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Tag Archives: Walsh Construction

A Sunny Day At: Alta Roosevelt

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Disclaimer: This post is actually the culmination of more than one sunny day. Yes, the photos are a few days apart, and therefore may appear to show construction at different stages. This is not an attempt to mislead my dear rather; rather, it is a product of my inability to use all the photos I take in a timely manner.

Seriously though, I think these pictures are about a week apart. That’s not a big deal, right?

Alta Roosevelt, or 801 South Financial as it’s sometimes known (even by its own Twitter account) continues to grow up before our eyes, and the eyes of everyone in the South Loop. 33 stories, a whopping 496 apartments from Wood Partners, designed by Pappageorge Haymes, and built by Walsh Construction, conveniently located between the Roosevelt Collection and the LaSalle Street Metra station. You can grab a movie, rush home for a shower, and jump on the Rock Island train to Joliet without even needing a Lyft.

 

At Alta Roosevelt, glass is in session

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Alta Roosevelt glass

Glass. Glorious Glass. Appearing now at Alta Roosevelt.

Alta Roosevelt (follow along on Twitter), the 33-story apartment tower from Wood Partners, has added some new shiny things for us to look at: Glass.

A few of the future 496 apartments have windows already installed. Bummer if residents have Macs, I guess. Anyway, the Pappageorge Haymes-designed tower continues to rise at 801 South Financial Place in the South Loop. It’s up to the 11th floor on the main tower; the fourth floor of the parking deck.

Construction Progress: The Hotel Zachary meets the street in Lake View

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Hotel Zachary

The Hotel Zachary is rising from the sandlot across Clark Street from Wrigley Field.

Remember all that sand at 3630 North Clark Street in Lake View? History. Banished form existence like the whole billy-goat curse thing. And now, rising up from the depths of what used to be the Lake Michigan Lakefront, is the Hotel Zachary. From developer Hickory Street Capital, which helped bring you the 2016 World Series Championship, among other goings-on in and around Wrigley Field, the Hotel Zachary (no word yet on my proposal to change the name to “The Russell On Addison“) will have 175 rooms and a whole bunch of top-notch dining choices, from fast-food to fancy.

I took a walk around the site this week, and found Walsh Construction just beginning to peek above sidewalk-level. Wanna see the pics? Of course you do.

Construction Progress: 801 South Financial nowhere near Alta-mate height

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Alta Roosevelt

Alta Roosevelt, 801 South Financial Place, is done spreading out. Now it’s going skyward.

Get it? Because it’s called “Alta Roosevelt.” This is what happens with no editor to reel me in.

Alta Roosevelt is the 33-story apartment tower Wood Partners is building at 801 South Financial Place in the South Loop. Walsh Construction started hammering away at the foundations back in the spring, and now the Pappageorge Haymes Partners design sits six stories above the ground, with the core rising slightly higher. When all is said and done, Alta Roosevelt will contain 496 apartments and 348 parking spaces. No retail space, though.

The Cubs get a tower crane with 11 Ws

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Hotel Zachary Tower crane

The moon and the tower crane shine bright next to Wrigley Field, where the Chicago Cubs play baseball. They just won the World Series. Have you heard about that?

That’s right, it’s a towwwwwwwwwwwer crane. Because when you win the last three series of your season – 3 wins, then 4, then 4 more games – and finish 2016 as The World Series Champions, you use 11 Ws wherever you want to use them.

It’s not the Cubs Hotel, but the Hotel Zachary being built at 3630 North Clark Street in Lake View. It’s right across the street from Wrigley Field (perhaps you’ve seen something about that ballpark in the news recently) and its developer is Hickory Street Capital, an entity of the Ricketts family, who own the Chicago Cubs. So you see, it’s all connected. I think The Hotel Russell on Addison would be a better name, but I haven’t been asked for my input.

Anyway, the tower crane went up at some point during the Playoffs. I was too stressed by the Cubs not sweeping their 11 wins to notice much construction-wise around Wrigley. If you’ll recall, the Hotel Zachary will be a 7-story, mixed-use facility with 175 guest rooms (known as “keys” in some spaces), retail space, and several restaurants.

Remarkably, crews were still digging sand from the site on Monday. A quick survey of Walsh Construction workers (two of them) confirmed there is a surprising quantity of the stuff. Did Lake Michigan really extend as far west as Clark Street back in the day?

IMPORTANT REMINDER: EVERY TEAM IN EVERY MAJOR SPORT HAS WAITED LONGER FOR A CHAMPIONSHIP THAN THE CHICAGO CUBS!

 

Who expected a sandlot next door to Wrigley Field?

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Hotel Zachary

The Cubs Fly The W in the background, as construction continues at Hotel Zachary.

There’s been a curious discovery on the future site of the Hotel Zachary: Sand. Not a few grains in an hourglass. Tons of it. And more tons. The random sampling I took of Walsh Construction (two workers) revealed that no one was expecting to find so much sand on the lot. Makes me wonder if someone with an excavator didn’t exclaim “You’re killing me, Smalls!” at some point. (Google it, if you must)

Anyway, here are a few grainy (heh) photos of construction progress, most of which remains below grade.

P.S. Free idea for Walsh Construction – See if you can talk the Chicago Cubs into replacing that blue and white banner with a Big Green W.

 

 

Finally! 1001 South State, from the *inside.

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1001 South State

1001 South State, in Chicago’s South Loop neighborhood.

There are three ways us common folk can check out the hot new skyscrapers in Chicago. We can

  • Make an appointment to look at new apartments in the city
  • *Pretend* we’re looking at renting a new apartment, just so we can get inside a new development

or

  • Wait for Open House Chicago, and hope the new apartments are on the schedule of locations available for tours.

