Catching up on the tearing down of Malcolm X College

Posted on September 12, 2016 by danieldschell

Malcolm X College demolition has been ongoing since April.

Having opened up a new Malcolm X College in time for spring classes in January 2016, the old college is being demolished to make way for a new training facility for the Chicago Blackhawks. Heneghan Wrecking (Click that link, and marvel at Heneghan’s drone photo of the Rush Medical Center teardowns) has been ripping the building apart since April, and they’re in the home stretch. Only a small portion of the school remains towards the west end of the lot. At the west end, McHugh Construction has already started foundation work for the hockey facility.

Demolition Update: Children’s Memorial Hospital

Posted on September 10, 2016 by danieldschell

Children’s Memorial Hospital demolition, as seen from atop the John Hancock Center.

The coolest place to see Children’s Memorial Hospital demolition? At 360 Chicago atop the John Hancock Center. The best place to watch Children’s Memorial Hospital demolition? On the sidewalks along Lincoln Avenue and Orchard Street. And soon, Fullerton Street too.

Demo crews from Omega Demolition have wiped out the corner of Lincoln and Orchard, and are moving their way north toward the tower portion of the former hospital. It’s fun to watch buildings being torn down, especially, as I’ve mentioned before, when they’ve already been replaced by newer facilities.

: The corner of Lincoln and

: Demo starting at the tower portion.

The last, final, ultimate Harpo Studios demolition post

Posted on September 7, 2016 by danieldschell

One very small section is all that remains of Harpo Studios.

This has to be the last hurrah for Harpo Studios in this space. Because these photos, all taken Tuesday evening, show very little left standing of Oprah Winfrey’s former television studio. By Thursday, my next chance to get over to Washington and Carpenter, there will likely be nothing left but the massive pile of rubble along the west fence.

The demolition of Harpo Studios has turned out to be quite a spectacle in Chicago. Children’s Memorial Hospital has gotten some attention. You don’t hear much about the massive demo project still ongoing at the old Malcolm X College. And the four 100-year-old-plus buildings Rush University Medical Center tore down went with barely a peep. But Oprah’s empire caused a scene. People stopped by to collect a brick memento, take photos, and dream of being in the crowd when everyone got a car one last time.

Who knows. Maybe, when the new McDonald’s corporate headquarters takes over the space, they’ll give everyone a French fry.

: In the midst of demolition, another round of soil sampling.

: Looking north from Washington at Carpenter.

: All that’s left of the corner of Washington and Carpenter is horizontal.

: Security on duty around the clock to ensure no one steals any…used bricks?

: Tuesday morning’s view from the Building Up Chicago office.

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.

Ode to a disappearing water tank: A photo gallery

Posted on September 1, 2016 by danieldschell

It was pretty. Not the original paint scheme probably, so I have to thank the taggers for this.

Let me preface this by saying: I hate tagging. Simply put, it’s vandalism. Doesn’t matter to me how talented you are, if your drawings are on someone else’s building, or water tank, or train car, you’re a vandal.

Ditto trespassing. Partly because I’m too wimpy to risk getting caught, because there are places everywhere I’d love to sneak into for a photo or 60. But it’s not my property, I have no business being there without permission, so I stay away.

The W.M. Hoyt Co. building is available. Contact the firm of Ash Andy Angel Boogr Cushman + Wakefield for details.

This rant is related to the W. M. Hoyt Company Building at 465 W. Cermak Road in Chicago’s Cermak Road Bridge District. Built in 1909, it sits empty now, save for the spray painters who stop by to add to their work. It’s become something of a Taggers Paradise, and I have to admit, it looks pretty darn cool.

On July 20 of this year, the City of Chicago filed a demolition permit for the water tank atop this building. (The address is listed on the permit as 2210 South Grove Street: it’s the same building.) This was a “character tank,” a designation bestowed by me on any tank that stands out from the others, usually because of how it’s been painted. This one had been tagged more times than the slowest runner at recess. I really wanted to get on the roof before they dismantled it, but, you know, trespassing. And fear of heights.

I made it my mission to photograph the tank from as many angles as I could before it was gone. I didn’t know it at the time, but that gave me until August 13; that was the morning I looked out the window and saw that most of it had been attacked by the cutting torch.

The mysteriously demolished tank at 1882 South Normal Avenue.

August 13 was also the morning I discovered the water tank at 1882 South Normal Avenue had been taken down. That came as a surprise, since I’ve yet to find any permit allowing that demolition.

: Memories are indeed sacred. Other people’s property, not so much.

: My favorite view, sitting just beyond the Pennsylvania Railroad Bridge house.

: The view out the back window. Look at the graffiti on that roof!

