As demolition continues, foundation work begins at Ravenswood and Lawrence

RaveLaw is cooking now.

Most of the demolition work at Ravenswood and Lawrence is done, save for the gaping hole and (what appears to be) 45-foot-thick concrete at the northwest corner of the site. So while Precision Excavation keeps hammering away at that, William A. Randolph has started doing foundation work towards the southeast corner of the property.

They’re working on the two buildings of RaveLaw for Harlem Irving Companies that will ultimately deliver about 170 luxury apartments, wrapped around the newly built Chase Bank, and right next door to the Ravenswood Metra station.

RaveLaw demolition commenceth

Several months ago, I went to Chase Bank’s ATM at Ravenswood & Wolcott and transferred all my money from the old bank to the newly-completed branch next door. And it’s a good thing I did, because that old building started coming down yesterday.

That’s Precision Excavation out there doing the dirty work. If you still have money in this branch, they’ve probably found it by now. Sorry.

Once the dust and rubble clear, construction can begin on Ravenswood and Lawrence. But the cool kids (me) are calling it RaveLaw.

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Ravenswood & Lawrence scores more permits

Bye bye bank

I was only (mostly) kidding about daily updates on RaveLaw, but permits are milestones, and Ravenswood & Lawrence got two more of them Thursday.

The first permit will tear down the old Chase Bank building at the corner of Lawrence and Wolcott, and the other allows construction to begin for the second portion of the development. Precision Excavation will do the demolition honors.

Permit issued to begin work on Ravenswood and Lawrence at….well, Ravenswood and Lawrence

Coming soon to this space: Ravenswood and Lawrence.

Across the street from the grocery store I frequent at least three times a week (so, expect frequent updates), behind the brand-spankin’-new Chase Bank that replaced an old Chase bank (even though part of the old Chase bank is still standing) work will soon begin on a new four-story, 55-unit apartment development.

Ravenswood and Lawrence is from Harlem Irving Companies, the developer who brought us Eight Eleven Uptown. Situated right next to the Ravenswood Metra station (TOD, FR), Ravenswood and Lawrence should be followed in the near future by another 100 or so units once the rest of the old Chase Bank needs to be demolished.

I have not been given permission to rename this development, but I’m going with RaveLaw. Let’s see if it sticks.

Humphreys and Partners Architects is the design firm for Ravenswood and Lawrence. William A. Randolph of Gurnee is the general contractor.

Harlem Irving Companies rendering

Demolition of Truc Lam Temple is permitted to begin

The Truc Lam Buddhist Temple

It’s a Friday, and the weather ain’t the greatest, so that might be the only thing keeping demolition crews from having their way with the former Truc Lam Buddhist Temple at 1521 West Wilson Avenue in Ravenswood. A demolition permit was issued Thursday, allowing Precision Excavation to level the building on the southeast corner of WIlson and Ashland.

Crews got a jump start by stripping away the aluminum siding in December. Construction fencing went up along the sidewalks the first week of January.

A new building permit for a 2-story structure with a ground-floor day care center was issued for this site back on November 22. That permit indicates a NORR-designed building, with Builtech Services as the GC.

Demolition permit at 4646 North Damen Avenue clearing the way for a new TOD?

4646 North Damen Avenue

As you can see in this photo from the Damen Brown Line platform, 4646 North Damen Avenue is very close to the Damen Brown Line platform.

A demolition permit issued Tuesday by the City of Chicago for the property at 4646 North Damen Avenue in Ravenswood may be the sign of a new Transit Oriented Development.

Chicago Cityscape had the story (with help from Eric Rojas) back in February. Drawings on the 47th Ward website show a 4-story, 9-unit building with ground-level retail space.

If you’re not familiar with the TOD, know that the basic criteria is to be in close proximity to a CTA L or Metra stop. 4646 North Damen is within roughly 30 feet of the Damen Brown Line, so yeah, it qualifies.

4646 North Damen Avenue

4646 North Damen Avenue. I use this station 10 times each week. I’ve been watching for this one. 

4646 North Damen Avenue

The Demo Permit

4646 North Damen Avenue