At MAT’s second hearing, the case was continued until October 8, with an agreement that they have until September 30 to apply for required permits…

Electrical contractor Gibson continues work near the construction trailers during increased vehicle activity on the site. Closeups of the asphalt show that it was not laid over the reservoir layer required for permeable pavement, as required by industry standards and previously claimed in court. The stack of wooden beams grows.

Deliveries continue at the Silos, including large beams, heavy equipment, and more trailers. Total trailer count is now 14, and workers are moving materials like drywall into the trailers.

Dirt is being moved on the unpaved portion of the site, and new fencing is up.

The City of Chicago is suing MAT, which has 5 counts against it. None of MAT’s owners appeared at the hearing…

The site now holds 11 construction trailers and a very loud generator.

Contractors for ComEd install 2 new poles at the Silos, holding 3 large transformers. The electrical workers don’t know what the power will be used for.

Despite a city citation, MAT has added a new gate at the southeast corner of the lot, paved a path from that gate to the lot next door, and put up jersey barriers to protect that path. A trailer and multiple portajohns have also been brought in.

City departments investigate the unsanctioned parking lot and issue citations. MAT owners suggest in the press that the pavement is permeable. MAT Asphalt, which did the paving and shares ownership with the Silos, does not manufacture or install permeable pavement.

The Lake Street Bridge takes shape on the dock.

A parking lot covering approximately 1/3 of the 23 acres at Damen Silos was constructed overnight without permitting or other official oversight.

A neighbor departing for night shift around 7 PM saw heavy vehicles pull in as they passed by, and found the lot completed when they returned home in the morning.

In a new wave of activity, machines move dirt on site at Damen Silos. Concrete blocks are piled near the Damen overpass, and piles of dirt are made nearby.

Meanwhile, floating docks are prepared for the construction of the Lake Street Bridge in the adjacent Santa Fe Slip, located on the east side of the Silos property. MAT is a subcontractor on the bridge contract, paid to provide a construction location.

A wrecker takes the first bite out of the 110-ft tall structure after Department of Buildings paused work for several days to develop a safety plan for this part of the operation. With the rest of the structure removed or degraded, there is no longer a wind break to reduce dust, and gusts pose a greater risk to the demolition crew.

The remainder of the last silo clings onto the tower as its contents are trucked out. Water sprayers attached to the equipment aren’t enough to prevent dust from scattering in the wind.

After a brief pause in work while the river barrier was replaced, demolition activity resumed. Workers opened the filled silo, spilling a large pile of material on the back side of the building. Multiple large sprayers were positioned to control the resulting dust.

The river barrier in front of the Silos is intended to block debris off the site from floating downstream. Around 11:30 this morning, the barrier itself broke loose and drifted off.

CDPH blessed a new dust mitigation plan on October 7, according to their website, allowing demolition to resume the next day. While the new plan offers very specific instructions for dealing with dust, it does not address debris in the river.

CDPH and the demolition team meet onsite, we assume for purposes of making a new dust plan. While no further demolition occurs today, crews continue to clean up near the silos.