Height: 449 ft
Floor count: 44
Location: North Wells and West Lake
Neighborhood: Loop
Construction end: 2011
Architect: Solomon, Cordwell, Buenz and Associates
Developer: Unknown
Website: http://www.200squared.com/

http://img399.imageshack.us/img399/5885/200218wlakexz9.jpg

NewCitySkyline

Mixed-use tower approved for 200-218 West Lake Street

Wednesday, May, 23 2007

Chicago, IL, US - A proposed mixed-use development for 200-218 West Lake Street was passed by the Plan Commission on Thursday.

Designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz, the 43-story building will rise 412 feet, or 456 feet including a mechanical penthouse and architectural addition at the top.

The building will contain 335 rental units, 152 of which will be efficiency units. The project will also include 549 parking spaces consisting of 181 accessory parking spaces and 368 non-accessory parking spaces.

Read more at NewcitySkyline (http://www.newcityskyline.com/200-218WestLakeStreetDevelopment.html).

Fairly plain, but still better than what's currently on the site.

Fairly plain, but still better than what's currently on the site.
May 23, 2007

http://img164.imageshack.us/img164/6531/dsc0352copynu4.jpg

http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/3063/dsc0238copyku3.jpg

The building will contain 335 rental units, 152 of which will be efficiency units. The project will also include 549 parking spaces consisting of 181 accessory parking spaces and 368 non-accessory parking spaces.

Read more at NewcitySkyline (http://www.newcityskyline.com/200-218WestLakeStreetDevelopment.html).


Do you think (or know) that the city requested that so many parking stalls be provided to compensate for the stalls lost in the parking garage? I have heard that this is an unwritten rule.

Secondly, on the existing picture, it looks like the ramp continues to go up as if they had an opportunity to add more levels of parking in the future. I have seen this a lot (600 S Clark and the parking lot southeast of the prison come to mind). Is that what the ramp is for?

^^ ^^
You hit the nail on the head... The ramp was for future unbuilt floors. This is quite common on parking structures built in the 50-60s.

August 17, 2007

http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/7452/dsc0752pz5.jpg

This is an exciting project for that corner of the Loop. Along with 188 W. Randolph & 211 N. Wells renovations nearby, it will form the nucleus of a 24hr community. Also the renovated Bismark Hotel and Cadillac Palace Theatre are one block to the SE. :cheers:

I like it

Don't forget that the Hotel Allegro is undergoing a renovation as well (although, I believe it's restricted to the rooms themselves).

*keeping fingers crossed*

Soil testing the hard way
http://lh6.ggpht.com/harry.r.carmichael/SGookH83XxI/AAAAAAAArWo/Tq8B_bOPt5o/P1420259.JPG?imgmax=720

With all the glum news on the big projects, it is nice to see towers like this and 215 Wash getting underway. Lets hope that the rental project on East Lake and Wabash gets moving too.

Demo has started on the garage. A good chunk of it was ripped down as of yesterday afternoon.

Update from SSP by Solarwind:

August 6, 2008

http://img391.imageshack.us/img391/1149/dsc0207ip1.jpg

http://img391.imageshack.us/img391/3910/dsc0018ff4.jpg

This one is now u/c:

October 29, 2008

http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/375/dsc0174dc2.jpg

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/7773/dsc0175ot9.jpg

I was looking for this thread. I walked by and saw this yesterday. very encouraging to see this moving forward.

http://www.chicagorealestatedaily.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=32167

Pension fund finances planned Loop apartment tower

(Crain’s) — A big union pension fund has stepped up to finance construction of a proposed $123-million apartment tower in the North Loop, despite concerns about the economy.

The nearly $12-billion National Electrical Benefit Fund has formed a joint venture with suburban developer Jay Javors to build a 44-story structure at 210 N. Wells St. that would include 330 apartments and a 550-car garage. Foundation work began in early October, with the project scheduled to be completed in 2010, says Mr. Javors, president of Midwest Property Group Ltd., a small Hinsdale development firm.

