The sleepy stretch of riverfront at 1010 South Wells is finally waking up. On Thursday, Feb. 5, crews dropped a tower-crane base into the long-dormant Riverline parcel in Chicago’s South Loop, signaling that the project is shifting from quiet groundwork to full-fledged construction. After several weeks of foundation work along the riverfront, the delivery of the crane stub makes it clear the site is moving from earthwork into concrete and steel. The once-vacant lot wedged between River City and Roosevelt Road now looks, sounds, and smells like an active construction site.
According to Chicago YIMBY, reader Alex (better known as MrSouthLoop on Instagram) spotted a truck hauling the crane stub onto the site on Feb. 5, and crews set the base in place almost immediately. YIMBY’s photos show general contractor Brandts Build on the ground while concrete partner Goebel Forming continues foundation work. All of that activity ties back to CMK Companies’ Riverline plans and stands as the clearest sign yet that the first phase is about to head vertical.
Permits and project team
The full building permit for 1010 S Wells was signed off on Nov. 22, 2024, under permit #101032812, according to Chicago Cityscape. Contractor records on BuildZoom list Brandts Build as the general contractor for the 21‑story, 386‑unit tower and tie that permit to plans that include podium-level retail and parking. Those filings and contractor listings match what is visible on site, where crews are now wrapping up foundation work in preparation for the structure to rise.
What Comes Next
Chicago YIMBY notes that the tower-crane permit has been listed in the Chicago Data Portal since Dec. 9, 2025, and that crews were expected to assemble the crane the week of Feb. 10, 2026, which would let the project finally climb above grade. YIMBY also reports that the neighboring parcel at 910 S Wells is quietly lining up behind it, with a permit to drive 225 piles and a full-construction filing that appeared on the data portal on Jan. 14, 2026. For now, the development team seems intent on getting Building G at 1010 S Wells into the sky before pushing ahead with the larger campus.
Riverline is a long-planned, multi‑phase riverfront project intended to stitch a stretch of Chicago’s South Branch back into the surrounding neighborhood with housing, a riverwalk, and open space. The original joint venture between CMK and Lendlease was first reported when the plan broke ground in 2016. Multi‑Housing News and earlier filings outlined the multi-tower master plan and the public-space elements that are baked into the concept.
If the crane is assembled on the timeline YIMBY describes, South Loop residents should start seeing visible vertical progress at 1010 S Wells in the weeks that follow. We will be watching permit updates and on-site activity as the Riverline parcel begins to fill in and the South Loop riverfront once again changes shape.
