Chicago Tribune
Condemned Tenements Belong to the University of Chicago
The Building department of the city has notified the University of Chicago that its row of tenements at 130, 132, 134 and 136 Blue Island avenue must be torn down or the Fire department will take the work of demolition into its own hands.
The line of two-story frame tenements has been on the black-list for several days. Each building is propped up by foundations which threaten to have a moving day of their own at any time and change the location of the houses by from three to ten feet. Final inspection was made yesterday by Inspectors Sedlac and Doherty and Building Commissioner Andrews signed the death warrants of the structures.
The tenements were given to the university some years ago by Helen Culver. They were part of the Hull estate. The income from them and other West Side buildings was to provide for the maintenance of a biological laboratory. The recent official investigations show, however, that the buildings would serve merely as a study of "unsafe and unsanitary tenements" and afford mathematical problems on the number of chances of fire breaking out daily.
"I understand, too," said Commissioner McAndrews, "that microbe incubators would flourish here. That might open another line of study."
The demolition will cause the loss of two tenants. One of these is D. Vado, who runs a barbershop at 132 and occupies the entire floor. At 136 M. D. Healy runs a saloon.
The tearing down of the Blue Island avenue is said to be but the first step in ridding the city of objectionable property owned by the University of Chicago.
"There are rows and rows of unsafe and unsanitary building in the Nineteenth Ward which belong to the Hull estate and are now owned by Chicago University," said the Health Commissioner.
The Fire department invaded South Clark street during the day and cleared out the row of frame buildings at 535 to 543 . The one-story brick at 647 Wells street was also torn down. Buildings condemned during the day follow:
283-83 ½ West Lake street, two story frame, Joseph Gabel, owner.
164 Blue Island avenue, two-story frame, Thomas McGann, owner,
1210-12,14-16 Blue Island avenue, two story brick row.
