Half-block of West Randolph Street has been cleared, for…. ??

Posted on December 21, 2016 by danieldschell

Even the cover of night can’t hide the emptiness at 725 West Randolph, et al.

Heneghan Wrecking has just about wrapped up work at 723-735 West Randolph Street in the West Loop. What were once 6 dilapidated storefronts look more like farmland than commerce.

So, what’s coming next? No, it’s not a rhetorical question. I’m actually asking it myself. We’ve all heard talk of the fancy tower with robot-valets, but I’ve also heard there may not be anything coming to the empty space for a couple years. Looks like we’ll have to wait and see. In the meantime, we can keep our eyes on the City’s permit site, and listen for community meetings.

Hey, wouldn’t a massive beer garden for Haymarket Brewing next door be a good use of all that acreage?

: Smooth as glass this morning.

: Still working on the westernmost wall, up against Haymarket Brewing.

: Working yesterday on that same wall.

: Th remnants of 723’s basement are ripped out/buried yesterday.

: All gone.

: Yep, Jessica’s gone, too.

: Blame those big snippers for that.

LG Development writing a new story for the West Loop

Posted on December 19, 2016 by danieldschell

https://twitter.com/LGDevelopment/status/808687914926411777

If it seems there’s construction on every block of the West Loop, it’s probably because there’s construction on every block of the West Loop. But it’s not all fancy corporate HQs and boutique hotels.

At 177 North Morgan Street* (that’s the address according to the building permit. As you can see in the tweet above, LG Development refers to the property as 185 North Morgan.), LG Development is erecting a single-story retail building at the foot of the Morgan Street CTA L station.

Punch Bowl Social picks up a spare, right up their alley

Posted on December 14, 2016 by danieldschell

The restored facade of ~~Brooklyn Bowl~~ Punch Bowl Social in the West Loop.

All the work that went into preserving the historic facade at West Fulton and North Peoria in the West Loop’s Fulton market District isn’t for Brooklyn Bowl, as it turns out. The space, which looks nearly complete, will now be occupied by Punch Bowl Social.

That’s the news we got from Eater Chicago last week. A quick walk around the facility this week shows a venue that looks close to being open; the Punch Bowl Social website says to expect it in 2017. And remember, 2017 is less than three weeks away.

: You can see from here, still some work to do on the top level.

Construction Progress: 1035 West Van Buren

Posted on December 8, 2016 by danieldschell

1035 West Van Buren in the West Loop, colorful even on a gloomy day.

The 30-story, 300-unit apartment tower from Related Midwest at 1035 West Van Buren continues to show its true colors, all of them primary, alongside the Eisenhower Expressway in the West Loop. The blue, yellow, and red-covered construction site would have looked much better on a sunny day, but a quick check of the forecast shows it might be completed before we get more sunshine in Chicago. I’m afraid you’ll have to settle for the following photos from a dreary December afternoon.

: The view from Building Up Chicago.

: Kudos to Related Midwest; still Flying The W.

Tearing down West Randolph Street

Posted on December 7, 2016 by danieldschell

Jessica Alba’s billboard is still around. 729-735 West Randolph? Not so much.

Not all of it, of course. There are a few restaurateurs who’d fight that plan.

Specifically, we’re talking about 723-733 West Randolph. The building marked 735 doesn’t have a demolition permit that I’ve been able to find, but that could just be someone putting the wrong numbers on the front door. Either way, it’s mostly rubble now. Making the space is the ever-reliable Heneghan Wrecking.

: Above and behind the destruction.

: 735 is an ugly building, but it looked for a while like it would be spared the wrecking ball. Newp.

: Kennedy-side rubble.

Ace Hotel discards its tower crane

Posted on December 6, 2016 by danieldschell

The tower crane’s gone from the Ace Hotel.

It’s a sign of progress to see how many tower cranes are sprouting throughout Chicago. It’s another sign to see how many of those cranes are disappearing from construction sites around town. Done with one job; on to the next.

The Ace Hotel at 311 North Morgan Street in the West Loop is one of the latest area projects to lose its tower crane. The GREC Architects-designed 159-key, seven-story boutique hotel is topped out, and Sterling Bay is looking to have full houses in the very near future. General contractor Power Construction is doing what it can to make that happen soon.

: Gone too are the shipping containers that held the original facade in place during early construction.

Like the bottom bun, McDonald’s foundation off to a good start

Posted on December 5, 2016 by danieldschell

Lots of irons in the fire at the new McDonald’s HQ.

With Harpo Studios a distant memory, foundation work is underway in the West Loop on what will be the new headquarters for the McDonald’s Corporation. And you know, you can’t start building a burger without a good bottom bun.

The foundation permit, issued November 7.

A foundation permit was issued by the city on November 7. Equipment from Michels Corporation (they did the caisson work on the newly-opened River Point Plaza) is tearing away at the soil in the block surrounded by Carpenter, Randolph, and Aberdeen Streets, and Washington Boulevard. Once that work is done, general contractor McHugh Construction will start going vertical with the Gensler-designed HQ.

: You’re just making it harder for spectators, aren’t you

River Point is open!

Posted on December 1, 2016 by danieldschell

Looking north through River Point Plaza, with the Kinzie Street railroad bridge standing at attention on the right.

River Point, the 52-story office tower from Hines, is now open. That’s likely uncontrollably exciting to those of you who have or will have your new office at 444 West Lake Street in the West Loop, but it’s quite a spectacle for the rest of us, too.

I haven’t been inside yet (insert hopeful emoji here), but I took a stroll through River Point Plaza Thursday evening. The one-and-a-half-acre park, designed by landscape architect The Office of James Burnett, sits above the fork in the Chicago River, offering views to the east past the Merchandise Mart, and to the north toward the Kinzie Street railroad bridge. During construction of River Point, Hines promised us a spectacular public park at the foot of the tower. What Hines delivered is, in fact, a spectacular park at the foot of the tower. But don’t take my word for it. Take my photos that follow instead, then get yourselves over and see for yourself.

Kudos to everyone involved in the River Point project, including design architect Pickard Chilton, civil engineer Magnusson Klemencic Associates, and contractors Lendlease and Clark Construction. Magnificent work, all around!

: Looking east along the Chicago River, with the red-and-green-topped Merchandise Mart on the left.

: Paths and trees and lights on the River Point Plaza.

: Looking south across the plaza, with 150 North Riverside in the distance.

: More plaza, more Chicago River scenery.

: Wreaths and arch.

: The view of River Point from Wacker Drive.

: The north elevation, an angle I’ve been waiting to see.

: Looking up at corners.

: Humble beginnings. Seems like forever ago.

: This was a handsome child.

American Flag, Tower Crane, and Water Tank, for a Thursday

Posted on December 1, 2016 by danieldschell

Last night, in the West Loop

West Loop lot ready for transition to McDonald’s HQ

Posted on October 25, 2016 by danieldschell

Spotted: A yellow street crane is assembled on the future McDonald’s HQ site.

Yes, there’s still “demolition” work taking place on the former site of Harpo Studios in the West Loop. But only if you count the big hole Heneghan Wrecking has been digging as demo work. Because other than that, the block lying within Randolph, Carpenter, Washington, and Aberdeen is a smoothed-over dirt field, ready to play canvas to Sterling Bay’s development.

As we wait for the inevitable influx of equipment onto the McDonald’s site, a street crane (surface crane? We need a definitive name for non-tower cranes) has begun assembly.