Chicago remains hot, as Milwaukee and Denver get taller.

Tribune Tower Project Adds Chicago’s Second Tallest

The developers who are transforming Chicago’s iconic, neo-Gothic Tribune Tower into condominiums and retail space have unveiled plans to build a sleek metal-and-glass supertall just northeast that would be the city’s second-tallest structure, the Chicago Tribune reported in April. Standing 1,422 ft. (433.4 m), the skinny, tapering shaft holding 439 apartments, 125 condos and a 200-room hotel, would be only 29 ft. shorter than Willis Tower and would surpass Trump Tower as second tallest. The US$1-billion project, being developed by Golub & Co. and CIM Group, includes repurposing the 462-ft.-tall, 36-story Tribune Tower into 163 condo units and building the new tower on a nearby parking lot, bringing more than 700 new residential units to an area north of the Chicago River. Occupancy of the Tribune Tower residences would commence in early 2020. Construction of the new tower could begin in late 2019.

October Groundbreaking Expected at Milwaukee Lakefront

Couture, a 44-story tower on the downtown Milwaukee lakefront (ELEVATOR WORLD, February 2016) that was delayed as Barrett Lo Visionary Development LLC negotiated construction costs, looks to break ground by October, the Journal Sentinel reported. Located at 909 East Michigan Street, Couture is set to have 312 apartments, 52,000 sq. ft. of retail/restaurant space and a transit concourse that will accommodate Milwaukee’s new downtown streetcar. J.H. Findorff & Son Inc. is the general contractor on the US$122-million development, part of an ongoing revitalization of downtown that includes the Lakefront Gateway area. Construction is expected to take approximately two-and-a-half years.

New Rendering Shows Denver Office Building

Developers have released an updated rendering for Block 162, a high-rise office tower planned for downtown Denver, DenverInfill reported in April. The 30-story, 595,000-sq.-ft. building will feature a curved roof and be accented by exterior and crown lighting. Tenants will have access to an 11th-floor rooftop terrace on top of the podium. Other amenities include a fitness center, bicycle storage facility with repair station and compressed air, and an on-site light rail stop. The site is on a city block taken up mostly by a surface-level parking lot, with two low-rise buildings at one end. Part of the plot is being reserved for future development. Patrinely Group and USAA Real Estate are developing the project. A construction timeline has not been released.

Savaria Acquires Colorado-Based H.E.S.

Accessibility lift manufacturer Savaria Corp. has acquired H.E.S. Elevator Services, Inc. of Denver in a CAD1.4-million (US$1.1-million) purchase, the company announced in April. Laval, Canada-based Savaria designs, manufactures, distributes and installs accessibility equipment, including stairlifts, vertical and inclined wheelchair lifts, home and commercial elevators and ceiling lifts. H.E.S., which sells, installs and services a range of elevator equipment in Colorado, has been a Savaria dealer for five years. “Our two companies have prospered from a great relationship during the past five years, and we look forward to building on this foundation in the future,” said Marcel Bourassa, Savaria CEO and president. Though based in Canada, two-thirds of Savaria’s business comes from outside the country, mostly from the U.S. In addition to lift equipment, the company also produces products for the medical industry and adapts vehicles to make them wheelchair accessible.