Final visit to the Cassidy Tire demolition?

Posted on June 21, 2022 by danieldschell

There ain’t much left to see, as Atlas Industries nears the home stretch at the old Cassidy Tire building. Still looks to be about three years’ worth of reusable brick and timber, not to mention the un-reusable piles of rubble, to be hauled away though.

A couple of iPhone shots in this gallery show how high the rubble is piled in back of the building. We’re in deep Barney here.

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.

Embry plants a tower crane at 21 North May

Posted on June 20, 2022 by danieldschell

Embry, 21 North May, West Loop — The Embry tower crane stub. Don’t blink, or you’ll miss it.

The tower crane has been planted, and planted deep, at Embry in the West Loop. So deep, in fact, that I not been tipped off to the first segment being delivered (Thanks, @jrock1449!) I might have walked past the site without noticing it.

Okay, that’s ridiculous. I definitely would have still peered through the fence to see what was going on. But the crane really is planted deep in the ground, so the top base section sits below the height of the construction fence.

Another week, another visit to the Cassidy Tire demolition site

Posted on June 6, 2022 by danieldschell

The Cassidy Tire building is disappearing, from the southwest corner inwards.

Piles of beams. Piles of bricks. Piles of pallets for the piles of bricks.

Besides seeing so much of the building missing, that’s what stands out at the Cassidy Tire demolition site at 344 North Canal. The bricks, obviously, will be reused; you don’t spend hours and hours like the three-man crew was doing Sunday to palletize those if you’re not going to reuse them. As for the beams, hopefully they’ll find a new purpose somewhere. A few of the zoom-in shots I’ve gotten during the demo process have shown those old wood beams looking as perfect as the day they were set in place.

In case you’re wondering, yes. I’ll likely return to this site every weekend until there’s nothing left to see, much like I did when the ADM Milling Company was torn down in the far West Loop. There’s something perversely fascinating about demolition, about seeing a structure laid open, exposed for all to see. Maybe it’s wrong to keep staring, to keep capturing close-ups from every angle. But I can’t look away.

Howard Brown Health foundation work continues at 3501 North Halsted

Posted on June 4, 2022 by danieldschell

The tower crane at 3501 North Halsted, seen from a Brown Line train

My last visit to 3501 North Halsted featured a half-built tower crane. That crane is now fully functional, as work by McHugh Construction continues below street level. Soon, they’ll go vertical on the new healthcare facility from Howard Brown Health and Inland National Development Company.

Want to spot the tower crane but don’t have time to stop for it? Take a Brown Line train north out of the Belmont Station, then have your camera ready as you go over the Red Line Bypass. Don’t have time to do even that? Stare at the photo above.

A lot more photos from a lot less building, at the Cassidy Tire demolition

Posted on May 31, 2022 by danieldschell

Some architecture is tired, as some is *for* tires. The Cassidy Tire building at 344 North Canal was, at least for the last part of its life, the latter. I went back Memorial Day weekend, twice, to see Atlas Industries’ demolition progress, both in daylight and after dark. Sadly, I was the one holding the camera, so the night shooting wasn’t terribly successful. But you get the gist.

Another walkaround at 1000M

Posted on May 24, 2022 by danieldschell

I said I didn’t want to miss much of the construction at 1000M, yet here we are, more than a month since my last visit. Unacceptable. Let’s fix that now.

More demolition at Cassidy Tire

Posted on May 22, 2022 by danieldschell

Atlas Industries continues their work bringing down the former Cassidy Tire at 344 North Canal. These were taken Thursday, so there’s even more demolition/less building now

There are piles of piles to drive at Embry

Posted on May 17, 2022 by danieldschell

Caissons are done, but foundation work continues for Embry at 21 North May in the West Loop. A 270-degree tour around the site last week shows piles have been driven into the ground, and a bunch more sat at the ready for their turn in the soil. That’s the firm of McHugh & McHugh (Construction & Concrete) on the job out there, getting this 16-story, 58-unit condo building from Sulo Development ready to go vertical. And remember, they’ll be getting a shiny yellow Liebherr tower crane soon, too.

Demolition is underway at Cassidy Tire, 344 North Canal

Posted on May 15, 2022 by danieldschell

Demolition of the former Cassidy Tire at 344 North Canal began last week. Atlas Industries is doing the demo work for McHugh Construction, who will build the new 344 North Canal residential tower on this site.

3501 North Halsted (almost) has a tower crane

Posted on May 10, 2022 by danieldschell

They say don’t count your chickens if the eggs are all in one basket. Or something to that effect. Whatever. Point is, maybe I shouldn’t call what 3501 North Halsted has a “tower crane” just yet. But we love cranes. We need cranes. So we’re counting this one as being up in the air, even if it’s (obviously) not functional yet. My trusty iPhone6 took some photos Tuesday afternoon so you wouldn’t have to.