January 12, 2005  

The mechanized ant hill outside my window

As if I didn’t have enough to distract me at work, the Sun-Times deconstruction has moved into high gear. It is impossible not to watch as the crews scurry around pummelling concrete to bits, blow-torching in half the very girders they’re standing on, and driving those cute miniature bulldozers to the very precipice of certain doom. These guys have now officially suffered through every element: wind (the bend in the river is one of the windiest points in the city), snow, rain, sneet, frizzle, and, yes, fire. I passed part of the hard-hatted crew at street level the other day and I felt like I was walking by celebrity. Reckless men of destruction, I salute you!

We’ve been taking snapshots of the work at 10-minute intervals since it started. Here’s a timelapse video of the work so far. (Thanks to Jack and Jeff for putting this together.)

More photos here.

3 Responses to “The mechanized ant hill outside my window”

  1. Laura says :

    I sit right behind John and he’s right – there is nothing like watching a building being destructed before your very eyes! I love watching the little bobcats zoom around, tearing things down and pushing debris down big holes. I want to drive one…..

  2. Chicagoist says :

    Documenting the Sun-Times Building Destruction

    Chicagoist is totally obsessed with the demolition of the Sun-Times building. There’s just something about walking past it everyday and gradually seeing an entire huge building start to come down before our very eyes. Which is why our newest non-sexual…

  3. Chicagoist says :

    Documenting the Sun-Times Building Destruction

    Chicagoist is totally obsessed with the demolition of the Sun-Times building. There’s just something about walking past it everyday and gradually seeing an entire huge building start to come down before our very eyes. Which is why our newest non-sexual…