Wandered through the South Loop recently? Wondering about that ringing in your ears? Well, ask not for whom the bell tolls. Mostly because those aren’t bells.
As you’ve likely figured out by now, that sound — that really loud sound — is coming from Alta Roosevelt, the 33-story rental tower being constructed at 801 South Financial Place. Designed by Chicago firm Pappageorge Haymes Partners, Alta Roosevelt will have 496 studios, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, and a whopping 348 parking spaces to go along with them. In an unusual twist from the current building trend, there will be no retail space included.
According to PHP, the tower will feature “resort-like amenities.” These types of highfalutin perks are becoming the norm for new-construction apartments, not just for condominiums. Developers are looking to provide renters with as many creature comforts as possible, making today’s apartment projects look much more like fancy condo buildings. (You can make the argument that high-end amenities will help developers turn those apartments into condos somewhere down the road, but I’m not going there.)
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Look who’s getting a tower crane!
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Still just a seedling. It will grow.
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Tower crane stub and friends.
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801 South Financial has been a busy busy lot since March.
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It was quieter then, but not much fun to watch.
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Soil sampling rig back in September.
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Site preparation got underway in March.
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Then the big equipment started showing up.
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Along with the pilings. Lots of pilings were driven to the site, so they could be driven *into* the site.
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Lots of pilings.
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Seriously. Piles of pilings.