Walsh Construction Builds Ultimate Parkour Course at Wolf Point East
When I was a kid, we would have called what’s going on over at Wolf Point East a “jungle gym.” And my sister would promptly fall off of it, break her arm, and drive her lower teeth through her bottom lip because it was the 1970’s and soft hadn’t been invented yet. But this is the new millennium, and those millennium Millennials would probably call the weave of metal struts, risers, and other things I...
A Crane Hatches at Wolf Point East
It was just a couple of days ago that River North Spy Chris sent us photos of crane parts being delivered to Wolf Point. Now… Bam! We have achieved crane! Chris has sent in a new set of photos showing a legitimate, if diminutive, tower crane at the heart of the construction for the 628,500-square-foot Wolf Point East. It won’t remain small for long. Wolf Point East is expected to rise 668 feet over the Chicago River,...
New Erection Will Have Goose Island Sporting Wood
Yes, we're all a bunch of fifth-graders around here. But in spite of the juvenile headline, what's planned for Goose Island is clearly innovative. Texas mega-developer Hines officially plans to put up a new office building on Goose Island that's made of wood. Crain's Chicago Business first reported Hines knotty notion way back in February, and we noted back then that this isn't Hines' first time going out on this limb. It has a...
Lincoln Common Getting Drilled, Losing Retail
No one ever said that construction was a quiet trade. And having spent too many years living next door to Chicago skyscrapers being constructed, I can say the king of all noisemakers is the caisson drill (no, not that caisson drill). People in Lincoln Park are going to get an earful starting this week, as the big Lincoln Commons project starts caisson work on the main triangle of what used to be the Children’s Memorial Hospital...
Two 20-Story Twin Towers On The Way To Lincoln Park
This past Wednesday and Thursday were good days for Hines, McCaffery Interests, the government of Abu Dhabi, and anyone else counting on the redevelopment of the old Children’s Memorial Hospital property in Lincoln Park into a new mixed-use micro-neighborhood called The Lincoln Common. That’s because the City of Chicago issued construction permits for the two biggest components of the enormous project. The first nod came...
Readers Cry Wolf, Point at Soil Sampling
With the recent completion of 150 North Riverside, and River Point at 444 West Lake Street, could there be signs that the third major confluential construction project is getting ready to start? Loop Spy Chris sent in photos he took showing soil sampling equipment at Wolf Point. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen dirt rigs at Wolf Point, but it’s the first time since the last time, and that’s good enough for...
Goose Island Lumber Yard May Sport Wood Once Again
The root of Chicago’s industrial past could soon be the home of the city’s largest — or at least heaviest — green building endeavor. Crain’s Chicago Business reports that Hines is thinking about putting up an office building on Goose Island that would be made of wood. The Houston developer isn’t barking up the wrong tree here. There have been dozens of commercial buildings erected over the last few years...
The 411 on 444 West Lake
If you love downtown Chicago and you love parks, there’s good news waiting for you on the west bank of the Chicago River. Loop Spy Chris dunked a couple of dozen photos into our tip line showing the newly completed park in front of River Point (444 West Lake Street). It’s hard to believe that just a couple of short years ago, this area was covered in gravel, smelled like diesel exhaust, and punctuated by the shrieks of...
Children’s Hospital Pretty Much Meets the Definition of “Hulk”
If you’re an artist looking for a location to play Tic-Tac-Toe with parachutes, or perhaps giant pantomime Hollywood Squares (“I’ll take Charo in the center square to block, Peter”) then there’s a place in Lincoln Park just for you. Dr. Robert Vogelzang has sent in another round of photographs showing what little remains of the old Children’s Memorial Hospital. And the little remains are pretty much just a concrete and steel grid....
Old Children’s Hospital Nearly Gone
The violent dismantling of one of the city’s great medical complexes is nearing its completion in Lincoln Park. As we’ve been showing you for the last few months, the old Children’s Memorial Hospital is rapidly becoming just dust and memories. These photos were sent in by Dr. Robert Vogelzang, who practiced the healing arts under its roof for more than 20 years. Once the demolition is complete, the campus will be turned into a...
