What Should Chicago do with 15,000 Vacant buildings

**wolverine** · January-07-12, 02:00 AM

Very interesting post as to how Chicago is dealing with vacant property.....and being sued by banks who are expected to maintain properties during and after foreclosure. There's also a map of vacant properties

I've read that there's some parts of the city that have clusters of blocks with vacancies as high as 45% Yikes....

http://www.chicagonow.com/getting-re...=Google+Reader

Chicago's What to do when your property falls vacant:
http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en...uidelines.html

Note that plywood MUST be taken down after 6 months and replaced with steel plates. This is heavily enforced since I tend to see more steel coverings than plywood.

Detroit is certainly not alone in this problem.

**laphoque** · January-07-12, 07:51 AM

They should probably stop enforcing trespassing laws. This would allow scrappers to have access to more business opportunities. Then to recoup the cost the owners could hire arsons for insurance fraud. Youngsters could then take really cool urban exploration photos.

This is Chicago's path to actually being a cool city.

**DetroitPlanner** · January-07-12, 09:53 AM

Never fear! Just hire bobby feurguson!

**Danny** · January-07-12, 11:50 AM

At least Chicago doesn't have miles of blighted neighborhoods unlike Detroit. When I was in Chicago South Side in the 1990s the Bronzeville-Historic Black Belt comunity was almost black and blighted. It's like living in Detroit's lower west and east side. Vacant homes are boarded up tight and some looters and squatters occupy those buildings compared to those living in South Bronx in the 1960s to the mid 1980s. The Chicago Alderman Board put those very strict vacant property laws to prevent looters, squatters, firebugs and illegal dumpers from not only ruin the neighborhoods but also destroy property values in the process.

The Detroit City Council should do the same, but their constant laziness and corruptable doings prevents them to make and enforce vacant property laws. So the looters, squatters, firebugs and illegal dumpers roam free into black and blighted Detroit ghettohoods [[ even the occupy well kept up brick and woodframe areas) and tear those homes up. Just like that did in W. Hollywood St. and Robinwood St east of Woodward Ave and south of W. 7 Mile Rd. in Detroit's Northside area near the almost dying Chaldeantown community.

Take a look at it and see what a terrible city human beings did [[We are fools and a virus!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6WKM...eature=related

That's what happen if segregation and racial problems presists in Detroit.
Detroit neighborhoods was once a paradise. Crazy folks destroyed it ages ago.

WORD FROM THE STREET PROPHET

For the 99 Percenters and the Spirit of Guy Fawkes

I miss you so, Neda.

**riviera** · January-07-12, 12:13 PM

If they put that law into force in Detroit, I'm getting into the business of selling steel plates!

**Detroit Stylin** · January-19-12, 06:19 PM

Now now now every body knows that abandoned buildings are uniquely a Detroit phenomenon. Never mind the miles of blight you see coming into Chicago rolling in on 94 on the way there just simply blame that on the influences of Gary....