City Taking High-Rise Buildings To Court Over Fire Regulations
CHICAGO (CBS) -- City Hall is sending some 400 residential high rises to court and buildings that could face stiff fines for failing to meet a January 1 fire safety deadline.
It's the final step in a protracted battle between city regulators and building managers that's dragging on for nine years, reports CBS 2's Derrick Blakley.
The action involves scores of residential high rises built before 1975, even towers in ritzy neighborhoods that haven't complied with the city's New Year's deadline for fire safety measures.
"We have to prevent loss of life," said Chicago Building Department Commissioner Felicia Davis.
The city says out of a total of 732 residential high rises, 277 buildings have passed inspection, 55 more were sent to court for not submitting a compliance plan and as of January 2, a whopping 400 more will be sent to court for blowing the inspection deadline.
"This is an ordinance nine years in the making and I think that because of that time, buildings were kind of hoping that the city would offer another extension," Davis said.
The law was implemented after 2003's County Administration Building high-rise fire that claimed six lives. Sprinklers were not required, but older residential high rises had to install safety measures like self-closing apartment doors and automatic recall for elevators.
Property manager Jim Stoller blames the city for an inspections backlog and says even after repairs, some inspectors then find new issues.
"As I often joke, you can find a code violation in any building if you look hard enough," Stoller said.
City officials deny that, saying safety is their only concern.
"The day that I celebrate is when every building in the portfolio, sprinklers or not, is fully compliant," Davis said.
High rises sent to court face potential fines of $1,000-$2,500 a day.
It's expected few buildings will get hit with the draconian penalties, if they show good faith in moving toward compliance.