MiLa topping out ceremony (Courtesy of Zoe Zekas/YoChicago!)
It’s not every day you see a card table sporting hard hats and balloons on Michigan Avenue. Or people in yellow safety vests pouring champagne instead of concrete. But Thursday wasn’t just any day at 200 North Michigan Avenue, the residential tower called MiLa.
Hardhats and balloons — That’s how you throw a party (Courtesy of Joe Zekas/YoChicago!)
That’s because it was the ceremonial topping out of the skyscraper across the street from Michigan Plaza and next to the Carbide and Carbon Building (230 North Michigan Avenue).
The technical topping out was one month ago, but that event involved rivets and rebar, not hors d’ouvres and beers and consequently was under-photographed.
There were plenty of photographers present at the MiLa ceremonial topping out, including Joe Zekas from YoChicago! who took these pictures for us. There were also architects, developers, bankers, and a Whitman’s sampler box of assorted real estate folk.
At some Chicago skyscrapers there is a ceremonial steel beam that gets signed by the guests. MiLa opted for concrete, which attracted the John Hancocks not only of architect Tom Kerwin, but of the centuries-dead Mr. Hancock, himself, as you can see below.
The ghost of John Hancock signed MiLa’s top. Like you wouldn’t. (Courtesy of Joe Zekas/YoChicago!)
Developer John Buck addresses the gathering (Courtesy of Joe Zekas/YoChicago!)
“Excelsior!” Mr. Buck probably didn’t say. (Courtesy of Joe Zekas/YoChicago!)
View to the north (Courtesy of Joe Zekas/YoChicago!)
View to the South (Courtesy of Joe Zekas/YoChicago!)
Future pool (Courtesy of Joe Zekas/YoChicago!)
There’s still lots of work to do at the top (Courtesy of Joe Zekas/YoChicago!)
No idea what this is, but it looks startled. (Courtesy of Joe Zekas/YoChicago!)
