Last week was a busy one for The 1901 Project on the city’s Near West Side. The Blackhawks and Bulls hosted a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday for the development, which got started on the Phase 1 parking garage this spring. On Tuesday, the day before ceremonial shovels dug into the ceremonial trough of dirt, a permit was issued to begin caisson work on the music hall replacing the former K parking lot at South Damen Avenue and West Adams Street, situated just south of the parking garage work site.

Site plan for The 1901 Project Phase One by RIOS. The west garage and music hall are under now under construction.

Photo by Daniel Schell

Photo by Daniel Schell

Photo by Daniel Schell

Photo by Daniel Schell

Photo by Daniel Schell
There are crawler cranes to move equipment around, and one drilling rig not yet set up. There are still two caisson rigs over on the parking garage site, and it seems plausible that those rigs will be moved south for work on the music hall once caissons wrap up. In the meantime, rebar cages are being rolled on the second site, with corrugated tubes and iron casings stacked around the lot, ready to be lowered into the shafts.

Photo by Daniel Schell

Photo by Daniel Schell

Photo by Daniel Schell

Photo by Daniel Schell

Photo by Daniel Schell

Photo by Daniel Schell

Tubes, cylinders, casings, and a caisson rig, ready to be set up and get to work. Photo by Daniel Schell

The former K parking lot, looking southwest. Photo by Daniel Schell
On the parking garage side at the corner of Damen and Madison, there remain a lot of demolition and excavation work in progress. As mentioned, there are still caisson rigs on site, but we couldn’t discern if they had more work to do, or if they were ready to start on the music hall. As was observed in our previous progress update, access to the below-grade loading area is still open.

Photo by Daniel Schell

Photo by Daniel Schell

Photo by Daniel Schell

Photo by Daniel Schell

Photo by Daniel Schell
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This is a great project for the city!
This in conjunction with the 78, the extension of the 606, Foundry Park/Lincon Yards, the Quantum Computing Campus,and Obama center will spur on ancillary projects and help create a renessaince in the city. Exciting time for Chicago!
Hear! Hear!
All we need now is a new mayor!
only 11 months to go, woo-hoo!!!
But what if BJ’s replacement is somehow even worse?
Given the idiotic citizenry of this town, it could happen.