It was one of those buildings that I've kept my eye on over the years...
I figured it was a time capsule on the inside.
It was 6 stories tall and over 100 years old.
630 South Wabash Avenue sat empty at the Hiltons back door, on Wabash, and before this afternoon, it was ripe for condo conversion. Its brick shit-house facade seemed thankful for the small fortune of ancient red iron fire escape that climbed the street side of the building. Formerly "cold storage" on the upper floors, George Diamonds Steak House thrived on the street level in the 30's through the 80's. Best steak house in the city from the 30's through the 60's they say. Whoever they are. 630 South Wabash is protected as a Historical Landmark. And yet, it sat empty. Until this afternoon. 250 firefighters descended upon old 630 South Wabash.
Today I parked my car and snapped photographs of it burning itself into an inferno... CBS News says it's a five alarm blaze. That's 250 firefighters on the scene. Highest alarm possible. Traffic in my neighborhood ceased to move. Gridlock. Traffic controllers, in their day-glow green slickers, had even less than normal clues how to manage the rush hour madness. Doomsday does not look good for Streets And Sanitations version of traffic management.
What would George say?
R.I.P. 630
10.24.06
