Half-block of West Randolph Street has been cleared, for…. ??

Posted on December 21, 2016 by danieldschell

Even the cover of night can’t hide the emptiness at 725 West Randolph, et al.

Heneghan Wrecking has just about wrapped up work at 723-735 West Randolph Street in the West Loop. What were once 6 dilapidated storefronts look more like farmland than commerce.

So, what’s coming next? No, it’s not a rhetorical question. I’m actually asking it myself. We’ve all heard talk of the fancy tower with robot-valets, but I’ve also heard there may not be anything coming to the empty space for a couple years. Looks like we’ll have to wait and see. In the meantime, we can keep our eyes on the City’s permit site, and listen for community meetings.

Hey, wouldn’t a massive beer garden for Haymarket Brewing next door be a good use of all that acreage?

: Smooth as glass this morning.

: Still working on the westernmost wall, up against Haymarket Brewing.

: Working yesterday on that same wall.

: Th remnants of 723’s basement are ripped out/buried yesterday.

: All gone.

: Yep, Jessica’s gone, too.

: Blame those big snippers for that.

Tearing down West Randolph Street

Posted on December 7, 2016 by danieldschell

Jessica Alba’s billboard is still around. 729-735 West Randolph? Not so much.

Not all of it, of course. There are a few restaurateurs who’d fight that plan.

Specifically, we’re talking about 723-733 West Randolph. The building marked 735 doesn’t have a demolition permit that I’ve been able to find, but that could just be someone putting the wrong numbers on the front door. Either way, it’s mostly rubble now. Making the space is the ever-reliable Heneghan Wrecking.

: Above and behind the destruction.

: 735 is an ugly building, but it looked for a while like it would be spared the wrecking ball. Newp.

: Kennedy-side rubble.

West Loop lot ready for transition to McDonald’s HQ

Posted on October 25, 2016 by danieldschell

Spotted: A yellow street crane is assembled on the future McDonald’s HQ site.

Yes, there’s still “demolition” work taking place on the former site of Harpo Studios in the West Loop. But only if you count the big hole Heneghan Wrecking has been digging as demo work. Because other than that, the block lying within Randolph, Carpenter, Washington, and Aberdeen is a smoothed-over dirt field, ready to play canvas to Sterling Bay’s development.

As we wait for the inevitable influx of equipment onto the McDonald’s site, a street crane (surface crane? We need a definitive name for non-tower cranes) has begun assembly.

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.

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.

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: 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: Malcolm X College

Posted on July 28, 2016 by danieldschell

OM NOM NOM NOM

There’s a lot going on at the lot Malcolm X College used to occupy. As Heneghan Wrecking continues to tear down the old facility, McHugh Construction is equally busy doing foundation work for the new Chicago Blackhawks Community Training Center.

Hopefully, those two companies are doing a good job of remembering which equipment should be ripping things to shreds, and which machines should be laying foundation work. Things are pretty well divided between a west end of the site and an east end, so they likely know what they’re doing.

Heneghan has been at it since the demo permit was filed back in April. It’s a huge site, so sorting and hauling debris away eats up big chunks of time.

I stood and watched for awhile. Wanna see the pics? Well of course you do.

: The beast must be fed.

: Take human bites, beast. You’re getting crumbs everywhere.

: Tear the roof off the sucker.

: This look familiar to anyone? Auditorium seating? or just a large classroom with risers?

: Caissons to the east, demo to the west.

: In case you mist it, this is how you keep demolition dust from getting out of hand.

: Heneghan doing what they do, making space.

Quick Look: Is it demolition? Is it construction? Well, yes it is.

Posted on July 27, 2016 by danieldschell

Chicago Blackhawks Community Training Center

CAISSONS. DEMOLITION. BLOWN MIND.

Now there’s something you don’t see every day.

Even as demolition crews are tearing apart the old Malcolm X College, construction crews are busy doing caisson work for the Chicago Blackhawks Community Training Center. And they don’t appear to be getting in each other’s way.

Malcolm X College is being destroyed because a new campus was just completed on the other side of Jackson Boulevard. In July of last year, the Blackhawks announced they’d be using the same site for their new training digs, which they broke ground on in June of this year. McHugh Construction is the general contractor for the HOK design.

It’s two job sites in one.

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An Eye on Chicago Construction.

Tag Archives: Heneghan Wrecking