111 S. Wacker Drive Pour in 11 Hours

Only 11 hours were needed to pour 3,700 cu. yds. of concrete for the 111 S. Wacker Drive building, a 50-story office under construction in Chicago.

The pour started at 3:45 a.m. on Saturday, May 31, and finished by 2:45 p.m., according to the Chicago office of New York-based Bovis Lend Lease, the general contractor on the project. The pour was timed to avoid disrupting traffic.

A 10-ft.-thick below-grade mat was formed. Chicago-based Ozinga supplied the concrete, and Roselle-based Goebel Forming formed the mat.

Condo Interior Design Results in Award

Majal Latta, a student at the Chicago-based Harrington Institute of Interior Design, won the first-ever competition sponsored by Marshall Field & Co.'s Interior Design Studio.

More than 100 entrants submitted designs for a three-bedroom, two-bathroom floor plan at the Heritage at Millennium Park, a 57-story condominium under construction on the corner of Wabash and Randolph streets.

The winning design mirrored the curvilinear windows of the Heritage with curving walls and flowing spaces. The plan defined separate living and dining areas, transforming the third bedroom into a combination den and media room.

A residence on the 21st floor will have the layout. Buyers will have the option to incorporate the design into their units.

IDOT Opens Bids On 270 Projects

The Illinois Department of Transportation has opened bids on approximately 270 projects throughout the state.

For a complete list of projects visit the IDOT Web site at
http:// www.dot.state.il.us/press/r051903.html.

75-Ton Autoclaves Hoisted Into Plant

Four 75-ton autoclaves have been installed in Nihon Dempa Kogyo Co. Ltd. plant under construction in Belvidere.

Installing the components was an engineering feat. A 500-ton crane with 165-ft.-tall boom hoisted the units and then lowered them into position through an 8-by-8-ft. opening in the roof.

Palatine-based Kajima Construction Services, the design-build project manager, expects to finish construction on the factory in November. When fully operational at year-end, the 55,000-sq.-ft. facility will be one of the largest North American producers of quartz crystal used for electronic devices, such as cellular phones.

Hershey to Build
Distribution Center

Hershey, Pa.-based Hershey Foods Corp. announced plans to build a distribution center in the Gateway Commerce Center in Edwardsville.

The 1.1 million-sq.-ft. distribution center is expected to be operational by March.

Hershey's Midwest distribution center joins three other high-performance warehouse sites as part of the company's strategy to improve customer service and implement a low-cost supply chain.

Hershey selected Highland-based The Korte Co. to serve as the design/build contractor on the structure, which will feature a 39-ft. ceiling, 160 dock doors, and full temperature control.

A Taste of Africa In Chicago

Park Ridge-based Ragnar Benson Inc. has completed the $23 million construction of the Regenstein African Journey exhibit at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago.

The exhibit is reportedly the most extensive and dramatic project undertaken by the venerable zoo.

The display is a 74,000-sq.-ft. facility featuring large, lush habitats for a variety of African animals, including wild dogs, meerkats, aardvarks, giraffes, rhinos, elephants, crocodiles, warthogs and ostriches. The exhibit's design provides a placid space, making visitors feel as if they have stepped into the African landscape.

The exhibit opened in May. Lincoln Park Zoo, an attraction since 1868, welcomes more than 3 million visitors each year.

PBC to Build Middle School

The new Haugan Middle School will be built on the Northwest Side for the Chicago Public Schools under a proposal approved by the Public Building Commission of Chicago Board.

The new school will be located at 3729 W. Leland Ave.

Also, the PBC Board agreed to undertake construction of four new campus parks on behalf of the Chicago Park District, CPS and the city of Chicago.

The new campus parks will be built at elementary schools on the West, Northwest and North Sides, officials said. The improvements, including new play surfaces and playground equipment, will be made at Corkery School, Goudy School, Grant School and Rogers School.

In other news, $4.1 million expansion of a Little Village library branch is set to go forward under a construction contract approved by the PBC.

Wabash Bridge Reopens

The Wabash Bridge over the Chicago River has reopened to traffic after a $9 million reconstruction.

The historic bridge, originally built in 1930, received a complete overhaul, including new roadway structural steel, concrete-filled grating, sidewalks and ornamental hand railings. The mechanical and electrical systems were overhauled, and the bridge houses received a complete architectural restoration.

The Wabash Bridge is a double-leaf trunnion bascule bridge. The word bascule comes from the French for teeter-totter. The trunnion bascule bridge is known internationally as the Chicago-Style bridge.

Third Award for 600 W. Chicago

Friends of Downtown has named the 600 W. Chicago project the Best Adaptive Re-Use of the year, the development's third major industry award.

The project transformed the historic Montgomery Ward & Co. Catalog House into mixed-use development that included condominiums, office and telecommunications equipment.

"This award recognizes the restoration of a landmark building as a new model for historic preservation and urban development," said Brad Winick, president of Friends of Downtown, an advocate for planning and urban design.

The project has also received Redevelopment of the Year honors from the Greater Chicago Food Depository's Commercial Real Estate Awards and the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties' Award of Excellence.