So what stood on this ground before the proposal?

From the Optima thread - 435 N Park is in the upper right.

435 site
 

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7264/8...5795385f_b.jpg
Site of new 435 N Park development by YoChicago1, on Flickr

Site at lower left. Shot several months ago from the amenities deck at 240 E Illinois.

^^^ Actually the Lower Left lot (fenced off) is 465 N Park (where the old shots from 2008 were taken), the current work is where the surface lot is in this photo.

Thanks for the correction. Early morning fog!

Case on site
 

This morning some of the first big Caisson Rigs from CASE construction rolled onto site. Looks like deep foundations are about to begin.

If it does, I will be very surprised by the speed with which this project began. I'll put a preliminary banana for the tallest proposed building in chicago. :banana:

Wolf Point?

Double posted (computer glitch?)

^^
That's not intended to break ground for at least a few years for the western towers. I suppose I meant of the more immediate proposals. Good point though.

Sorry - just CASE pulling out the old sheet piles and foundation pilings. At noon today they had finished with the sheet piles and were switching to the wooden pole/pile extractor.

New sights and sounds this morning. Looks like the pile pulling is done and new shiny equipment has rolled onto site.

This morning the CASE support crane looked to be unloading rebar (left end of the picture). The rebar looked (from afar) to be both smaller hoops and longer verticals, which may be the makings of Caisson Shaft cages.

On the right side of the picture, two new CASE vehicles arrived. They look to be drill rigs. (One is on site and one is still under the Sheraton access road).

Also notice the slightly new construction trailer in the lower left hand corner. It has been there about 2 weeks, but they recently added that wood stair and platform, making it seem more permanent (or as permanent ad a temporary construction trailer can look).

I may have jumped the gun on caisson start a few weeks ago, but this looks promising!?!?

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-2...25281%2529.JPG

^^
I wonder if they are renting the empty lot to the North with the trailer? I suppose that would make construction less complicated.

At a community meeting many months ago I asked the architect and developer where they proposed to do their lay down, and the developer answered that they hoped to use the land to the north (i.e. where the trailer is located), but it depended on whether that land owner was about to re-start their own project. It appears that they must have struck a deal with that land owner. Good for the logistics of this project, but that might mean that the North Parcel owner will not be building anything for many months/years.

^ Looks like this is about to get underway!

Great news

Good news and a great spot for all that glass and density.

I stayed at that Sheraton during my first trip to Chicago. The way the Sun pokes into that area in the morning is lovely, and more density will just make it better.

Update from The Chicago Architecture Blog today: http://blog.chicagoarchitecture.info...th-park-drive/


Caisson work is under way. Good to see this massive project get off the ground running... hopefully winter doesn't hit them too hard.

Time to move it to the Highrise Construction thread?

According to Crains, this project has been financed and it will be a Loews hotel