In a deal that closed late last month, the Washington, D.C.-based fund financed the project with a substantial equity investment and a $98.92-million construction loan.

“The to-be-built rental market was much healthier a year ago, when NEBF signed off on doing the deal. And to their credit, they performed,” says William Barry, a senior vice-president with Chicago-based real estate firm Draper & Kramer Inc., who arranged the financing.

Even if NEBF had predicted the dramatic changes in the economy, the pension fund probably still would have agreed to finance the project, says Mark McAllister, NEBF’s director of mortgages.

“It’s a phenomenal location,” he says. “It’s designed more for the younger person who’s just starting out, who wants a place to live where they can walk to work.”

The garage provides an important alternative source of revenue, he notes. The garage on the lower 12 floors of the proposed building would replace a parking structure demolished earlier this year that accommodated about 300 cars, he notes. “It was jam-packed.”

http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/9861/lakewellsrenderingsd2.gifhttp://img372.imageshack.us/img372/1859/200wlakezr9.jpg

A great update by harryc:

The big core mat
Jan 2
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8TC_VUmf9Fw/SWi2oyiiSeI/AAAAAAABCMU/x1Kww1XOl3I/s800/P1190728.JPG

Jan 5
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8TC_VUmf9Fw/SWi2rODhNOI/AAAAAAABCMk/kY43fVKmxWQ/s800/P1190942.JPG

Jan 8
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8TC_VUmf9Fw/SWi2tXLIEeI/AAAAAAABCMw/tdH-GPV_54s/s800/P1200137.JPG

Jan 9
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8TC_VUmf9Fw/SWi3ERko_0I/AAAAAAABCNs/NQMBccv4VUo/s800/P1200275.JPG
The El will always be with us, it is good!

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8TC_VUmf9Fw/SWi3G8U4FgI/AAAAAAABCN4/NE8mL-pgp84/s800/P1200278.JPG

Getting into your work
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8TC_VUmf9Fw/SWi3BE3CwWI/AAAAAAABCNU/lYw-2QI5CkM/s800/P1200263.JPG

Working on the foundation
Jan 8 - Trimming rebar, and melting Ice ( guy in blue has a propane tourch).
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8TC_VUmf9Fw/SWi29i4nNnI/AAAAAAABCM8/-38CggEQyEc/s800/P1200149.JPG

Blowing water off of the bottom ( this is a thin layer of concrete - possibly on top of waterproofing mat )
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8TC_VUmf9Fw/SWi3CclWngI/AAAAAAABCNg/T7medIQarjo/s800/P1200271.JPG

Update
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8TC_VUmf9Fw/SWi2_nE1pmI/AAAAAAABCNI/6eoIbFcBPhM/s720/P1200260.JPG

Another update from SSC by harryc:

From above - Feb 3
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8TC_VUmf9Fw/SY8gewBBagI/AAAAAAABFgM/Dv3-Ci8Kg8A/s800/P1230629.JPG
Full set - higher res (http://picasaweb.google.com/harry.r.carmichael/200WLakeAbove02#)


Jan 29
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8TC_VUmf9Fw/SY8ffPXGqLI/AAAAAAABFdU/zUeKfTDeBok/s800/P1220467.JPG

Jan 30 - last week I thought the crane base had been installed, it was just being stored in the core until it's base was done.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8TC_VUmf9Fw/SY8fhfHA7nI/AAAAAAABFdg/7GuJZBox-l4/s800/P1220884.JPG

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8TC_VUmf9Fw/SY8fjF8RUwI/AAAAAAABFdw/ysA5pUK0XSI/s800/P1220903.JPG

Feb 3
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8TC_VUmf9Fw/SY8fqQBbxRI/AAAAAAABFes/bCuBSmKvv-M/s800/P1230632.JPG

Feb 5
Working w the CTA
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8TC_VUmf9Fw/SY8fkNI0LxI/AAAAAAABFd8/1WomlIuELd4/s800/P1240025.JPG

A bit of conduit - the floor will be poured on top of this.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8TC_VUmf9Fw/SY8flWGuDrI/AAAAAAABFeI/B0OpYxtcUBU/s800/P1240028.JPG

