Another new tower crane will soon adorn the Fulton Market sky, as the base has been planted for a rig at 370 North Morgan. A permit to set a foundation for the crane was issued way back in January, calling for a free standing Potain MD509 – M20 unit. The base section and its distinct red color are barely visible above the top of the housing built around it as protection from passing construction equipment. It will rise from the northwest corner of the site, at the intersection of Carpenter and Kinzie Streets.
Disassembled caisson equipment awaits removal to the next jobsite. Photo by Daniel Schell
The crane base and its protective housing. Photo by Daniel Schell
A 32-story, 494-unit apartment tower, 370 North Morgan began caisson work back in June. Most of that gear has been broken down and is awaiting removal from the site. There were three flatbed trailers on hand Wednesday to haul equipment away. Concrete contractor McHugh Concrete will operate the tower crane for general contractor Skender. Pending permits yet to be issued in the Chicago Data Portal include the construction hoist, the full building permit, and Phase 2 and 3 tower crane tie-ins.
In the background, one of Chicago’s best surviving water tanks. Photo by Daniel Schell
Corner of Carpenter and Kinzie Streets. Photo by Daniel Schell
If erected before any other cranes are taken down, this will be the eighth crane operating in Chicago. There are two in Hyde Park at the AbbVie Cancer Pavilion, one in Jackson Park building the Obama Presidential Center Museum Tower, and one on the Museum Campus at Shedd Aquarium. The South Loop has the city’s newest crane, at 626 South Wabash, and The Loop has one at the Thompson Center’s Google transformation. The shiny yellow Liebherr crane at 400 Lake Shore is the seventh and northernmost Chicago tower crane. That crane is expected to jump another six sections within the next two weeks.
Southwest corner of the construction site at Carpenter Street and the Metra tracks. Photo by Daniel Schell
The red crane is just visible in the “doorway” on the south façade of the custom-built housing. Photo by Daniel Schell
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I am so excited for this lot to go vertical. I’d say the one across the tracks is more of a noticeable gap in the pedestrian experience, but so are all the other empty lots hugging the train tracks. Within time, it will be such a transformative area, not that it isn’t already.
I appreciate Chicago’s green roof/wall requirement. It’s great to see all the green in Google Maps. Chicago is one of the literal “greenest” cities in the world, regarding roofs, that is.
This is wrong, by the way It’ll be our ninth crane, and it’s going up right now. I keep forgetting about the UIC parking garage crane.