The Swanky Confines Of Wrigley Field

The Chicago Cubs have filed a plan with the city of Chicago for an expansion of Wrigley Field.

The proposal includes adding 1,980 seats in the bleachers, multi-purpose building and open-air pedestrian walkway west of the park and updating the facades and sidewalks along Sheffield and Waveland avenues.

The bleacher renovation would add new restrooms, concessions, the bleachers' first-ever disabled seating areas and a "batter's eye" restaurant from which fans could watch games through tinted glass from an air-conditioned space.

If approved by the city by the end of 2004, construction on the proposed improvements is not likely to begin before the end of the 2005 baseball season.

Kansas City, Mo.-based HOK developed the design. No cost estimate for the project was released.

Wrigley Field was originally opened in 1914.

Tollway Puts Plans On Internet

The Downers Grove-based Illinois Toll Highway Authority is putting construction plans and bid documents on the Internet.

The authority has made these documents available to view and purchase with the hope of soliciting more bids for its construction and design projects.

In the past, the Tollway printed a number of plan documents based on the expected number to be sold, and contractors went to the Tollway headquarters to view or purchase them.

Interested parties can now peruse Tollway document plans online before purchasing.
Those who wish to bid on a project must purchase the plans because they cannot be printed online. Plan prices are based on the number of pages to be printed and can either be picked up at one the locations of B&H Industries or can be delivered for an additional shipping charge.

Arlington Heights-based B&H Industries is the Tollway's partner in developing the Online Plan Room.

To find the Online Bid Room, visit www.illinoistollway.com, go to "Construction" and click on the "Bid Opportunities." From there, contractors can click on the Online Plan Room.

169 Condos Planned For Monroe Street

The $50 million renovation of the 8 W. Monroe St. building in the Loop will result in 169 condominiums.

Plans call for the 16 of the 21 floors of the Metropolis building at the northwest corner of State and Monroe to be converted into condominium ownership.

The first two floors will be developed as retail space, and the third floor will contain offices. The remaining floors will hold parking.

The terra cotta-clad building, which was originally designed by the famed architecture team of Holabird & Roche, was completed in 1913. It was originally called the North American Building and had an address of 36 S. State St.

The building recently contained the retail headquarters of Evans Furs. The School of the Art Institute, the former owner, had planned a gallery and classrooms, but its plans changed.

East-West Tollway Redo Begins

A $49.5 million project has begun to reconstruct three mainline lanes and asphalt shoulders in both directions of the East-West Tollway from Naperville Road to Route 59, the Downers Grove-based Illinois Toll Highway Authority announced.

Work on the 5-mi. stretch that is frequently referred to as the "washboard" aims to provide a smoother ride.

The project also includes reconstruction of the Route 59 ramps and an auxiliary lane from Raymond Drive to reduce back-ups on the mainline for westbound customers exiting at Route 59.

Construction began in the westbound lanes, where three lanes of traffic are available during daylight hours through the use of shoulders and a crossover with a counterflow lane. The initial planned configuration will begin with eastbound traffic shifted to the right shoulder and two right lanes.

A joint venture of Walsh Construction Co./K5 Construction Co. is serving as the general contractor. This scheduled completion is July.

Daley: Public Buildings To Get Green Certification

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley has announced that the city's newly constructed public buildings will be certified to meet the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards of the U.S. Green Building Council.

The mayor, speaking at the national convention of the American Institute of Architects, said Chicago will strive to be the most environmentally friendly city in the world.

In related news, the Chicago Center for Green Technology has received a Platinum rating - the highest from the LEED - from the U.S. Green Building Council in Washington, D.C.

The project was built on a former brownfield site with recycled materials and includes a rooftop garden, rainwater cisterns and smart lighting system. The building uses the earth's temperatures to heat and cool itself.

Townhouses, Condo In Melrose Park

Work is under way for the Residences of Thatcher Woods, a $27 million project in Melrose Park that will consist of 16 townhouses and a 12-story, 105-unit condominium.

The project is the second phase of a larger development. In 2003, the Residences of Riverwoods, an eight-story, 120-unit active adult condominium, was completed.

The townhouses at Thatcher Woods will range in size from 2,600 to 3,200 sq. ft., and the condominiums will range from 980 to 2,115 sq. ft. Occupancy is scheduled for 2005.

The project was developed by Chicago-based Renzi Construction and Development and New West Realty.

ATA Grounds Training Facility

Indianapolis-based ATA Airlines Inc. has announced that it has placed plans for a training center at Chicago's Midway Airport on hold.

The action was blamed on high fuel costs and lower-than-expected military charter flights.

Condos Planned For Vernon Hills

Lincolnshire-based Weiss Development Corp. has announced plans for a luxury condominium complex, River's Edge, in north suburban Vernon Hills.

Plans call for two five-story buildings and 80 condominium homes. The five-acre site will overlook the north end of a forest preserve with the Des Plaines River to the east.

Floor plans range between 1,553 and 2,330 sq. ft., and prices are between $309,100 and $471,900.