Most of the stop work order on Sears redevelopment at Six Corners lifted following structural review of work performed without proper permit
by BRIAN NADIG
Construction on the Sears redevelopment project at Six Corners is cleared to restart after a permit was issued on Nov. 30 to convert the former department store into a mixed-use development with 206 apartments and a ground-floor Target, although a partial stop work order remains in effect for the fifth-floor addition, where steel beams had been installed without the proper permits, according to the city Department of Buildings.
“The Department of Buildings (DOB) takes life safety matters very seriously. Upon learning that work was being performed (on the existing four-story building) without a permit at 4714 W. Irving Park Rd., DOB took immediate action in issuing a stop work order that same day – August 23, 2022. DOB also worked with the developer and all contractors to ensure that the work performed without a permit was verified to meet all of the safety and technical requirements of the municipal code.
“DOB required that the developer pay the full costs of an independent review by a third-party structural engineer firm identified by DOB. That independent review has been completed for all items except the steel work on the fifth -floor addition,” the department said.
“Full work can resume with the exception of the steel work on the fifth-floor addition which remains under a partial stop work order,” the department added.
The project’s developer, Novak Construction, and each contractor that performed work without a permit, has been fined, and additional inspections will be performed during the project, the department said.
The amount of fines and additional fees being assessed is not being released at this time, a department spokesman said.
The development will include rooftop amenities for the tenants.
The Sears building was constructed in 1938.
In mid-November demolition work resumed on the site after a partial lifting of the stop work order was issued.
