There’s a freshness in the air in the Fulton Market District these days. Or at least the stench from 500 North Milwaukee has improved. That’s because demolition crews have been chopping, chewing, hacking, and shredding the abandoned building with vigor for the last few weeks.
500 North Milwaukee Avenue courtesy of Pappageorge Haymes
The Chicago Architecture Blog’s Daniel Shell ran over there to take in the show, and brought back these pictures of the neighborhood’s least-favorite building being removed from the earth. While some have suggested that nuking the block from orbit is the only way to be really sure it’s gone, we’re happy enough with the redevelopment plans filed with the city to be assured that this is the end of the road for downtown’s biggest graffiti magnet.
What will replace it is a two-building complex of apartments and storefronts being developed by Akara Partners and occupying both the Grand-Green-Milwaukee triangle, and also a slice of the Milwaukee-Green-Grand-Peoria parallelogram. We’re talking about 227 residences including a 14-story tower designed by Pappageorge Haymes.
In addition, the CTA is going to spiff up the very busy bus stop and Blue Line subway entrance on this corner. Look for completion in 2016.
