River East: City Hall Concerned About Use Of Metal Panels On Building
(CBS) – What is Chicago City Hall making of these revelations from the 2 Investigators about the River East complex?
Mayor Rahm Emanuel expressed concern, as did Ald. Brendan Reilly, whose 42nd Ward includes the mixed-use development.
Reilly watched Dave Savini's report with special interest.
"Well, of course, for any building, I'm concerned about the safety of its residents and its structural integrity," Reilly tells CBS 2's Jim Williams.
The River East Center was built before Reilly took office a decade ago. One hundred high rises have gone up his ward since he became alderman.
He says he doesn't know how many are clad in metal panels.
"I don't have direct involvement in the actual granular selection of building materials," Reilly says. "That stuff doesn't involve aldermen."
Still, he insists the city has strict building codes that make high rises safer.
"Many of our large buildings are required to have sprinklers, and that's an extra layer of safety that people can depend upon," he says.
Now, the city is sending engineers to examine River East's flammable panels. Reilly wants to know what they find.
"Should people be concerned?" Williams asked the alderman.
"Well, for this particular structure, let's get that engineering report back and deal with what the results tell us," Reilly responded.
Emanuel's office issued a statement Tuesday:
"This good news is that the building owners have been cooperating with our team to ensure the building stays safe, and the better news is that our regulations today ensure this material is not used in any new construction."
