Demolition Permit Filed for Harpo Studios

Posted on July 21, 2016 by danieldschell

WRECK AND REMOVE A 1 TO 3 STORY CONCRETE COMMERCIAL BUILDING

That’s not just any commercial building. That’s Harpo Studios, the former home of Oprah Winfrey’s television empire. By now, everyone knows McDonald’s will be making its new home on this site, And yesterday, the City of Chicago filed the official demolition permit to knock down what should have been called “StudiOprah.” But no one asked me.

Heneghan Wrecking will do the dirty work of tearing down the building.

Harpo Studios, 110 North Carpenter Street.

Harpo Studios was doomed the moment the soil sampling rig stepped foot on the lot.

When they get around to demolishing this, the southeast corner of Harpo Studios, I’ll have the best seat in the house.

The Demolition Permit

Demolition Update: Rush University Medical Center Tear-Downs

Posted on July 20, 2016 by danieldschell

Only a portion of the Senn Building remains, of the four structures demolished at Rush University Medical Center.

It was built in 1903. The Senn Building, at Rush University Medical Center, is the last of the buildings remaining of the four permitted for demolition back in September of 2015. The others, Rawson, Jones, and Murdoch, are rubble and dust and memories already. The plan, for now, is not to replace the structures, but rather to leave open green space.

: What’s left of the Senn Building, sans name tag.

: The corner of Wood and Harrison is almost cleared.

: Some remaining detail of the Senn Building.

: Lest we forget…

: …the intersection where these four buildings were for over 100 years.

: When the thing is thirsty, the thing must drink.

: The Rawson Building.

: The Jones Building, from Wood Street.

: The Jones Building, from Congress Parkway.

: The Murdock Building.

: Jones Building demo permit.

: Murdock Building demo permit.

: Rawson Building demo permit

: Senn Building demo permit.

Children’s Memorial Hospital Being Reduced to Scrap

Posted on June 26, 2016 by danieldschell

Piles of scrap are growing on the Children’s Memorial Hospital site. Do Not Enter. Says so right on the sign.

You already know about the demolition of Children’s Memorial Hospital in Lincoln Park, and the development that will take its place at North Lincoln and West Fullerton.

Fewer words, more pictures. That’s what you came here for.

: There lives a beast within the rubble.

: And the beast must be fed.

: Gut the inside…

: …and push it all outside.

: Omega Demolition is on the clock.

: Son-of-beast.

: This rendering from Hines of The Lincoln Common shows the site’s future.

Old Children’s Memorial Hospital Demolition Begins in Lincoln Park

Posted on June 7, 2016 by danieldschell

Demolition of the old Children’s Memorial Hospital in Lincoln Park began at 8:00 am on June 7.

Empty and deteriorating for the past four years, workers this morning began the slow, tedious process of demolishing the old Children’s Memorial Hospital in Lincoln Park, just one day after a demolition permit was filed by the City of Chicago.

With a fleet of news vans and a few bystanders watching, some whose kids had gone through extensive stays under Children’s care, crews from Omega Demolition in Elgin started tearing apart the lower portions of the hospital complex along North Lincoln Avenue. Once they get the shorter buildings down and out of the way, they’ll have considerable more room to stage equipment for the seven-story portions of the hospital.

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. You can learn more about the project here on the Hines website.

From the parking garage across Lincoln Avenue, a popular spectator venue.

Work by Omega Demolition.

There’s a lot of work to do in the coming weeks.

Looking south along Lincoln Avenue.

The old Children’s Memorial Hospital, in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood.

There will be no stitching up of these wounds.

On the corner of Lincoln Avenue and Orchard Street.

All the windows have Xs over their eyes, in a manner of speaking.

A rendering from Hines of The Lincoln Common.

1400 West Washington Blvd is a Hole in the Ground.

Posted on June 6, 2016 by danieldschell

A large hole in the ground where 1400 West Washington used to sit.

Hasn’t always been that way, of course. What used to be the “Plumbing Industry Center” (among other uses) building at 1400 West Washington Boulevard in the West Loop was a nice looking structure. But someone wanted it gone, so down it came. No word on what, if anything, will take its place. Maybe they just needed more room for the Randolph Street Market next door.