Stop work order on former Sears site at Six Corners partially lifted to allow resumption of demolition work

by BRIAN NADIG

Construction crews are back at the Sears Six Corners redevelopment site after a stop work order was partially lifted, while the permit for the building of the planned 206 apartments is still pending.

The lifting of the stop work order, which was issued in August, allows the resumption of interior demolition work as specified in a March of 2021 permit, according to the city Department of Buildings. The order remains in place for new construction on the site, the department said.

The stop work order was issued last summer after steel and concrete work was done without a proper permit, according to the department.

“The contractor is cooperating with the city in the review of the steel and concrete work,” a department spokesman person said.

Permits were issued last last month calling for the removal of work performed without a permit but that a final decision on possible removal is reportedly contingent on whether the work meets code, which is under review.

Earlier this year steel beams were installed on top of the former Sears store at 4714 W. Irving Park Road, as plans call for a fifth-floor addition to the building. The store opened in 1938 and closed in 2018.

Plans calls for a Target department store on the ground floor of the new development, with apartments above and rooftop amenities.

Alderman James Gardiner (45th) gave an update on the project at the Nov. 14 meeting of the Old Irving Park Association.

“It’s roughy a $100 million development, and it’s going to be a shot in the arm for the Six Corners community,” Gardiner said.

Some demolition work on the corner facade of the former Sears was being done on Tuesday, Nov. 15.

The department issued the following statement in August:

“The Department of Buildings takes public safety and quality of life issues very seriously. Today (Aug. 23) the Department inspected a development at 4714 W. Irving Park Road and found significant structural and mechanical work being performed without the necessary permits.

“The work far exceeds the interior demolition work being performed under separate permits. A stop work order was issued immediately. In the interest of safety of workers and the public no work may be performed until all necessary permits are obtained and all other remedial issues are resolved.”

In 2021 a stop work order also was issued to Novak Construction for the site due to demolition work reportedly being done without the proper permit.

Also in the area, GW Properties reports that a revised plan for the former Peoples Gas site at Irving Park Road and Kilpatrick Avenue could be ready in about 45 days. Stores and apartments have been proposed.

Residents have expressed concerns that the project needs more apartments and less parking, Gardiner said. A 2021 proposal for the site called for 110 apartments  and several businesses, including an Amazon grocery store and a Panera Bread.

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