70 Stories High: Massive Helicopter Boiler Lift at Lake Point Tower

Q: How Did Temperature Service Company Modernize the High-Rise Boiler Plant at Lake Point Tower?

Temperature Service Company transitioned the 70-story, 1968 residential landmark at 505 N Lake Shore Drive in Chicago from an aging steam boiler system to an automated, high-efficiency condensing hydronic hot water plant based on specifications by McGuire Engineers, improving heating reliability and qualifying the building for utility energy rebates.

Q: What Was the Scope of Work for the Lake Point Tower Boiler Plant Replacement?

The turnkey scope included safe demolition of legacy PK Thermific steam boilers and flues, a planned street closure at Ohio Street and Grand Avenue with the Chicago Police Department, a 700-foot rooftop airlift with Midwest Helicopter, 1968 structural concrete slab scanning, pouring a custom 4-inch concrete housekeeping pad with spring vibration isolators, closed-loop hydronic piping, certified water balancing, and full Building Automation System (BAS) safety integration.

Q: What Commercial Equipment Was Used for the Lake Point Tower Boiler Modernization?

The installation featured four Patterson-Kelley high-efficiency condensing hot water boilers, four Taco Model KV 4007 vertical in-line pumps (240 GPM at 35' TDH, 5.0 HP) paired with 4-inch flanged multi-purpose triple-duty valves, a Spirotherm hydraulic separator, a boiler condensate neutralizer, double-wall prefabricated venting, Carrier TruVu and Siemens controls, and BAS-integrated carbon monoxide and Tox-Refrig leak detection.

Example Of: BAS, Heating, Hydronics, Replacement, Retrofit,

Project Details

How Did Temperature Service Company Modernize the High-Rise Boiler Plant at Lake Point Tower?

Aging steam heating plants in vintage skyscrapers suffer from high fuel consumption, difficult temperature regulation, and escalating maintenance risk. Temperature Service Company (TSC) executed a turnkey steam-to-hydronic boiler plant modernization at Lake Point Tower (505 N Lake Shore Drive), an iconic 70-story, 1968 residential landmark on the downtown Chicago lakefront. Engineered to specifications by McGuire Engineers, this multi-phase mechanical overhaul replaced obsolete steam equipment with a fully automated, high-efficiency condensing hot water plant—dramatically improving heating reliability, lowering energy consumption, and qualifying the property for utility energy rebates with minimal disruption to residents.

Project Snapshot (TL;DR)

System Conversion: Full steam-to-hydronic heating plant modernization for a 70-story (700-foot), 1968 luxury high-rise at 505 N Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, IL.
Core Hardware: Four (4) Patterson-Kelley high-efficiency condensing boilers, four (4) Taco Model KV 4007 in-line pumps (240 GPM @ 35′ TDH, 5.0 HP), and a Spirotherm hydraulic separator.
Engineering & Rigging Feat: Planned downtown street closure at Ohio St. & Grand Ave. for a 700-foot Midwest Helicopter lift, paired with 1968 concrete slab scanning and a custom 4″ concrete housekeeping pad.
Smart Controls & Safety: Carrier TruVu and Siemens controls with Building Automation System (BAS) integration for carbon monoxide and Tox-Refrig leak detection.

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Project Overview: 70-Story Helicopter Rigging & Boiler Modernization

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What Was the Scope of Work for the Lake Point Tower Boiler Plant Replacement?

Executing a mechanical plant replacement atop an occupied 70-story residential tower required second-by-second logistical synchronization between municipal agencies, aerial rigging specialists, structural analysts, and TSC’s mechanical field crews.

Strategic Demolition & Make-Safe: Field technicians coordinated system drain-downs back to the dual-temperature changeover valve, isolated natural gas headers, and safely dismantled the legacy PK Thermific boiler enclosures, flues, steam piping, and outdoor air intake ductwork while weatherproofing existing roof penetrations.
700-Foot Aerial Rigging & Urban Logistics: Securing City of Chicago permits and partnering directly with the Chicago Police Department, TSC staged a temporary intersection closure at Ohio Street and Grand Avenue. Collaborating with Midwest Helicopter, crews airlifted four commercial condensing boilers 70 stories onto the rooftop, then maneuvered the heavy units into the confined penthouse using gantry cranes, chain hoists, and machine rollers.
1968 Structural Slab Scanning & Load Distribution: Because the late-1960s penthouse slab was not originally engineered for modern equipment footprints, TSC conducted structural concrete slab scanning and separate roof rigging load analyses before drilling penetrations or pouring a custom 4-inch concrete housekeeping pad with spring vibration isolators.
Hydronic Conversion, Venting & BAS Integration: TSC piped the closed-loop hydronic system with inline pumping, hydraulic air/dirt separation, condensate neutralization, electric heat tracing, chemical water treatment, and double-wall prefabricated venting, tying all plant controls and life-safety gas/refrigerant alarms directly into the Building Automation System (BAS).

