Breaking the Circle: The old Jane Byrne Interchange ramp comes down

Posted on February 6, 2017 by danieldschell

A bridge to nowhere hovers above the Circle Interchange, remnants of the Ryan-to-Eisenhower ramp.

Anybody remember that time I said construction on the Jane Byrne Flyover was silent?

Yeah, well that was construction. Let’s talk about demolition for a minute. Because for every reaction, there’s an equal and opposite reaction. Granted, the reaction usually comes first. As in, something is demolished to make room for something new. But in this case, the ramp that used to connect the inbound Dan Ryan Expressway to the outbound Eisenhower Expressway was replaced before it was removed. Which crews are doing now. And for some reason, they’ve chosen to do a great deal of the jack hammering at night. Or should I say, overnight. Not a huge thrill for denizens of the West Loop, South Loop, and the Medical District. Part of that has to do with removing the beams over the expressway lanes at night, when there’s less traffic to be affected by periodic closures. But it’s loud. Really loud.

You’ll note in the photos that follow the presence of caisson equipment, including rebar cages. I can’t wait to see what that’s all for.

: Rebat tubes.

: Rebar tubes.

: From the underside of Congress Parkway, between the Circle and The Loop.

: Caissons.

: I see your industrial-size jack hammer down there.

: Closing the inbound Ryan at Roosevelt in the early morning hours of Feb 2.

That’s a wrap on Children’s Memorial Hospital, which is now a scrapyard

Posted on January 31, 2017 by danieldschell

Piles of dirt. Sorted pieces of scrap metal heaped together. A few pits and ditches. ‘Tis all that remains.

The former Children’s Memorial Hospital in Lincoln Park is little more than an empty lot now, as Omega Demolition finishes up work on the triangular site. Soon, construction on The Lincoln Common will commence.

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.

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.

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.