Renovation work on the Thompson Center in The Loop continues, as more of the curved façade facing Randolph and Clark Streets has been stripped of its original cladding. The building’s transformation into Google offices has it looking a little bare and exposed at present; new triple-paned glass being used to replace the façade will aid in a more efficiently heated and cooled facility.
Two demolition permits have been issued to get a new development started at 4529 North Western Avenue in Lincoln Square. When we visited the site last month, demolition fencing was already up in anticipation of work getting started. And now it officially can, with the City of Chicago permitting both teardown on Thursday, September 12.
Demolition of the former Chicago Tribune Freedom Center has begun, in earnest, along the Chicago River in West Town. With Bally’s Casino expected to open in 2026, there’s no time to waste, and Brandenburg Industrial Services has begun tearing into the old printing plant after receiving four demolition permits late last month to begin demo work. There is a lot of equipment on site, with piles of scrap and rubble already waiting to be sorted and hauled away.
Monday, the Chicago Architecture Center announced the 170+ sites participating in Open House Chicago 2024. The annual event allows citizens and visitors alike to access buildings and sites all across Chicago that aren’t usually open to the general public. This year’s list includes 25 first-time participants, and about two dozen participating neighborhoods. Also new for this year, the Architecture Center is hosting a photography contest, with competition in four categories: interior, exterior, architectural detail, and black & white.
A demolition permit was issued August 30 by the City of Chicago for the two-story brick building at 1323 North Ashland Avenue in West Town. That structure sits off the street, abutting the alley, with an empty lot used for parking next to it. That lot is 1321 North Ashland, and that’s where SRD Development has a permit to begin construction of a four-story residential project. Lagos General Contractors has been tasked with demolishing the existing building so SRD can get started on the new one.
