Summer is cranking along and so is Chicago's construction scene. In case you've missed it, the city is experiencing a boom in new construction. Thousands of new apartment units and hotel rooms are on the way, and the city's skyline is littered with cranes that are helping construct these new developments. And while it seems like Chicago's construction scene has hit critical mass, things are about to get even busier as additional projects launch over the next few months. Here's a quick downtown rundown of where various projects are at as we head into August.

Starting from the south, first up is the 40-story, 1,206-room Marriott Marquis at McCormick place which is now drilling caissons:

Next door, the site has been cleared for the 13-story Center Point Properties data center at Calumet and 21st...

as well as the new arena along Cermak Road.

Further north at 1333-1345 South Wabash, CMK's 144-unit condo project is finished, while the 28-story rental project One Triple Three next door has excavated the site.

Crossing into the Loop Community Area, JDL's 1000 South Clark with 29 floors and 469 rental units is just about topped out with glazing now covering most of the facade. When the Hartshorne Plunkard-designed structure rose, many watchers were surprised that the west side facing the Rock Island Metra tracks was not glass like the more prominent eastern exposure seen here but rather is a more austere concrete wall with punch-hole windows.

The SCB-designed 1001 South State is now really starting to take off with the tower past the more complicated levels of the parking podium and amenity deck. The 40 story, 398 unit structure now reaches the 14th floor.

Also designed by SCB, the 690-unit rental tower at Block 37 is really starting to make a visual impact as it is also getting very close to topping out.

Also in the Loop, John Buck Company's MILA, the bKL-designed 402-unit rental tower at Michigan and Lake is now about 40 floors up with its first panes of glass now installed.



More crucial construction boom coverage:

Mapping Chicago's 18 Highrises Under Construction Right Now

Springtime Check-In on Construction Sites Throughout the City

Making Sense of the Construction Boom Underway in the Loop

Developers to Deliver 3,000 New Downtown Apartments in 2015

How Downtown Became the Hottest Market for Chicago Renters



At the riverfront trio to the west, crews at the Goettsch Partners-designed 150 North Riverside has been busy installing steel as the much anticipated cantilever takes shape and the tower crane has been erected.

Meanwhile across the street, the Pickard Chilton designed River Point office tower at 444 West Lake has about 30 of its 53 floors of steel now framed out.

Across the river, the bKL-designed Wolf Point West tower has just topped out its 48 floors which will contain 507 rental units.

At 85 East Wacker Drive, work crews with W.E. O'Neil construction have now almost fully fireproofed the steel framed London House hotel annex and glass has begun installation on the first three floors.

In Streeterville, Golub & Company's SCB-designed Moment with 41 floors has now climbed up to the 14th floor.

Just up McClurg, the Ability Institute of RIC jointly designed by Gensler and HDR, Inc. is now almost fully clad, however another year's worth of interior build outs is still to come

Back on Grand Avenue, the 57-story David Hovey-designed Optima City Center II remains in a holding pattern at this time after completing foundation work.

Over in River North, Magellan's new apartment tower at the old Gino's East/Planet Hollywood has gotten a demo permit for the existing building, however the roof is still in use for now as parking.

While Magellan's other Wells Street project, the bKL-designed 34-story rental tower at Superior Street to the north has caisson drilling well under way.

Also on Wells, the 11-story apartment building developed by Akara Partners is now getting its facade. For those of you who thought this was just going to add to River North's inventory of beige painted concrete, well surprise: the facade appears to be hand-laid brick!

On the Loyola Water Tower Campus, the new 10-story business school designed by SCB is just about finished, as is the 36-story, 367-unit apartment tower next door.

Just up State Street, the 34-story Hartshorne Plunkard-designed No. 9 Walton with 67 very high-end condos has begun site preparations.

Further north along State Street, the even more exclusive 4 East Elm, with 35 units in a slender 25-story SCB-designed tower has reached the 16th floor.

Further west, Gerding/Edlen Development's 18-story GREC-designed rental tower at 625 West Division is nearing completion.

And finally, two upcoming projects which will soon be starting site preparations: The Sinclair (aka The Tower of Jewel) and Chicago/Hudson:

—Shawn Ursini

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