My Christmas gift to you is one last look at demolition of the Chicago Tribune Freedom Center, barring another visit over the next two weeks or so. Because that might be all the time left to see anything besides rubble.
These photos were taken December 22, 2024:
The Spirit of Progress couldn’t bear to watch, and had to be removed from her perch.
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Demolition of the Chicago Tribune Freedom Center is ongoing at Chicago Avenue and Halsted Street along the North Branch of the Chicago River. Brandenburg Industrial Service continues carving a cavernous chasm toward the building’s northwest corner, but now they’ll also tearing into the south end of the facility as well.
Here, have a whole mess o’ photos, taken October 26, 2024:
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Spotted Stalworth’s rig from a rooftop during Open House Chicago 2024.
Aberdeen Crossing is the name of the residential development coming to 1100 West Grand Avenue in West Town, and it is now under construction. Rebar cages have been rolled on the site in preparation for caisson work, and Stalworth Underground has a rig on site to move that caisson equipment around.
Aberdeen Crossing is a project from developer Wildwood Investments. They are delivering 99 units to the neighborhood across a seven-story building designed by bKL Architecture. The will be 1,700 square feet of ground-floor retail space and parking for 28 cars, plus storage space for 99 bicycles. Contemporary Concepts is the general contractor, with Adjustable Concrete Construction as the concrete contractor.
The project replaces a service station on the plat of land that includes Sterling Bay’s Grand Flag. A demolition permit for the former improvement was issued July 17 under the address of 540 North Aberdeen. Precision Excavation handled the razing.
Despite its modest seven-story height, Aberdeen Crossing will be adding a tower crane to Chicago’s construction skyline. A permit for that crane was issued on August 19. The caisson permit preceded that, with an issue date of August 10, while the full building permit came through on October 11. Wildwood Investments plans on welcoming their first tenants in 2025.
Aberdeen Crossing rendering on the construction fence. The Grand Flag flies above the Aberdeen Crossing construction site.
Demolition of the former Chicago Tribune Freedom Center continues on the West Side.
I wasn’t going to post more Chicago Tribune Freedom Center demolition photos this soon, since I just published a bunch of them last week, but there were rainbows…
The west side of the building is history. These were taken late in the afternoon on 09/18/2024:
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By now, you know that Bally’s is building a casino along the Chicago River at Chicago Avenue and Halsted Street. And you also know that’s where the Chicago Tribune printing operation used to be. So I’m not going to waste your time with a bunch of words. Instead, here are photos of demolition progress on the Chicago Tribune Freedom Center, taken September 10, 2024.
Chicago Tribune Freedom Center demolition, 09/10/2024
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The Chicago Tribune Freedom Center got four demolition permits on August 26, 2024.
Not just one, but four demolition permits were issued Monday for 651 West Chicago Avenue, or what used to be the Chicago Tribune Freedom Center at Chicago Avenue, Halsted Street, and the Chicago River. A long metal building at 700 West Erie Street on the site that formerly hosted a U-Haul rental facility was torn down earlier this month. Brandenburg Industrial Services is the demolition contractor for the casino project.
The final edition of the Chicago Tribune to be printed at this location hit the streets in May. Work has been ongoing inside the facility since to prep for demolition, making way for Bally’s Chicago Casino to get underway. Time is of the essence; the new casino is expected to be open before the end of 2026. All those bricks to be salvaged? I wonder if they’ll truck them off site and sort them when there’s more time.
Prep work for demolition in July.
The permits issued Monday divide the demolition into four sections: the warehouse, high-bay storage and office space, the railway dock, and the northwest addition. There’s some sort of ceremony scheduled for Tuesday to get the (wrecking) ball rolling, per Alderman Reilly’s newsletter from last week. Had I been invited and told how to dress for the occasion, I might pick up some info on which section will be demolished first.
Anyway, there are good vantage points to watch this one. Halsted Street and Chicago Avenue both have enough elevation to get a good look at demo work (though you’ll have to stand on your tiptoes to see over the construction fence) or set sail u the North Branch and watch from the river. Your call.
via Chicago Data Portalvia Chicago Data Portalvia Chicago Data Portalvia Chicago Data PortalDemolition of 700 West Erie, August 13, 2024.
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Brandenburg tears into the former U-Haul facility at 700 West Erie for the Bally’s Casino development.
It isn’t likely I’ll make any casino jokes today, but I wouldn’t roulette out. You can bet I’ve got photos to show that demolition has begun at 700 West Erie in West Town, though. The City of Chicago issued a demolition permit for the single-story metal shed (a looooong shed, but it looks like a shed) that was most recently home to a U-Haul dealer on August 2. It didn’t take long to get started. This is the first demolition permit issued in preparation for the sprawling Bally’s Casino development where the Chicago River meets Chicago Avenue and Hasted Street.
The big permit, of course, will be for the Tribune Freedom center on the northeast corner of this property, where interior demo has already begun after the Chicago Tribune printed its final edition there in May. That will be a BIG demo to watch. So many bricks. And don’t even get me started on the construction we’re going to get to watch here soon. And across Chicago Avenue from this. And across the Chicago River from that. Stock up on snacks.
For now, Brandenburg Industrial Service Company is tearing down the the U-Haul building. Here’s a look. The first photos were taken August 8, after the permit had been issued, but before demolition work had begun. The rest were taken August 13.
Before demolition began, August 8, 2024.Could use this around the house.Taggers’ paradise, pre-demolition. Tuesday, August 13 (today)
We celebrate tower cranes here at the B.U.C. HQ. And we celebrate twice as much when there are two of them to enjoy.
Elston & Cortez, February 2023, just after the first tower crane was erected.
1237 West Division is a two-story double-height logistics center, with separate car-parking structure, in Chicago’s West Town community area. At least, it will be. Construction has been ramped up (heh) for months now, with The Big Green W at the helm. Logistics Property Company is the developer. The links above have all the deets and specs you could ever want, and then some.
This one is best viewed from a passing Metra train or helicopter. Since it’s not very tall, it’s tough to see from a distance. Although Halsted just north of Chicago Ave offers some cool glimpses.
Not only did I get to add a new category for 1237 West Division — “Logistics” — but I also got to take more photos of a warehouse than ever before. And here they are:
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.
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.
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.
140 North Ashland
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