It would appear they are going to have a socket in which the next set of rebar will be tied after the wall is poured.
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8TC_VUmf9Fw/SY8fm1GJPuI/AAAAAAABFeU/ijnSRJQ_8Qo/s800/P1240035.JPG

Base installed.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8TC_VUmf9Fw/SY8fot-gquI/AAAAAAABFeg/z82va9s8kDM/s800/P1240048.JPG

Panasonic DMZ TZ4 (http://panasonic.net/avc/lumix/compact/tz5_tz4_tz15_tz11/index.html) - Picasa (http://picasaweb.google.com/) - Autostitch (http://www.cs.ubc.ca/~mbrown/autostitch/autostitch.html) - Photomatix HDR (http://www.hdrsoft.com/)

Is this northwest of that "el" intersection, or southeast? I'm guessing northwest.

Northwest.

I guess I should bring a camera to work. I'm on the 26th floor staring straight down into this hole. It's kinda cool zoning out in my bosses office watching the trains criss-cross on the lake-wells tracks.

Taken on 5/2:
http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/3030/200westlake.jpg

Taken on 10/10:
http://img53.imageshack.us/img53/1461/200westlakeusm.jpg

Nice pic Kevin. Too bad I didn't see this construction site.

10-27

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/6453/200wlake.jpg

I think this thing might be called "200 Squared," although I'm not 100% sure.

http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/9836/4058093579fbb9a2f2a6b.jpg
Jovan Peric/ flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jovanperic/4058093579/)

the train looks shiny and new from this angle!

11-09

http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/6453/200wlake.jpg

Fantastic update from harryc. This one is cruising along.

From above Dec 22
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8TC_VUmf9Fw/SzLUwzx4MBI/AAAAAAABeBE/W4Yu_BMXPVQ/s720/2009_12_22W.JPG
Full Set (http://picasaweb.google.com/harry.r.carmichael/200WLakeAbove02#)

Dec 18
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8TC_VUmf9Fw/SzLTpO5R1MI/AAAAAAABd_o/J_iFZtHKo0Y/s800/P1630655.JPG

Definitely some progress on this one. First row of cladding is going up. (not that you can really see it at this distance with this camera...stupid Droid...)

http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/570/200wlake031910.jpg

^Droid doesn't? :) j/k

http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/277/p1010655.jpg

Is this northwest of that "el" intersection, or southeast? I'm guessing northwest.

I think so too. Where did you get those pics?

Taken today:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4051/4608147344_596a23523c_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/iamhydrogen/4608147344/)

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/8673/200wrandolph1.jpg

http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/9752/200wrandolph2.jpg

http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/3577/p1010694t.jpg
http://img541.imageshack.us/img541/4558/p1010692l.jpg

200 Squared (http://www.200squared.com/)

http://img641.imageshack.us/img641/3961/81837740.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4074/4779131542_19f95f9dc4_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/iamhydrogen/4779131542/)

Topped out.

Ugh, so sad that this is one of the last towers to go up before things came to a halt. I miss watching multiple new buildings going up all over the downtown area.

http://img821.imageshack.us/img821/6296/p1010760.jpg
http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/6026/p1010763m.jpg

200 Squared
http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/2636/p1010777r.jpg
http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/4544/p1010779o.jpg
Bonus shot of the pocket park next to 155 N Wacker
http://img203.imageshack.us/img203/3194/p1010778u.jpg

http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/7720/p1010808n.jpg

http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/5074/p1010626h.jpg
http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/5149/p1010850y.jpg
http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/7277/p1010822t.jpg

Taken on 11/7/10:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4151/5170822504_8c8ff2d472_o.jpg

https://byfiles.storage.live.com/y1pfejvmzRN3AdyLUVlGCL9IEbM2H-81tUC0Wgfr4HvIQ9OSKEfpSA31djJ2BuWoWsk9fMaN9--X4N1Q9FFCO_www/200%20S%20LAKE.jpg?psid=1