I used the latter method to finally be able to see 1001 South State, after visiting it many times during its construction. And as you might imagine, it’s gorgeous, with all the luxurious amenities you’d expect from new construction. There are 397 studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom rental units in the tower. Among the coolest features, besides the pool and all the grills, the outdoor deck atop the podium wraps 360 degrees around the building, so you can get all your steps in without leaving the premises, and without walking up and down a hallway.

A goal of mine is to photograph the entire construction progress of every Chicago development I can get to, from the time a lot is empty, or a building or parking lot is destroyed, through completion. Then, to be able to visit that project once opened. 1001 South State is the first building in Chicago for which I’ve completed that cycle.

The Open House Chicago 2016 Gallery

The Construction Gallery

As the Cubs enter the Playoffs, Hotel Zachary preps for its inaugural season

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Hotel Zachary

Foundation work is underway for the Hotel Zachary, next to Wrigley Field.

There’s a buzz in Wrigleyville these days, and it isn’t all about the Cubs steamrolling their way into the post-season. No, a lot of that excitement is coming from large power tools.

It’s still early in the construction season around Wrigley Field, with a number of projects ongoing. One of those is the recently-named Hotel Zachary. Under development by Hickory Street Capital, the Hotel Zachary will be a 7-story, mixed-use facility with 175 guest rooms, retail space, and several restaurants. Most importantly, it will include a replacement McDonald’s for the one torn down on Clark Street to make room for the new digs. The project is a design by VOA Associates, and Walsh Construction is the general contractor. Mints should be on pillows, and special sauce should be on Big Macs, early in 2018.

You can read the full press release from Hickory Street Capital about the Hotel Zachary immediately following a few photos of foundation work.

HICKORY STREET CAPITAL ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR FIRST BOUTIQUE HOTEL IN WRIGLEYVILLE, HOTEL ZACHARY

09.13.2016

CHICAGO (September 13, 2016) – Hickory Street Capital, a real estate development company owned by the Ricketts family, has revealed plans for Hotel Zachary, a new boutique, lifestyle hotel located in the heart of Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. Situated at the corner of Clark and Addison Streets adjacent to the landmark historic Wrigley Field, Hotel Zachary will be a community gathering place that taps into the distinctive character of Wrigleyville. Slated to open in early 2018, Hotel Zachary will offer an authentic neighborhood experience on the north side of Chicago.

Hotel Zachary will be a second home for city explorers, business travelers, visiting families and baseball enthusiasts, who seek an environment that allows one to live like a local. The hotel name pays homage to famed Chicago architect, Zachary Taylor Davis, who designed Wrigley Field in 1914. To create a baseball cathedral that would stand the test of time, Davis laid out a bold, ambitious vision for a neighborhood ballpark. Inspired by the architectural history of Chicago, Hotel Zachary is an authentic place of rest, revelry and rejuvenation, with an attention to detail that will surprise and delight guests at every turn.

“We are proud to bring Hotel Zachary to the Wrigleyville neighborhood as part of our commitment to enhance the Lakeview community,” said Tom Ricketts, chairman of Hickory Street Capital. “With this new hotel, we look forward to paying respect to the rich and storied history of Chicago architecture, while creating a unique hotel experience for guests.”

The hotel’s design blends classic elements with a modern aesthetic and draws inspiration from neighboring Wrigley Field. A seven story, 238,000-square-foot, mixed-use building, it will include retail space for Chicago-born boutiques and local chef-driven restaurants, featuring some of city’s most well-known hospitality groups. With a focus on bringing the amazing and delectable cuisines of Chicago all under one roof, Hickory Street Capital is partnering with One Off Hospitality, 4 Star Restaurant Group, Folkart Restaurant Management and West Town Bakery to provide a one-of-a-kind tasting experience for guests and locals, alike. The building will also be home to a Wintrust Bank and McDonald’s retail location.

“From inception, we felt it was important to partner with Chicago-based, chef-driven, restaurant groups to curate a distinctly local experience unique to Wrigleyville,” explains Eric Nordness, vice president of Hickory Street Capital. “We feel fortunate to have partnered with passionate chef-driven restaurant operators who are at the forefront of Chicago’s culinary community.”

The 175-room hotel will be a part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, allowing guests to enjoy the Starwood reservation system and Starwood Preferred Guest Loyalty Program. The project is also in collaboration with Davidson Hotels & Resorts, VOA Associates, Walsh Construction and Wintrust Bank.

“Lakeview is the most dynamic neighborhood in Chicago,” said Crane Kenney, president of Hickory Street Capital. “The goal of our development is to create a town hub, where families, fans and visitors find entertainment, great food and daily attractions in an urban park setting. Hotel Zachary will capture the amazing energy of Wrigleyville, as the first boutique, lifestyle hotel in the neighborhood.”

For more information about Hickory Street Capital, please visitwww.hickorystreetcapital.com. For more information on Hotel Zachary, please visitwww.hotelzachary.com and follow along on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook at @HotelZachary.

About Hickory Street Capital
Hickory Street Capital is a real estate development company founded by the Ricketts Family to pursue Chicago-based real estate interests outside of their baseball interests. The company is building a lifestyle, mixed-use development adjacent to Wrigley Field, including a 175-room boutique hotel, office building and community oriented plaza.

Media Contacts:
Stephanie Reay or Carly Holstein
Zapwater Communications
Email: stephanier@zapwater.com | carly@zapwater.com
312.943.0333

Quick Look: A tower crane in the distance

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Alta Roosevelt tower crane

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

1001 South State Moon crane

Alta Roosevelt begins the slow climb skyward

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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.