Department of Buildings
South Side Tenants Say Landlord Abandoned Them As Rodents Took Over, With Animals Screaming In Walls
"Somebody should be trying to get us out of this situation," one resident said. The building's owner "shouldn't be allowed to walk away with a profit, and we’re just left here stuck."
Deadly Fire In Kenwood High-Rise Was Caused By Someone Smoking In A Bedroom, Fire Officials Say
A smoke detector was not working in the 15th-floor apartment where the fire started Wednesday at the Harper Square Cooperative, officials said.
200 Kenwood Residents Displaced Since Christmas Eve After Landlord’s Unapproved Heaters Caused Power Outage, City Says
The electric units Mac Properties installed without permits at the Algonquin apartments blew a transformer during the recent winter storm, freezing the buildings and forcing them to close indefinitely, officials said.
Fed Up With Long-Abandoned Homes, Ravenswood Manor Neighbors Urge City To Crack Down On Owners
Calls to public officials haven't saved the slumping homes, neighbors said. Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez's office is pushing for a meeting with city officials about the houses.
Pangea Real Estate Faces Lawsuit As Tenants Allege Rodent Infestations, Mold And Insufficient Heating
One of the city's largest real estate companies is being sued by a group of tenants who claim Pangea neglected serious maintenance issues to boost profits.
City, Feds Want South Side Landlord Out As Living Conditions At Kenwood Apartments Get ‘Much, Much Worse’
"It's not just that things have stopped, it's that they're going backwards," a city attorney said Tuesday about repairing the troubled affordable apartment building in Kenwood.
Neighbors Launch Fundraiser For Family Injured, Displaced By Fatal West Side Porch Collapse
The building, home to four generations, must be torn down because it's unstable. The collapse killed one man and injured two others. "This isn't a slum landlord. It's a family member grieving other family members," a neighbor said.
Antioch Missionary Baptist Being Demolished Days After Fire, But Church Leaders Vow To Rebuild In Englewood
Officials with the city's buildings department said the Englewood church is not structurally sound and poses a potential danger to surrounding buildings and public safety.
Roseland Neighbors Complained About A Problem Building For Years. The City Only Tore It Down After A Man Was Fatally Shot
The house had numerous safety issues, attracted squatters and was an eyesore for neighbors. They complained for years, but it wasn't until this week that the city tore down the building.
Chatham’s Dat Donut Shut Down By City, But Owners Say Beloved Spot Will Reopen Next Week
City inspectors found electrical problems at the popular spot, prompting them to temporarily close the business. "We love the doughnuts, and we can’t wait for them to open back up," Ald. Michelle Harris said.
City Postpones Hearing For Nipsey’s Restaurant After Owners Ask For More Time After Fire
Owners of the restaurant and lounge, which is being demolished, are facing 13 business citations before the city's department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection.
Drug Dealing, But No Meth Lab, Found At West Ridge Social Club Raided By Police, Alderman Says
Ald. Debra Silverstein (50th) said law enforcement told her office the Western Avenue social club showed no indications of a meth lab on the site.
Instead Of Getting Fired, City Official In Botched Implosion That Covered Little Village In Dust Gets Written Reprimand
The city's watchdog wanted the Department of Public Health official punished or fired because the official knew in advance the problems the implosion could cause, according to a report.
Residents In Fire-Damaged Avalon Park Apartments Say They’re Being Kicked Out Without Proper Notice
Water shutoffs, a lack of heat and demands for residents to "leave the building" are temporary, a representative for property owner 79th Accliviti said.
Building On General Iron Owner’s Property Collapsed With Asbestos Inside — But The Company Didn’t Tell The City For Months
The asbestos doesn't pose an immediate health risk, officials said. The city will cite Reserve Management Group, which is suing to open a fifth scrapper on-site, for building and health code violations.
Feds Tell Ellis Lakeview Owners: Get A New Property Manager And Fix Filthy Conditions — Or Else
The Kenwood affordable apartment building has failed 15 city inspections during the pandemic, with issues including a broken elevator, mice, roaches and faulty plumbing.
Demolition Court Looms For Chicago’s Last Phyllis Wheatley Home, Which Sheltered Black Women During The Great Migration
Researchers and residents are calling for the preservation of "a tangible place that holds the heritage and spirit of Black women" as the building's owner — and its longtime resident — seeks funding to restore her crumbling home.
Despite Promises From Feds, Kenwood Apartment Residents Still Living With Faulty Plumbing, Insect Infestations, Rent Mixups
It took nearly a year and legal threats from the city to pressure Ellis Lakeview's owner to fix an elevator, tenants said — but there's still much work to be done.
Mice-Infested, Trash-Ridden Kenwood Apartment Building Is Falling Apart, Residents Say As They Beg Feds For Help
Residents of the Ellis Lakeview apartments live with mice and roaches, a broken elevator, a substance they believe to be mold and brown water, they said. The building has failed 12 city inspections during the pandemic.
Collapsed Wicker Park Home Will Be Rebuilt, Realtor Says
The initial plan was to preserve the exterior and rehab the interior, but now, the entire home will be rebuilt, a realtor told Block Club.
