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13-32-230  Building wrecking – Permit required – Safety requirements.
   (a)   Before proceeding with the wrecking or tearing down of any building or other structure, a permit for such wrecking or tearing down shall first be obtained by the owner or his agent from the Building Commissioner. It shall be unlawful for any person to proceed with the wrecking or tearing down of any building or structure or any structural part of such building or structure unless such permit has first been obtained and the applicable notification requirements set forth in Section 13-124-070 have been met. Application for such permit shall be made by the owner, or his agent, to the Building Commissioner, who shall issue the permit upon such application and the payment of the fee herein provided.
   Every application shall state the location and describe the building which it is proposed to wreck or tear down and shall also list the registered wrecking contractor that will perform the work. Upon the issuance of said permit, such building may be wrecked or torn down, provided that all the work done thereunder shall be subject to the supervision of the Building Commissioner and to such reasonable restrictions as he may impose in regard to elements of safety and health; and provided further, that the work shall be kept sprinkled and sufficient scaffolding be provided to insure safety to human life.
   (b)   Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a), if a building or structure is color coded orange or red in the Chicago Historic Resources Survey published in 1996, no demolition permit shall be issued for a period not to exceed 90 days in order to enable the department of planning and development to explore options to preserve the building or structure, including, but not limited to, possible designation of the building or structure as a Chicago landmark in accordance with Article XVII of Chapter 2-120 of this code. The 90 days (i) shall begin to run on the date that a copy of the application for the demolition permit, along with a photograph accurately showing the current condition of the building or structure identified in that application, is submitted by the applicant to the landmarks division of the department of planning and development; and (ii) may be extended for any additional period by mutual written agreement between the applicant and the department. This subsection (b) shall not apply to permit applications for the demolition of any building or structure if demolition is necessary to remedy conditions imminently dangerous to life, health or property as determined in writing by the department of buildings, the board of health or the fire department. Nor shall this subsection (b) apply to any building or structure which the commission on Chicago landmarks has preliminarily recommended as a landmark pursuant to section 2-120-630 or which has been designated by ordinance as a “Chicago Landmark” in accordance with the requirements of this code.
   (c)   Nothing in this section shall be construed to alter in any way the authority of or the process by which the commission on Chicago landmarks and the city council approve the issuance of demolition permits if such approval is required by this code.
(Prior code § 43-19; Amend Coun. J. 9-13-89, p. 4604; Amend Coun. J. 1-16-03, p. 102365, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 12-4-02, p. 99026, § 2.11; Amend Coun. J. 1-16-03, p. 102365, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 12-8-04, p. 38063, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 11-13-07, p. 14999, Art. II, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 11-19-08, p. 47220, Art. VII, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 11-17-10, p. 106597, Art. IX, § 9; Amend Coun. J. 6-27-12, p. 30534, § 3; Amend Coun. J. 11-26-13, p. 67481, Art. I, § 24; Amend Coun. J. 1-23-19, p. 94952, Art. I, § 11)