1237 West Division, Chicago’s first multi-story logistics center, putting its two tower cranes to good use

Posted on September 2, 2023 by danieldschell

That’s 1237 West Division off in the distance.

We celebrate tower cranes here at the B.U.C. HQ. And we celebrate twice as much when there are two of them to enjoy.

Elston & Cortez, February 2023, just after the first tower crane was erected.

1237 West Division is a two-story double-height logistics center, with separate car-parking structure, in Chicago’s West Town community area. At least, it will be. Construction has been ramped up (heh) for months now, with The Big Green W at the helm. Logistics Property Company is the developer. The links above have all the deets and specs you could ever want, and then some.

This one is best viewed from a passing Metra train or helicopter. Since it’s not very tall, it’s tough to see from a distance. Although Halsted just north of Chicago Ave offers some cool glimpses.

Not only did I get to add a new category for 1237 West Division — “Logistics” — but I also got to take more photos of a warehouse than ever before. And here that are:

Darn Near Done: Sterling Bay announces showings at The Dylan

Posted on August 21, 2023 by danieldschell

Another fantastic location is about to be your home, if you so choose. Sterling Bay announced last week in an Instagram post that The Dylan, their new Fulton Market apartment tower, is now showing units. And while I’m not going to fool anyone into thinking these are in my price range just to get a tour, the studio units I looked at on the website are nice sized. At least where I come from, 553 square feet is darn spacious. Plus, I love the West Loop and Fulton Market District. This’d be a great spot for me. Or for any of my dedicated followers who like to invite guests over. (Careful that hint don’t drop on your noggin.)

Here’s a quick look at what The Dylan looks like right this very minute. You can also click on my tags for The Dylan and 160 North Morgan to see how construction progressed.

160 North Morgan is now The Dylan

Posted on May 17, 2023 by danieldschell

Got a surprise in my Instagram feed today, when this post popped up from Sterling Bay:

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A post shared by Sterling Bay (@sterlingbay)

This is what The Dylan looked like last week, as the exterior nears completion:

In today’s edition of They Grow Up So Fast, it’s Sterling Bay’s 160 North Morgan

Posted on February 1, 2023 by danieldschell

160 North Morgan in the Fulton Market District.

Turn your back on these kids for two seconds, and I’m telling you, they grow out of control.

160 North Morgan is a development from Sterling Bay
A creation by bKL Architecture.
A project for The Big Green W.

It will be 30 stories tall.
It will have 282 apartments.
It will contain parking for 89 cars.
It will have 2,657 square feet of retail space.
It will sit right in the middle of my favorite neighborhood.
It still has a tower crane.
It has a lot of curtain wall installed.
It looks like it’s reached the 23rd or 24th floor.

Progress photos, taken January 29, 2023:

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.

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Roman Numerals at 160 North Morgan?

Posted on September 9, 2022 by danieldschell

bKL Architecture has designed a great-looking residential tower for the West Loop. And even though we’re still in the early stages of construction on 160 North Morgan, one of the coolest aspects of the design is already visible.

If this were Roman numerals, it’d be 3. Because two I’s in front of a V would be 2 less than 5. But we all know III is the Roman numeral for 3, so this is actually 7, or VII, but we’re looking at it from the back.

I’m rambling. Check it out for yourself.

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Hoist one for 160 North Morgan

Posted on August 30, 2022 by danieldschell

A month ago, 160 North Morgan got its hoist permit. Its skip permit. Its construction elevator permit. Its “red thing right there in front” permit. And it’s newly-installed since the last time I dropped by mid-month. I don’t often point out hoist permits, but maybe I should. Besides, now I know what a dual-car Tornborg FC8000 Per/Mat counter-weight hoist tower looks like, so I can point them out to folks on the street when I see them.

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Catching up to 160 North Morgan

Posted on August 23, 2022 by danieldschell

In today’s episode of I Know I Have More Pictures Of That Construction Site Somewhere, a far-too-regular series in which I take photos and then neglect to post them, we’re taking a look at progress on 160 North Morgan.

160 North Morgan is a bKL-Architecture-designed apartment tower being developed by Sterling Bay. Walsh Construction is the general contractor here, tasked with erecting 30 stories, 282 units, 89 parking spaces and 2,657 square feet of retail space.

We last brought you up to speed here on June 6. Since then, we’ve stopped by and stared at Walsh at work June 23, July 27, and August 17. Here, in most-recent-first order, are some shots from those visits:

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Another new tower crane = more verticality, as 160 North Morgan sprouts from the ground

Posted on June 6, 2022 by danieldschell

160 North Morgan is starting to show above the fence line.

160 North Morgan is starting to protrude from the West Loop soil, as GC Walsh Construction begins utilizing that new tower crane they erected at the end of May.

A gentle reminder that 160 North Morgan, a project from Sterling Bay designed by bKL Architecture, will bring 282 apartments and 89 parking spaces in a neat 30-story package. And all of it is happening about half a yard from the Morgan CTA platform. Not to mention the Do-Rite Donuts (apple fritters!) right across the street.

Walsh Construction is on the build. They have received permits for:
– the tower crane on March 30
– the caissons on March 31
– the full build for 30 stories on April 20

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160 North Morgan builds itself a tower crane

Posted on May 23, 2022 by danieldschell

Chicago saw three tower cranes erected last week as the city continues to overcome that five-count from a few months back.

One of the new ones is a shiny yellow Liebherr number at Sterling Bay’s 160 North Morgan. I dropped by twice on Thursday to check it out. I would have stayed all day, but tower cranes take a looooong time to go up safely, and there are a lot of lulls in the action. Unless, of course, you’re part of the crews from Walsh Construction and LaGrange Crane. For them, assembly action never slows down.

Bet you’ve never seen this many photos of a tower crane that wasn’t even half built yet. Unless it was another post on this blog… but tower crane builds deserve this much attention.

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160 North Morgan digs into the West Loop, snags a tower crane permit

Posted on April 6, 2022 by danieldschell

Gone, but not forgotten. In a burned-into-my-retinas sort of way.

The hits keep coming for Sterling Bay, who just landed a tower crane permit for their tower development at 160 North Morgan in the West Loop. (Yes, that little {temporarily} purple building is gone now.)

160 North Morgan is going to be a 30-story residential tower. Designed by bKL Architecture, 160 will consist of 282 rental apartments, 89 parking spots, and about 2,600 square feet of retail space.

The Big Green W is the general contractor on 160 North Morgan. They have received:
a tower crane permit on March 30
and a caisson permit the following day, March 31.

I love this neighborhood.