No one cared much when news broke of the impending demise of a two-story parking structure in The Loop at 215 West Lake Street. And why would they? Even as far as parking structures go, it was run-of-the-mill at best. Not to mention tiny.
But news that its neighboring building at 209 West Lake Street would also meet the wrecking ball prompted a much different response. Built in the late 1800’s, it was one of the oldest post-Great Chicago Fire structures remaining in the city. Now, a cynic might say there was more hand wringing about the possibility of Monk’s Pub meeting the same fate as 209 W Lake (it will not; it has been spared. Closed now, a sign promotes its “Grand Reopening” on January 15th), but many historians, architecture aficionados, and just plain Chicagoans are sad to see the 4-story brick edifice fade into memory.
Any building demolition is sure to pull a crowd, but there’s definitely more of a morbid fascination about watching 209 West Lake’s, as it is slowly, painstakingly disassembled brick-by-brick. We stopped by Tuesday to watch the National Wrecking Company do what they do best: dispatch the old to make room for the new. But beware: There isn’t much attention being paid to watering down the debris. It’s pretty dusty on Lake Street. (That’s not a euphemism for shedding tears. It’s real, honest-to-goodness dust.)
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- Once rumored to be on the chopping block as well, Monk’s Pub survives.
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- 1000s of L-train commuters get an up-close look at the demolition every day…
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- …as they pass by on Green and Pink Line trains.
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- Rubble scattered about what would have been the floor of the fourth story. You can just make out the top of the stairway.
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- Keeping photographers from getting in? Or demo crews from falling out?
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- That’s an impressive amount of scaffolding…
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- …utilized to help keep debris from raining down on Monk’s.
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- Unable to go out with dignity, the old building has been poked full of gaping holes.
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- The Claw Crane.
