Piles of beams. Piles of bricks. Piles of pallets for the piles of bricks.

Besides seeing so much of the building missing, that’s what stands out at the Cassidy Tire demolition site at 344 North Canal. The bricks, obviously, will be reused; you don’t spend hours and hours like the three-man crew was doing Sunday to palletize those if you’re not going to reuse them. As for the beams, hopefully they’ll find a new purpose somewhere. A few of the zoom-in shots I’ve gotten during the demo process have shown those old wood beams looking as perfect as the day they were set in place.

In case you’re wondering, yes. I’ll likely return to this site every weekend until there’s nothing left to see, much like I did when the ADM Milling Company was torn down in the far West Loop. There’s something perversely fascinating about demolition, about seeing a structure laid open, exposed for all to see. Maybe it’s wrong to keep staring, to keep capturing close-ups from every angle. But I can’t look away.

Enjoying the photos? Metra and CTA rides (and Amtrak trains to Milwaukee), Zipcars, Divvy Bikes, camera lenses, domain fees, snacks & energy drinks, and comfortable walking shoes add up. You can help offset expenses by making a greatly-appreciated donation to Building Up Chicago.