Chicago Plan Commission Approves Assumption Catholic Church Project
Feb19

Chicago Plan Commission Approves Assumption Catholic Church Project

Written By on February 19, 2016 in church, Franklin Street, Illinois Street, Orleans Street, River North, Skyscrapers, _story

Thursday, the Chicago Plan Commission gave its approval for a multi-dimensional project involving the Assumption Catholic Church and grounds at 311 West Illinois Street. The big addition to the neighborhood would be 3Eleven, a 23-story apartment tower designed by friends-of-the-blog FitzGerald Associates, in what is now a surface parking lot on the southwest corner of Illinois and Franklin Streets. Developer John Buck Company wants to...

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151 North Franklin Forging Ahead, Could Break Ground This Fall
Apr07

151 North Franklin Forging Ahead, Could Break Ground This Fall

Written By on April 7, 2015 in Franklin Street, Proposals, Randolph Street, Skyscrapers, The Loop, _story

  Remember that great big blue skyscraper that the John Buck Company wanted to build at the corner of North Franklin  and West Randolph Streets?  The one that they shut down a Walgreens and a Chinese take-out joint to build, but to date nothing has happened?  Well, stuff’s happening; you just can’t see it. Loop Spy Dan shared a bit of information with us straight from the developer, that one major tenant is already...

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Get Your Funk On: Skyscraper Finally Coming to 130 North Franklin
Jan22

Get Your Funk On: Skyscraper Finally Coming to 130 North Franklin

Written By on January 22, 2015 in Franklin Street, Proposals, Skyscrapers, The Loop, _story

It’s been a little over a decade since the address known as 130 North Franklin was turned into a surface parking lot.  Now it looks like that scar on Chicago’s urban landscape is going to finally be healed. Just about two years ago, Tishman Speyer started promoting its plans for the off-Wacker property — a 48-story faceted blue glass tower by River North’s own Krueck and Sexton.  It even put together a super-cool...

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A Coat of Paint, or the Start of a New Skyscraper?
Oct20

A Coat of Paint, or the Start of a New Skyscraper?

Written By on October 20, 2014 in Construction, Franklin Street, Randolph Street, Skyscrapers, The Loop, _article

Loop Spy Otto (Really?  “Otto?”) sent in these photographs of the parking garage at 200 West Randolph Street getting a new paint job.  Why is that so interesting?  Because the wall being panted is planned to be the common wall joining John Buck Company’s new 151 North Franklin. The city of Chicago approved construction of the 36-story office building designed by John Ronan in April of this year.  Since then, the...

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Here Comes 151 North Franklin
Aug22

Here Comes 151 North Franklin

Written By on August 22, 2014 in Construction, Franklin Street, Randolph Street, Skyscrapers, The Loop, _story

John Buck Company’s new office tower at 151 North Franklin Street is about to become reality. The Walgreen’s store that currently occupies the lot at the corner of West Randolph Street and North Franklin closes for good at 5:00pm today.  Employees confirm it is being torn down to make way for the new skyscraper. Loop Spy Dan went by there yesterday and talked to some construction-looking workers who also confirmed that...

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Are These the First Baby Steps of a New Skyscraper?
Aug22

Are These the First Baby Steps of a New Skyscraper?

Written By on August 22, 2014 in Franklin Street, Skyscrapers, The Loop, Washington Street, _story

For more than a decade we’ve been keeping an eye on the vacant lot at 300 West Washington Street wondering how a Grade A Prime Kobe-quality real estate like this can remain a vacant lot for so long. The most recent plan approved by the city for this parcel was back in 2004 when the green light was given to build a parking lot here.  But it never happened, and the city revoked its permission in 2011. Before that, in 1997 the city...

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Status Update: 28 North Franklin
Feb23

Status Update: 28 North Franklin

Written By on February 23, 2014 in Construction, Franklin Street, hotels, The Loop, _story

No one moves to The Loop for the peace and quiet. Take it from someone who lived on the corner of Lake and Wells for a year, just above the screeches, roars, and whistles of the Tower 18 L crossing. But the big noise last week was jackhammers getting to work on 28 North Franklin Street, what is expected to grow into an 18-story Hyatt Place hotel.  At least we thought it was going to be 18 stories.  But the construction permit issued...

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Loop In Line For Yet Another New Hotel
Jan08

Loop In Line For Yet Another New Hotel

Written By on January 8, 2014 in Franklin Street, hotels, Proposals, The Loop, _story

Another downtown Chicago surface parking lot is biting the dust.  Crain’s Chicago Business reports that OTO Development plans to build an 18-story Hyatt Place on the lot at 28 North Franklin Street. This is the latest in a series of hotel openings and proposals in the last few years in the heart of Chicago’s financial district. Two blocks away from this proposed Hyatt Place, a Marriott Place is planned for 39 South LaSalle...

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New Skyscraper at 151 North Franklin Makes Its Public Debut
Dec03

New Skyscraper at 151 North Franklin Makes Its Public Debut

Written By on December 3, 2013 in Franklin Street, Proposals, Randolph Street, Skyscrapers, The Loop, _story

  If you’re a tech nerd of a certain age, you may remember something called the squircle. It’s a combination of a circle and a square, and also the infamous input device on Microsoft’s failed Zune music player. Well, the squircle is back, this time taking the form of a skyscraper known as 151 North Franklin. Even the building’s brochure is die-cut in the shape of a squircle. The John Buck Company project...

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Chicago’s Newest Office Tower Still Only Paper and Pixels [Video]
Nov06

Chicago’s Newest Office Tower Still Only Paper and Pixels [Video]

Written By on November 6, 2013 in Franklin Street, Proposals, Skyscrapers, The Loop, _story

It’s been a while since we’ve heard anything about 151 North Franklin, the office skyscraper proposed for the northeast corner of North Franklin Street and West Randolph Street in The Loop. Then this week, a marketing video popped up on the internet (see above) for the John Buck Company’s 600,000 square-foot development.  It shows a building that fits in well with its Wacker Drive neighbors. Big glass lobby walls,...

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