The loft timber office building at 168 North Clinton Street in the West Loop was permitted for demolition on January 22nd. Once they had gutted the interiors and prepped the site, demo contractor Atlas Industries walked us through the building in April, just a couple weeks before tearing into the structure. In May, demolition began in earnest.
Our next visit was on May 8th; demolition had just begun on the top floor of the north façade, which allows Atlas to utilize the surface parking lot on the southwest corner of Clinton and Lake Streets. We’ve been back twice since, with work continuing to eat away at the same facade. A wood pile of reusable timber beams and the first pallets of bricks for salvage have been sorted and set aside. For safety and in the consideration of the tight quarters, it has been and will be a slow process, with the entirety of demolition work expected to take three months.
One corner missing from the east façade, June 23, 2026. Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
The first floor was the old Post Office space. Photo by Daniel Schell
Timber beams in the foreground and background. Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
The start of demolition, photographed on May 8, 2026. Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Our second demo visit, June 3, 2026. Photo by Daniel Schell
The first collection of bricks and timber, June 3, 2026. Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Timber pile. Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
If there are plans for the site, they have yet to be made known.
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Ridiculous
Is saving the bricks and beams meant to make us think tearing down a sound and useful historical building for no clear reason is a good thing? How long will we have a gravel hole in the city?
so sad to see this guy go… but I know this just means they are clearing the way for something that will be at least twice as big in the end..
The destruction of this building was shameful. It was handsome. It was functional. It was historic. It was a neighborhood landmark. It was…it was…standing.
Agreed. Too bad they couldn’t build on one of the many surface parking lot parcels available in the vicinity.
Historical buildings are like stray cats: love them all but sadly can’t save them all.