Yesterday, the day we went to 3625 North Halsted in Lake View to find its Chicago Water Tank already taken down, the City of Chicago permitted another tank demolition, this one at 2221 South Michigan Avenue in Near South Side.
Master Guys Demolition, admittedly one of the best names if you’re going to tear stuff apart, is the demo contractor. The building itself at 2221 South Michigan, home of Windy City Furniture, will remain.
A demolition permit was issued by the City of Chicago on April 18 of this year to remove the single-story commercial building at 3625 North Halsted Street in Lake View. The building is the former home of Phoenix Electric Manufacturing Company, and to be honest, it isn’t the type of building anyone is likely to miss. Except for one thing, it’s most outstanding feature.
Atop the rear portion of the L-shaped building stood one of Chicago’s few remaining water tanks. A cool, long-legged blue one. So long are those legs that it might make you think it was a free-standing tank in the parking lot. But no, it’s a rooftop tank. Or was.
The entire front portion of the L of the building has been reduced to rubble. The rear portion will be gone soon as well, but the tank atop it is already history, the steel support structure a cruel reminder that I got here too late. Maybe someone disassembled it and put it back together piece-by-piece in their office. Maybe someone from National Wrecking Company. They’re the demolition contractor on this one. I’ve always wanted to do that, put a rooftop tank *in* my office. I’ve also always wanted a big office. But I digress.
All of this to say, we’ve lost one more Chicago Water Tank. Pour one out. Que sera sera. We’ll miss you, Blue Halsted Tank.
We lost another Chicago Water Tank this month.
The water tank atop Greek Islands restaurant at 200 S Halsted Street in Greektown was issued a demolition permit March 3rd. By the 12th, it was gone, leaving only the steel supports as a reminder of its existence. That, and the photos we have of it.
Better take photos of those that still remain, and soon. They’re an endangered species in Chicago.
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.
727 West Madison stands stoic behind the painted water tank at Morgan Mfg.
I like construction. I like Chicago Water Tanks. So it made me slightly giddy to see 727 West Madison lined up perfectly with the delightful water tank atop Morgan Mfg at 401 North Morgan Street in the West Loop. I thought I’d share it.
https://twitter.com/BuildUpChicago/status/946815012810698752
Chicago’s water tanks are back in the news, thanks to a report from WGN’s Lourdes Duarte. I started scrambling to find what photos I didn’t lose in the Great Hard Drive Debacle of 2017. Here are a few tanks that have come down from the skyline in recent years.
***If you get really bored, you can do a fly-over tour of Chicago on Google Maps and find water tanks in older views that are still on the map, but have since been demolished. You’ll find a lot more than I have pictured here.
Chicago’s newest tower crane, our 34th in the sky right now, provides us with today’s American Flag-Tower Crane-Chicago Water Tank shot.
We’ve been on this block before and featured the same flag and tank.
Sterling Bay is responsible for both the tower crane, now at work for Leopardo Companies at 210 North Carpenter…
..and for the flag, which sits atop Venue One at 1034 West Randolph.
The water tank is atop 1035 West Lake Street.
A goose island water tank, back by an American Flag and a tower crane in Wicker Park.
Your Flag, Tank, and Crane shot for Friday, September 08 features:
The water tank at Carbit Paint, 927 West Blackhawk Street
The American Flag atop 1200 North Ashland Avenue
The tower crane working on the Wicker Park Connection, 1640 West Division Street
A better view of the Carbit Paint water tank.
A better view of the Wicker Park Connection tower crane, and the flag atop 1200 North Ashland.
You get a 3-fer in the latest edition of American Flag, Tower Crane, Water Tank.
The flags fly above New City Alfa Romeo at 2401 South Michigan Avenue.
The water tank sits atop Motor Row Gallery at 2345 South Michigan Avenue.
The tower crane is lifting heavy stuff at the Triple-branded Hilton Hotel project at 123 East Cermak Road.
American Flag, Water Tank, and Caisson Rig along the Lake Street elevated tracks.
A strong indicator of future tower cranes is a present caisson rig. Stalworth Underground has a couple of them on site at Lake and Green Streets for the Hoxton Chicago hotel. Get off the CTA Green Line train at the Morgan for a great view of an American Flag, a water tank, and a caisson rig. A caisson rig with the Stars & Stripes attached, that is. It’ll be a tower crane soon enough.
The Chicago Water Tank and American Flag sit atop East Bank Storage, 730 West Lake Street.
Very little remains of the water tank at 809 North Racine Avenue.
It held on as long as it could. So long, in fact, that I had forgotten to be vigilant. But a Sunday stroll along Grand Avenue, a peek to the north, and it was gone. The Chicago Water Tank at 809 North Racine Avenue has been demolished, reduced to little more than a kiddie pool.
Since I’d stopped paying close attention, I don’t know when it happened, but I can only assume it was last week. And there’s still some work to be done on it.
Slated for demolition back on August 30 of 2016, this tank had staying power.
We can no longer be amused by you.
Building Up Chicago 