Chicago has eight working tower cranes across the city as the month of June begins. They’re located as far south as the 6600-block of S Dr Martin Luther King Drive in Woodlawn, but barely reach north of the Chicago River, with the furthest northern crane working in the 400-block of N Jean-Baptiste Pointe DuSable Lake Shore Drive.
All manner of projects are utilizing tower cranes this month, including a community center, a presidential museum, residences, an office building, a hospital, and a life sciences facility.
Project H.O.O.D. community center, at 6623 S Dr Martin Luther King Dr. Photo by Daniel Schell
Museum Tower at the Obama Presidential Center, 6001 S Stony Island Ave. Photo by Daniel Schell
Two tower cranes at UChicago Medicine Cancer Care Center, 5644 S Drexel Ave. Photo by Daniel Schell
Hyde Park abs, 5201 S Harper Ave. Photo by Daniel Schell
919 West Fulton, 217 N Sangamon St. Photo by Daniel Schell
220 North Ada, 220 N Ada St. Photo by Daniel Schell
400 Lake Shore, 462 E North Water St. Photo by Daniel Schell
Chicago had nine tower cranes in the air when May 2024 began. Three were taken down; one at O’Hare Airport, one at Illinois Masonic Hospital in Lake View, and one a Northwestern Medicine in Grand Boulevard, Two cranes were erected in May: one at 220 North Ada in Fulton Market, and one at 462 E North Water Street (400 Lake Shore) in Streeterville.
A tower crane base is in the ground at 1723 S Michigan Avenue in the South Loop. That crane is expected to be erected and operational the first week of June.
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Remember in 2017 when Chicago had 60+ cranes up? Good times…
I’m not sure tower cranes are the best measure of development in Chicago. We’re also seeing a lot of smaller projects which aren’t using cranes. I’d rather see a lot of two-flats in Woodlawn or East Garfield Park at the expense of a few taller buildings downtown.
Exactly, same here. Just imagine how much more vibrant Chicago would be if these areas and most or all of the economically distressed areas were no longer. Even if it was all 2-3 flat infill, that’s *a lot* of development and a huge population increase.
Chicago is getting out developed by Austin Texas. It shouldn’t be mentioned in the same breath as vibrant NYC.
Half of the tower cranes are south of 50th Street. That’s nice to see. I wish we had a lot more though.
Guess no one’s even tried to count tower cranes in NYC or Miami
It’s not a contest, it’s a website about Chicago building projects. Try Yimby Florida or yimby New York.
The reason why NYC has so many damn cranes and tall buildings because they are the number 1 city for international trading which means it will draw a lot of attention for private investments and NYC is nowhere close to being banks like Chicago is which we’re at $42 Billion in debt. Hence the reason why we can’t afford that many taller buildings.
It’s so sad what is happening in our city. Record low levels of development and sky rocketing rent prices. Our elected socialist leaning officials don’t understand their housing policies are detrimental to affordable housing. Only 8 tower cranes is a joke.
Because everyone keeps voting for the same type of idiots that don’t understand economics and politics at the level we’re at right now with crime and property taxes and so forth. It’s pathetic