The complex and coordinated ballet of All Central Crane and Erection installing a Potain tower crane in the heart of a busy city usually happens too slowly for a casual sidewalk observer to really appreciate. Luckily, a time lapse-video documenting a crane delivery and erection at 215 W Lake gives us an opportunity to admire the process in about three minutes. With the site bounded by buildings and active ‘L’ tracks, the careful maneuvering needed to install the heavy hardware looks all the more impressive when sped up.
Time-lapse photography aside, the 33-story, 265-unit rental tower from architect-developer Thomas Roszak and partner Dan Moceri has moved forward this year at a breakneck pace. The site was cleared of the historic post-fire Osborne & Adams Leather Co. building at 209 W Lake in a matter of weeks with foundation equipment reporting for duty immediately thereafter.
215 W Lake also appears to have been given the name of “Level” based on a graphic appearing at the beginning of the video. The building site shares the block with John Ronan Architects’ upcoming office tower at 151 N Franklin, which should be getting a construction crane of its own now that caisson work has wrapped-up.
