Demolition is underway for 350 North Morgan

Posted on September 11, 2022 by danieldschell

350 North Morgan demolition, from Dan’s truck.

A funny thing happened in the Fulton Market District Wednesday.

I try to be somewhat discreet when I’m out taking photos. Not everyone likes having their picture taken, and not everyone appreciates the paparazzi being around while they’re working. So I try not to stick my camera in anyone’s face, or to make it too obvious that I’m taking photos. Which is hard to do when you’re holding, and aiming, a camera.

Anywho, I wandered over to where Atlas Industries is tearing down the former Pioneer Wholesale Meat facility at 1000 West Carroll to make way for Sterling Bay’s 350 North Morgan. Demolition work was done for the day, but there was still a work truck parked in front, so I kept my distance…….right up until I didn’t want to keep my distance. I got right up to the fence to peek through it, and “Dan” got out of his truck and said “stand on the back bumper. You’ll get a better shot.” And I did. And I did. Amazing what the slightest elevation can do. Then Dan and I talked for awhile, and thanked him a few times, laughed about that being a first for me, and went on my way.

Thank you, Dan. That was cool, fun, and very nice of you. I’ll probably just start jumping on vehicles at construction sites from now on.

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.

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Caisson news abounds, as 150 North Ashland gets in on the fun

Posted on August 29, 2022 by danieldschell

We’ve lost three tower cranes (160 N Elizabeth, One Six Six, Common Lincoln Park) in Chicago during the month of August, but be heartened by the amount of caisson work being done as we speak. It means more cranes are on the way. The one with the longest-standing tower crane permit (from April 14, and that’s among projects that are actually being built) is 150 North Ashland.

150 North Ashland is another joint effort between developer Marquette Companies and design architects Brininstool + Lynch. This dup is known for hits like 513 South Damen, Parq Fulton, and EVO Union Park.

Along with rehabbing a five-story 1930s-era building immediately south on the 100-block, 150 North Ashland will be a new-construction, 12-story apartment building. There will be 210 new apartments, and parking for 62 cars. Power Construction is the general contractor. Those are Thatcher Foundations caisson rigs doing the drilling. (Omega handled the demolition work.)

Other permits for this one include:
Renovation for 140 N Ashland on 11/1/2021
3-story demolition on 3/30/2022
Caissons on 6/9/2022
Foundation on 8/3/2022
The entire project was approved by the Chicago Plan Commission in April of 2021.

I’ve got some caisson shots for you, as well as a bunch of late-in-the-process demolition photos, along with a few pics of the building being rehabbed at 140 North Ashland.

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Construction math: 1000 W Carroll demolition permit + fencing = 350 North Morgan

Posted on August 28, 2022 by danieldschell

1000 West Carroll will be demolished to clear space for 350 North Morgan. That’s another Sterling Bay office building, 345 North Morgan, in the background.

350 North Morgan rendering from its website.

350 North Morgan coming. And it’s coming soon.

There’s demolition fencing all around the former Pioneer Wholesale Meat facility, located at 1000 West Carroll. Atlas Industries has equipment on site, prepared to act on the demolition permit the City of Chicago issued August 22. Once that’s dispatched, Sterling Bay will begin construction on their latest office tower.

350 North Morgan is a creation by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. They’ve designed an 18-story office building with 600,000 rentable square feet, 18,000 square feet of retail space, 36,000 square feet of amenity space, and 142 parking spots.

We’ll be on the lookout for building permits soon, and then we’ll know who the general and concrete contractors all.

Going up, and going, going, gone — 920 and 868 North Wells at North Union

Posted on August 24, 2022 by danieldschell

868 North Wells has been reduced to rubble, while 920 North Wells has produced up to the fifth-floor slab, at JDL Development’s sprawling North Union project.

Here are the pics from last week (they could well be on the sixth floor by now):

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Swift & Company demolition, 4155 South Packers Avenue

Posted on July 11, 2022 by danieldschell

Demolition is fascinating to watch. You might hate that it’s happening, but it’s still hard to look away.

Taken back on June 23, here’s a whole mess of photos of demolition at the former Swift & Company warehouse at 4155 South Packers Avenue in the New City (the first post in New City!) community area. That’s Taylor Excavating on the job, who we saw most recently at the 210 North Aberdeen demos.

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Final visit to the Cassidy Tire demolition?

Posted on June 21, 2022 by danieldschell

There ain’t much left to see, as Atlas Industries nears the home stretch at the old Cassidy Tire building. Still looks to be about three years’ worth of reusable brick and timber, not to mention the un-reusable piles of rubble, to be hauled away though.

A couple of iPhone shots in this gallery show how high the rubble is piled in back of the building. We’re in deep Barney here.

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Another week, another visit to the Cassidy Tire demolition site

Posted on June 6, 2022 by danieldschell

The Cassidy Tire building is disappearing, from the southwest corner inwards.

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.

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A lot more photos from a lot less building, at the Cassidy Tire demolition

Posted on May 31, 2022 by danieldschell

Some architecture is tired, as some is *for* tires. The Cassidy Tire building at 344 North Canal was, at least for the last part of its life, the latter. I went back Memorial Day weekend, twice, to see Atlas Industries’ demolition progress, both in daylight and after dark. Sadly, I was the one holding the camera, so the night shooting wasn’t terribly successful. But you get the gist.

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Demolitions are underway for 210 North Aberdeen

Posted on May 22, 2022 by danieldschell

Slo-mo Green Line Fly-by over 210 North Aberdeen

It’s tough to see the demolition work Taylor Excavating has started at 210 North Aberdeen (fences and angles and whatnot), so the video above, taken from an outbound CTA train, was the best chance to watch. Soon, Taylor Excavating will bust through the backs of the buildings along May Street for better spectating.

LG Group has approval for 210 Aberdeen, a NORR-designed 19-story, 363-unit apartment project in the West Loop. To make way for it, demolition permits were issued May 11 for 213, 215, and 221 North May Street (the aforementioned “backs of buildings) as well as partial demolitions for 210 and 214 North Aberdeen. The original Arthur Harris & Company building, which encompasses both those Aberdeen addresses, is being preserved. Only the small addition on the south end of the building is being removed.

The handsome Arthur Harris & Company building stays put.

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More demolition at Cassidy Tire

Posted on May 22, 2022 by danieldschell

Atlas Industries continues their work bringing down the former Cassidy Tire at 344 North Canal. These were taken Thursday, so there’s even more demolition/less building now