CDPH stopped demolition due to excessive dust, requiring that demolition contractor Heneghan Wrecking make a new plan to control dust for the remaining portions of the Silos.

The remains of the filled silo are removed, leaving only 2 silos and the tower standing.

Drone footage shows that the holes in the dock are larger than the previous week. The Chicago Department of Buildings (DOB) says that it was not possible to put the promised metal plates on the dock because moving something so heavy onto that portion of the site posed dangerous conditions for workers.

Crews open the 3rd to last silo, finding it filled with the same substance as the other full silo, plus some unknown black material coating the bottom of the interior.

According to the demolition plan, there should be metal plates over the dock and between the dock and the barge. Those plates are intended to prevent dust from going through the planks into the water. As shown clearly in these images, no such protections are actually present.

According to the US Army Corps of Engineers, work has slowed down because the concrete used in this structure is harder to break apart than that used in the other buildings. This contradicts claims by the owners that the Silos were inherently unstable and unsafe.

Work on the Silos has been slow this week. One silo is filled with an unknown substance, and dozens of trucks are circulating to move it offsite. The weather was particularly windy, which posed additional challenges to keeping dust down. Cracks in the wall facing the river are slightly larger, but not substantially changed.

A slice of the silo at the southeastern edge is missing, and cracks appear in the wall directly on the riverfront. Now that barges have left the Santa Fe Slip, bricks and debris in the outlets under the former red brick building are visible. Dead fish from the previous week’s combined sewer overflow have been removed.

The row of silos facing away from the river is demolished. Several small trees cling to the top of the remaining structure.

Wrecking balls get to work on the river edge silos - the last of 5 buildings onsite.

Bricks are bundled for storage, and machines chip away at the carcass of the center silo. Meanwhile, cranes are positioned around the remaining silos at the river edge in preparation for their demolition.

The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) conducted a site visit to investigate treatment of bricks - which are supposed to be saved for a future riverwalk- and preservation of the red brick building below grade, which is required for the federal demolition permit.

Some bricks had fallen in the river, which was also an issue.

The USACE documents here show what was addressed during the visit.

Drone images over the weekend show the site partially cleaned up. The Sears Tower is now clearly visible from the Damen Ave bridge and 29th St.

The red brick building is fully demolished. Machines pick up bricks and rubble. Some package bricks for preservation. Cranes set up to destroy the last silo.

The center silo is reduced to rubble. It was promised to be contained in the underground portion of the structure, but spills out onto the ground. Meanwhile, the red brick building is being dismantled, and bricks are scattered along the river edge.

The center silo is whittled down to its core. The skyline view from McKinley Park is changed forever.

Work continues on the center silo.  The North (river), East, and South (29th St) sides of the silos are almost completely down along with large sections of the roof structure.  

Work moves into the 6th of 7 silos facing 29th St. Click for more images.

Machines dig into the center Silo building from the side facing 29th St. Click title above to see more photos + aerial video. Thanks to our volunteer photographers for sending in these images!

The first chunks of the Silos themselves are removed. Crumbled remains are pushed into the silos, so that they will collect and fill the underground portion of the buildings.