hyde Park Labs)5644 S Drexel Ave (UChicago Medicine)6001 S Stony Island Ave (Obama Presidential Center)6623 S Dr Martin Luther King Dr (Project H.O.O.D.)Partial credit for the stub at 1723 S Michigan Ave, to be erected first week of June.
The Obama Presidential Center peeks out over the Museum of Science and Industry
The most noticeable change in construction progress at The Obama Presidential Center is the addition of granite panels on the exterior of the Museum Tower. It’s also gotten a little taller (more vertical photo opps) since I was here last, so the view from farther away is changing. A lot of what you’ll see in this gallery are new angles from distance, plus familiar vantage points from near and far.
Photos taken May 1, 2024:
Enjoying the photos? Metra and CTA rides (and Amtrak trains to Milwaukee), Zipcars, Divvy Bikes, camera lenses, domain fees, snacks & energy drinks, and comfortable walking shoes add up. You can help offset expenses by making a greatly-appreciated donation to Building Up Chicago.
Construction continues on the Museum Tower at The Obama Presidential Center.
The Obama Presidential Centerused to have three hard-working tower cranes. They were a glorious team. Alas, we’re down to just one now, but it’s doing yeoman’s work on the center’s Museum Tower.
Dear Mr. President (#44), Time is running out. You don’t have much time to give me a call so we can arrange a tower-crane climb together, now that there’s only one left. I’ve got steel-toed boots. See if you can get your developers to lend us hardhats and vests.
Enjoying the photos? Metra and CTA rides (and Amtrak trains to Milwaukee), Zipcars, Divvy Bikes, camera lenses, domain fees, snacks & energy drinks, and comfortable walking shoes add up. You can help offset expenses by making a greatly-appreciated donation to Building Up Chicago.
Construction on The Obama Presidential Center from Wooded Island in Jackson Park.
We’re down a tower crane at The Obama Presidential Center, to three from two. But two cranes are still a big deal around here. So is all this concrete. There’s a lot of concrete here.
The tower portion is really showing out now. I took a bunch of photos on August 21, as you may have gathered that from the headline. Here they are:
There are three tower cranes building the Obama Presidential Center.
Took me awhile to get to Jackson Park, but I got there. And if you’re thinking of going, know that road construction makes walking a lap around the Obama Presidential Center construction site a rather grueling task.
Side Note: From here, I walked up to Hyde Park, where I’m *pretty* sure I had catfish for the first time in my life. (I’m a picky eater; it’s hard to explain.) So a shout-out to Daisy’s Po-Boy and Tavern on South Harper. Delicious.
I’d be lying if I said I understood who all is involved, and how they’re involved, in the construction here. What I do know is where you can go to learn some of that very information. First, visit Lakeside Alliance. To me, that’s sorta like your general contractor information. Next, visit Concrete Collective. That’s got your concrete contractor info.
Enjoying the photos? Metra and CTA rides (and Amtrak trains to Milwaukee), Zipcars, Divvy Bikes, camera lenses, domain fees, snacks & energy drinks, and comfortable walking shoes add up. You can help offset expenses by making a greatly-appreciated donation to Building Up Chicago.
Tower Crane #1 at The Obama Presidential Center, taken from Wooded Island in Jackson Park.
I’d be lying if I said I understood who all is involved, and how they’re involved, in the construction of The Obama Presidential Center. What I do know is where you can go to learn some of that very information. First, visit Lakeside Alliance. To me, that’s sorta like your general contractor information. Next, visit Concrete Collective. That’s got your concrete contractor info.
The Concrete Collective was responsible for erecting the first of three tower cranes on the site last week. And you might be wondering just how many photos of a tower crane you need to see.
I don’t usually do a tower crane count mid-month, but dang, only five of them?
Yeah, our tower crane count has dipped to five, with 2050 West Ogden and 300 North Michigan recently (or currently) being taken down.
But take heart, Chicago. We have more on the way soon, with eight having permits and expected to be in the air relatively soon:
The Obama Center has a permit for three of them
164 North Peoria has wrapped up caisson work.
1306 E. 61st (U of C) has a permit
ALLY Lincoln Yards has a permit
513 South Damen has a permit
4611 North Broadway has a permit
410 South Wabash has completed caissons, but we’re still waiting for a tower crane permit for it.
Don’t forget, 1000M (1000 South Michigan) had a stub in the ground, but the crane was never erected. And 178 West Randolph and 320 South Clinton have permits, but . . . who knows.
Let’s keep an eye on LG Development’s HUGO project at Hudson and Chicago. Maybe one tower crane to build both nine-story buildings?
166 North Aberdeen is in caisson mode. That’s a 20-story tower, and will need a TC for sure.
Here are the five tower cranes we *do* have:
345 North Morgan354 North Union1371 West RandolphSalesforce TowerThe Reed at Southbank
Building Up Chicago 