Chicago Dept. of Buildings Blames Unpermitted Rehab for Partial Building Collapse | Columbus Ohio Dump Trucks
3-story 1227 W. Jackson is now leaning onto a neighboring property; no injuries were reported
Shortly after her online morning meeting, Puja Ramaswamy heard bricks falling from the roof of the Chicago residential three-flat she and her family live in. Between 9:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., 1227 W. Jackson Boulevard in the city's West Loop neighborhood was evacuated. Shortly after, the whole building shifted and was saved from complete collapse only by leaning on its neighbor, 1241 W. Jackson.
“We could have been on the patio,” said Ramaswamy, who left the premises with her husband and is staying with friends in the neighborhood. She also said she was glad the couple's two children were in school at the time, as they often play outside.
In a statement, Mimi Simon, a spokeswoman for the Chicago Dept. of Buildings, said, “The building owner was completing a full gut rehab without any plans or permits. While performing columbus oh dump truck work in the basement, the foundation was compromised causing the collapse. DOB will hold the building owner accountable and will ensure the building and the surrounding area are secured and kept safe.”
Responding crews from People's Gas were able to safely shut off gas service to the building by 2:30 pm. Chicago Fire Dept. and Police Dept. also responded to the emergency and assisted in evacuating tenants.
The building was originally constructed in 1879, around the time most three-flats in the city date back to, and is owned by Mariusz Florek, according to a 2018 property tax assessment appeal on file with the Cook County Assessor's office. The residential building was scheduled for an inspection later this year. Simon referred questions relating to a demolition plan to the owner, who could not be reached for comment.
One detail from the assessment appeal shows how much the West Loop neighborhood has changed: it was originally zoned as industrial, but is now in one of the city's hottest housing markets, with the condo the partially collapsed building now leans against one of many newer constructions in the area.