Demolition of CHA Highrises

On a cold morning in the late 1990s (I forget the actual date now), I joined several hundred others to witness the demolition of four Chicago Housing Authority highrises just west of Lakeshore Drive at 43rd Street

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• demolition
• explosions
• buildings
• chicago

[wilkinstimothy]

i remember back in dec 1998 when they destroy the lake park homes on chicago south side when i watching this on television.

[djspock]

The development is called Lakefront Shores. Stateway was demolished more recently (2002-2007) and is not on Lakeshore Drive.

[ProfessorIgor]

looks like Stateway Gardens... those buildings had a great purpose when built, to get people back to work and back on their feet after the war. but as in SO many subsidized houses in this country, it was taken over by the gangs and occupied by the lazy. Socialized housing will not, and can not work when people in this country spend more energy on trying to beat the system and suck off the teat of the american welfare system instead of going out an working.

[manga12]

well thats not as bad. I mean they tear down the poor mans house to let a rich person built one masion or some buisness that half the time is up to no good anyway.

I cant stand it when the poor and downtroden are stomped on.  I mean I like fancy buildings alot but not the new ones they dont build them nice like they used to do so. and not the price of the poor

[artistmac]

They pretty much put back what used to be there before the CHA built these highrises: three-story brick houses and low-rise apartment buildings, but nowhere near as fancy as the turn-of-the-century brick-and-stone mansions that used to be here when Kenwood was a wealthy suburb of Chicago.

[manga12]

and what did they build there in the place

I suppose rich people codos or some smaller building that only houses a few familys?

[jakelee16]

Are these high rises part of Robert Taylor Homes?

[jakelee16]

I agree. Its even more depressing when you witness a building that you once occupied being destroyed right infront of you, esp when you have emotional attachment to that building.

[mooseandstar1]

It's depressing to see a waste of viable apartments...Starryskye...

[artistmac]

My vidcam battery died waiting for the implosion to begin. It's great that you've posted your footage.

That was a cold, cold morning. And Daley must have had the gods on his side. Remember how, even though the city had blocked off the IC Metra tracks and had street sweepers ready all around the neighborhood, almost all the dust from the implosion drifted out over the lake in one compact cloud? Truly Da Teflon Mare;-)