Repairs are underway on the Salvation Army water tank at 509 North Union Avenue.
As you may have read back in March, the water tank above the Salvation Army Thrift Store at 509 North Union Avenue in River West was issued a restoration permit. Now, scaffolding surrounds the tank as the promised repairs are underway. The work is being done by Pinnacle Development of Forest Park.
Always nice to see a water tank being saved, isn’t it?
Chicago water tank, 527 South Wells, b/w Roosevelt University.
No, not another theme. Just a shot resulting from being in the right place at the right time.
The water tank sits atop 527 South Wells Street, home of Jos. Cacciatore & Co. Real Estate. The tower in the background is the Roosevelt University building at 425 South Wabash Avenue.
The photo was taken from West Harrison Street, as the sun came out after an otherwise cloudy day, just in time for sunset. This is one of my favorite Chicago Water Tanks, and with the RooU building behind it, it’s a tough view to beat.
Have a great weekend, Chicago!
Revisiting a very busy section of the West Loop.
In the foreground, the tower crane at the McDonald’s Headquarters site. To the left, a full view of the tower crane at 171 Aberdeen.
The banner yet waving is atop Venue One.
The water tank belongs to 1035 West Lake Street.
Have a great weekend, construction nerds!
The tank sits on top of Handelsman Lofts, on the right. But the building on the left, 811-813 N Racine, is a gorgeous building.
If there’s one thing I like, it’s rooftop water tanks. And baseball. And a good MLT, mutton lettuce and tomato sandwich, when the mutton is nice and lean. But water tanks. Those are cool.
All the way back in of August of 2016, a permit was issued by the city allowing for the removal of the water tank atop 809 North Racine Avenue in the Goose Island (I think?) neighborhood. Now, I don’t know what this particular water tank is ding right, but here we are almost seven months later, and that Chicago water tank still stands proud.
I think that deserves a blog post. Here is that tank’s blog post.
Standing tall and proud in the distance.
An American Flag, Water Tank, and a mess of tower cranes in Chicago’s West Loop.
The water tank is atop 1035 West Lake Street.
The American Flag waves from atop the old Richter’s Food Products factory, now Venue One.
The tower crane in the distance is at the Landmark West Loop. The two closer cranes are at the McDonald’s Headquarters site.
An earlier attempt got a fourth crane, at 171 Aberdeen, but the flag wouldn’t wave.
Today’s edition of Crane Tank & Flag is shot on North Kingsbury Street. The water tank and American flag are courtesy of East Bank Storage. The tower crane sits atop 3Eleven.
Hooray for the Salvation Army, saving the water tank atop the thrift store at 509 North Union.
Water tanks make the news when they crash to the ground, or are torn down on purpose. So it’s always nice to see efforts to save them
Last week, the City of Chicago issued a permit to repair the water tank atop the Salvation Army thrift store at 509 North Union Avenue in River West. A character tank, this is, one with very distinctive markings. It can’t be mistaken for any other water tank in Chicago. And it looks like it will remain in the skyline for a long time.
Kudos to the Salvation Army for spending the resources to save this tank. According to the permit, Perry & Associates of Chicago is the structural engineer for the tank and stand repair; Pinnacle Development of Forest Park will handle the physical labor.
Last night, in the West Loop
No big whoop, but the other day, I noticed I could get a tower crane, a water tank, and the Stars and Stripes in one photo. Maybe not The Big Three, but *A* Big Three. And then about an hour later, it happened again. So I figured I’d let you see them. Besides, no one ever won a Pulitzer for a photo they didn’t share.
The water tank atop 161 East Grand Avenue used to have a bulls-eye painted on it. Coincidence?
Since last year, when the Commission on Chicago Landmarks made it easier to tear down water tanks rather than maintain them, the vessels have been dropping from the skyline on a regular basis. But at least one Chicago water tank remains despite what appeared to be certain doom.
The entire building at 161 East Grand Avenue in Streeterville was destined for a date with the wrecking ball. Miraculously, it was removed from the Demolition Delay List. Of course, that didn’t necessarily mean the water tank itself would survive. But sure enough, in October of 2015, the city filed a permit for the structural repair of the tank. And another piece of history was preserved.
Now, this is just my own theory, but that white circle on the fire-engine-red tank sure did look like a bulls-eye. Was it painted over as a symbolic gesture of no longer being the target of demolition? If I’m wrong, don’t tell me. I’d rather believe it’s the truth.
The building was removed from the Demo Delay List, the tank was repaired, and the bulls-eye was gone.
The permit for repair of the water tank.
The 2015 Demolition Delay List, showing East Grand’s removal.
Building Up Chicago 