: Looking straight down South Normal Avenue. This is the last photo I got of the water tank whole.

: Saturday morning, August 13. I looked out, and it was gone.

: Cutting torch in action.

: The river-facing facade of the W.M. Hoyt Co. Building.

On August 30, a permit was filed to demolish this water tank as well, at 809 North Racine Avenue.

Do you have photos of the now-demolished Chicago Water Tank at 2210 South Grove Street? I’d love to see them. Send them my way, and let me know if you’d like me to post them here on Building Up Chicago.

Another Chicago Water Tank to be washed from the skyline

Posted on August 31, 2016 by danieldschell

Does this AMUSE you? Not me. The Chicago Water Tank at 809 North Racine is coming down.

You know the water tank at 809 North Racine Street. You’ve passed by it a zillion times. And it always has the power to AMUSE you. This one sits right alongside the Kennedy Expressway at Chicago Avenue.

Well, take your last looks quickly. Tuesday, the City of Chicago filed a permit to bring the tank down. And it doesn’t even get the dignity of a Demolition Permit. No, this tank goes out via “Easy Permit Process.” Harsh. But at least we had some warning, unlike the recently-removed tank at 1882 South Normal.

The “demo” permit. Easy Process, my eye.

The aforementioned Chicago Water Tank at 1882 South Normal. If you know of a permit to remove this one, I’ve not seen it.

Another round of demolition photos as Harpo Studios nears the end

Posted on August 30, 2016 by danieldschell

There isn’t much left of Harpo Studios. Heneghan Wrecking is seeing to that.

Coming soon: McDonald’s. Not *a* McDonald’s, of course. McDonald’s, as in, Ronald’s office.

: The corner of Washington and Carpenter still stands.

: That’s a big pile of bricks.

More Harpo Studios demolition, from ground and air

Posted on August 19, 2016 by danieldschell

https://twitter.com/SarahJindra/status/766020742823698432

You get a much better picture of the extent of demolition at Harpo Studios if you have a helicopter. Twitter user @SarahJindra of WGN-TV has one, and she put it good use Wednesday, hovering above the West Loop to grab the above shot. Sure, she probably checked on traffic and news and such, but demolition and construction is a chopper’s true calling.

Me? I stayed on the ground, conserving fuel. But I took a few shots myself:

: Not much left but the HARPO STUDIOS ghost sign.

: Are the trusses to be saved?

Demolition Update: Children’s Memorial Hospital

Posted on August 17, 2016 by danieldschell

Looking down Lincoln Avenue from Halsted Street, demolition of Children’s Memorial Hospital is hard to miss.

Demolition of the old Children’s Memorial Hospital in Lincoln Park continues at the hands of Omega Demolition crews. They set about the task of tearing the place down on June 7, and have been at it since. And will be for quite some time.

In its place will be The Lincoln Common, a venture from Hines and McCaffery Interests. Planned are two luxury apartment towers boasting 540 dwelling units, 60 low-rise condos, and over 100,000 square feet of retail space, designed by Antunovich Associates in collaboration with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.

Here’s another round of photos.

Demolition Update: Even Oprah’s watching the Harpo Studios demo

Posted on August 6, 2016 by danieldschell

https://twitter.com/Oprah/status/758416437375492096

She reached countless millions of people through the work she did here. It’s no wonder Oprah Winfrey feels the sadness of watching Harpo Studios torn to the ground.

Heneghan Wrecking has been on the job for a couple weeks now, and more of the old studio disappears every day. The portion being leveled now looks like it could have been the main studio. The sign says Studio 2. Being completely unfamiliar with the layout, I have no idea. I just know it’s television history being canceled.

: We’re just starting to see signs of the demolition from the BuildingUpChicago office.

: Studio 2

Demolition Update: 921 South Jefferson still stands

Posted on August 3, 2016 by danieldschell

921 South Jefferson looks nothing like you’d expect a building with a 2-month-old demolition permit to look.

Just yesterday, I mentioned the urgency of most Chicago demolition permits, and the developers eager to execute them so they can get on with the business of developing.

But there are exceptions to every rule. 921 South Jefferson got its death warrant on June 2nd. Yet there is sits, untouched. And not because anyone’s chained themselves to the foundation in protest of its demise. No, there doesn’t appear to be any good reason to save this dilapidated one-story structure. I’m left to guess no one’s in any particular hurry to get at this piece of property, despite the sign promising the opening of a new “Retail Mall in Spring of 2017.”

I suppose there’s still time. If it’s a small mall, y’all.

From what I’ve seen of this building, leave it alone for a couple more months and it might demolish itself. Have a look: