Kudos to Wednesday Journal and reporter Brendan Heffernan for the excellent Feb. 25 story on years of code violations preceding the big fire at the North/Taylor mixed-use building. It was based on the kind of solid investigative work I always hope to see in WJ, all too rare in community newspapers. I also appreciate your Feb. 25 op-ed in Viewpoints on the building as the firetrap it became.
But I do take partial issue with your statement that the courts … simply “lacked the tools to bring the owner to the table.” The courts themselves are part of the difficulty in bringing problem building owners to the table. As Heffernan reported, the village’s suit against the owner was dismissed in October 2024.
Owners like Chhabria know the courts are lax on things like code violations. In addition to dismissals, they know they can receive months and years of continuances and other court delays. Court laxity was largely responsible for long waits in doing something about the derelict building that once stood at 6645 W. North Ave., which was ultimately torn down, as well as problem properties on Harrison Street, which has been thriving since effective action finally was taken against owner of those properties. This is an excellent example of how derelict buildings can drag down a business district. Unfortunately, the North Avenue District has several such properties on both sides of the street, including the MegaFun building (6547 W. North), the partially demolished IHOP (North and Elmwood, a major eyesore), and the Monumental Building (6114-6118 W. North).
As you opined, the village may lack the tools to bring the owner to the table. But the village itself generally gives owners lots of time to deal with code violations. After attempting to work with these owners for months, enforcement begins with tickets and small fines. Heffernan reported on this process. He wrote that the village found code violations as early as December 2022 (or perhaps earlier — there were problems at the North/Taylor building for 20 years, according to a former resident quoted in the article). Chicago is no better.
If Chicago and Oak Park want to help business districts struggling to revitalize, nothing is more important than dealing firmly and promptly with derelict buildings.
Judith Alexander
Oak Park