Key Highlights:

High-Efficiency Steam-to-Hydronic Upgrade: Eliminated thermal losses inherent to legacy steam heating by deploying four modulating condensing hot water boilers, lowering operational fuel costs and qualifying the association for utility provider rebates.
Space-Saving Mechanical Penthouse Engineering: Maximized service clearances inside the tight 1968 rooftop mechanical room by pairing vertical in-line pumps with 4-inch flanged multi-purpose triple-duty valves that consolidate shut-off, non-slam check, and calibrated balancing valves into single compact assemblies.
Automated 24/7 Life-Safety Telemetry: Integrated Carrier TruVu BAS controllers, Siemens pump controls, carbon monoxide sensors, and a Tox-Refrig audio/visual leak detection system into the central BAS for continuous automated monitoring.
Certified Commissioning & Turnkey Handoff: Executed full hydronic system flushing, hydrostatic pressure testing, certified pre- and post-installation water balancing, factory-authorized startups, and on-site operating engineer training within budget.

What Commercial Equipment Was Used for the Lake Point Tower Boiler Modernization?

Component	Specifications	Function
Patterson-Kelley Condensing Boilers	Four (4) commercial hot water high-efficiency condensing boilers	Primary high-turndown hydronic heating plant replacing legacy steam boilers.
Taco Model KV 4007 In-Line Pumps	Four (4) 4″ x 4″ vertical pumps (PHWP-1–4): 240 GPM @ 35′ TDH, 5.0 HP ODP motor, 1750 RPM, 460V/3Ph/60Hz with shaft grounding	Compact vertical hydronic circulation engineered for confined penthouse footprints.
Taco Multi-Purpose Triple-Duty Valves	Four (4) 4″ flanged valves, 125 PSI rated	Space-saving 3-in-1 assembly combining shut-off, check, and balancing functions.
Spirotherm Hydraulic Separator & Neutralizer	One (1) coalescing hydraulic separator + boiler condensate neutralizing kit	Decouples hydronic loops, eliminates microbubbles and dirt, and treats acidic flue condensate.
Venting, Gas Train & Freeze Protection	Double-wall prefabricated vent/combustion air system, roof curbs, outdoor-vented gas regulators, and electric heat tracing	Sealed high-rise flue exhaust, regulated natural gas supply, and rooftop piping freeze protection.
BAS & Life-Safety Controls	Carrier TruVu BAS controller, Siemens boiler pump controls, CO detector, and Tox-Refrig audio/visual leak alarm system	Automated boiler/pump staging and 24/7 central BAS life-safety alarm integration.
Structural Pad & Aerial Rigging Package	Scanned 1968 concrete slab, 4″ concrete housekeeping pad, spring vibration isolators, and Midwest Helicopter lift	Safe 700-foot rooftop delivery, vibration damping, and engineered structural weight distribution.

What Did the Lake Point Tower Helicopter Lift & Boiler Modernization Look Like?

Explore step-by-step project photography documenting the 70-story rooftop modernization at 505 N Lake Shore Drive—from the legacy 1968 mechanical penthouse and downtown Chicago street closures to the Midwest Helicopter boiler lift and completed hydronic plant. Click any phase below to expand the photo gallery:

PHASE 01 • SITE & ARCHITECTURE
Chicago Skyline & Lake Point Tower Aerials (50 Photos)
Exterior architectural views of the 70-story, 700-foot landmark at 505 N Lake Shore Drive, rooftop mechanical penthouse, and surrounding Navy Pier lakefront.

PHASE 02 • PRE-CONSTRUCTION
Before Photos: Legacy 1968 Steam & Thermific Plant (6 Photos)
Pre-demolition documentation of the aging PK Thermific boilers, steam piping, flues, and confined 1968 mechanical penthouse clearances.

PHASE 03 • AERIAL RIGGING & LOGISTICS
Helicopter Lift Day: 700-Foot Rooftop Boiler Hoist (34 Photos)
Coordinated Chicago Police Department road closures at Ohio St. & Grand Ave. and Midwest Helicopter aerial rigging of four commercial boilers.

PHASE 04 • MECHANICAL & CONTROLS INSTALLATION
BAS Controls, Penthouse Rigging & Boiler Fit-Out (21 Photos)
Gantry crane hoisting, machine roller positioning, spring vibration isolators, custom piping, and Carrier TruVu Building Automation System (BAS) integration.

PHASE 05 • COMMISSIONED PLANT
Final Results: High-Efficiency Hydronic Boiler Plant (17 Photos)
Completed installation featuring four Patterson-Kelley condensing boilers, Taco KV 4007 in-line pumps, Siemens pump controls, condensate neutralizer, and return piping.