Authored by Jon McCulloch, Project Manager

It's September 24th and I'm already thinking about winter, remind me why I live in Chicago and not San Diego? Well, first things first, I love this town and am proud to be a member of an organization that builds homes in the city. But back to the weather, if you've been by 565 Quincy recently, you'll see the existing structure is without windows and the newly added tower is still a skeleton frame; our workers might get very cold soon! But alas, the first window was installed in the garage this week and in less than 3 weeks the entire garage (floors 2-4) will be enclosed. Then comes the tower:

Throughout the past year we worked with a team of architects, engineers and contractors to design the exterior metal and glass facade of the building. Two months ago, a 20' x 20' mock-up of the facade was built in a warehouse in upstate Wisconsin and then subjected to a bevy of tests using everything from a jet engine to a garden hose. The tests simulate extreme weather conditions to ensure the building will be water-tight, among other things. The mock-up passed! and we placed our orders for all the framing and window materials. If you pass by Quincy today, you'll see exterior framing underway on the 8th and 9th floors. It will take through the end of Fall to frame the entire building and prepare it for the installation of the exterior materials, just in time for winter…

Meanwhile, inside the building and particularly on the loft floors (5-7), our drywall framers have installed the metal studs for most units and the plumbers and electricians are following right behind with their installations. It's very exciting to walk through these previously expansive and empty floors and see the homes literally taking shape – my couch goes here, plasma TV there, subwoofer in that corner (yes, those are the first three items I imagine in my home). We couldn't be more thrilled with the construction progress at Quincy.

What is probably most exciting is also what sets 565 Quincy apart from other buildings in Chicago, let alone the entire county. Our 10,000 sf recreational room, known as the "Q Room," will be ready in early 2009. The major orders such as the bowling lanes, fitness equipment, putting green and pool tables are placed and awaiting a green light for delivery. Once all the exterior framing and windows are complete making the building water-tight, the basement will be ready for the deliveries and the setup of the room will take no time at all. We have no doubt this room will surpass all our expectations.

That's it for now, I'll be posting construction updates every two weeks, so check back often!