The last time I posted about 1114 West Carroll, it was 1114 West Carroll. Now, it has a new moniker: Flora. And a name change is enough of a reason (to me) to throw a few more pics out there. But more so because I just happen to really love the look of this tower. And I’m not going to be neutral when it comes to the West Loop/Fulton Market District. It’s my favorite neighborhood in Chicago. And while Flora feels like it’s situated a little too far west for my liking, this portion of Fulton Market is going to become very dense very soon, putting Flora right in the middle of everything. Yep, I’d ..read more

A quick iPhone peek at crews working on underground conduit at 220 North Ada while we wait for a tower crane appearance. Enjoying the photos? Metra and CTA rides (and Amtrak trains to Milwaukee), Zipcars, Divvy Bikes, camera lenses, domain fees, snacks & energy drinks, and comfortable walking shoes add up. You can help offset expenses by making a greatly-appreciated donation to Building Up Chicago using the form below. Make a one-time donation Your contribution is appreciated. Donate Make a monthly donation Your contribution is appreciated. Donate monthly Make a yearly donation Your contr ..read more

The Chicago Skyline from Ping Tom Park. We’re approaching the 8-year anniversary of Building Up Chicago, so let’s talk about a few things you may not have already known about us: We keep using “we” and “us” but it’s really just “me.” I am the sole contributor, writer, photographer, editor, and coffee brewer. This is just a hobby. not a job. No one is paying me to do this, no one is expecting x-number of posts per week, no one is telling me what to post and what not to post. You’ll see me taking a sabbatical now and then. When it’s not fun (especially when it’s cold) I take a break. ***It’s a L ..read more

The former Motor Row Burger King I made a Burger King joke. Sue me. Besides, 256 units is no small-fry development. That’s the plan at 2328 South Michigan Avenue in the Near South Community Area. 256 apartments across two buildings in the Motor Row neighborhood. As per the development’s introduction on design architect Eckenhoff Saunders’ website, the would be 98 units in a seven-story building, and 158 units in an 18-story tower. 64 of those units would be affordable. The shorter building would front Michigan Avenue, with the tower standing tall behind it. A three-headed development team is i ..read more

The former Motor Row Burger King I made a Burger King joke. Sue me. Besides, 256 units is no small-fry development. That’s the plan at 2328 South Michigan Avenue in the Near South Community Area. 256 apartments across two buildings in the Motor Row neighborhood. As per the development’s introduction on design architect Eckenhoff Saunders’ website, the would be 98 units in a seven-story building, and 158 units in an 18-story tower. 64 of those units would be affordable. The shorter building would front Michigan Avenue, with the tower standing tall behind it. A three-headed development team is i ..read more

Two Potain MR 608 free-standing tower cranes at work at the UChicago Cancer Care Center in Hyde Park Both cranes are up and running and construction progress has gone 3-D at 5644 South Drexel Avenue in Hyde Park. That’s where the University of Chicago Medicine is building its new Cancer Care Center. The seven-story, 875,000-square-foot facility, designed by CannonDesign, broke ground in September of last year and is scheduled to open in 2027. It’s up to Turner Construction and Adjustable Concrete Construction, the General Contractor and Concrete Contractor, respectively, to make that happen. T ..read more

The Obama Presidential Center peeks out over the Museum of Science and Industry The most noticeable change in construction progress at The Obama Presidential Center is the addition of granite panels on the exterior of the Library Tower. It’s also gotten a little taller (more vertical photo opps) since I was here last, so the view from farther away is changing. A lot of what you’ll see in this gallery are new angles from distance, plus familiar vantage points from near and far. Photos taken May 1, 2024 ..read more

The Robert R. McCormick Leadership and Economic Opportunity Center under construction. Project H.O.O.D., established in 2012 by Pastor Corey Brooks, is going all out to provide the Woodlawn Community Area with a new state-of-the-art community center. The Robert R. McCormick Leadership and Economic Opportunity Center will be a three-story, 85,000-square-foot mixed-use facility at the southwest corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and 66th Street in the Woodlawn neighborhood. The center, which broke ground in Fall 2023, will include an auditorium, a gym with an indoor swimming pool, plus multi ..read more

A pair of new luffers at UChicago Cancer Center in Hyde Park. Nine tower cranes isn’t very many for Chicago. But it happens. The good news is, we’ve got a few on the way. At 220 North Ada (real soon), 400 Lake Shore (mid-May?), and maybe 1723 South Michigan (permit pending, but that’s just an idle, empty lot right now.) More good news is that the Chicago Plan Commission will consider four projects at their next meeting — May 16 — that, if approved, will all require tower cranes: 700 West Chicago (multiple cranes over a multi-phase build?), 2031 North Kingsbury (355-unit apartment tower), 370 N ..read more

This is exactly what we talked about wanting to avoid on Sunday. A building gets demolished, then the lot sits empty for weeks or months or years before something new comes along. Such was the case at 2745 North Bosworth in the Lincoln Park Community Area. A demolition permit was issued here in December of 2021. I can’t say when exactly demolition work occurred, but the look of the lot (anyone need a double sink?), the overgrowth, the ragged fencing, tells me it’s been empty for far too long. But not for much longer. On Tuesday April 23, a New Construction permit was issued by the City of Chi ..read more