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Chicago labels dangerous buildings with red ‘X’
WBEX.org recently published an extensive piece exploring Chicago's controversial red 'X' program, which has sparked widespread curiosity and confusion among residents. The story begins with Chicagoan Poppy Coleman, who stumbled upon two dilapidated buildings adorned with large metal signs bearing a striking red "X" in her Logan Square neighborhood. Her curiosity piqued, she dug deeper to uncover the meaning behind these mysterious markings.
Over the past decade, nearly 2,000 of these ominous red "X" signs have surfaced across Chicago. Online forums are rife with speculation about what these symbols represent—are they warnings for condemned buildings, signs of abandonment, or indicators of potential sales? While the program was originally designed to protect firefighters and emergency responders, it has unfortunately faced significant challenges, including budget shortfalls.
The genesis of this initiative dates back to December 22, 2010, when tragedy struck during a fire at a long-abandoned laundromat on Chicago's South Shore. Firefighters Edward Stringer and Corey Ankum lost their lives, while 19 others sustained injuries. In response, Alderman Debra Silverstein introduced two city ordinances aimed at addressing these risks. The first mandated a comprehensive inventory of buildings constructed using bowstring trusses, a design particularly vulnerable to collapse during fires. The second sought to identify and mark all hazardous structures within the city limits.
For this second initiative, officials opted for rectangular metal signs featuring a bold red "X," a symbol borrowed from fire departments in New York City and elsewhere. These signs serve as a visual alert, indicating that a building is structurally unsound and necessitating extra caution from emergency personnel.
Since the passage of Silverstein's ordinance in June 2012, the Chicago Fire Department (CFD) has installed 1,804 red "X" signs. Although this represents only a portion of the city's estimated 5,000-plus vacant properties, CFD spokesperson Larry Langford emphasizes that it marks progress. Initially, the Department of Buildings provided a list of several hundred severely deteriorated properties, with deterioration exceeding 35%. Since then, the responsibility has largely fallen to individual aldermen and their offices to raise awareness about the signs' significance.
Rehabilitating these vacant properties is possible, but property owners must seek special permissions to undertake repairs on buildings marked with red "X" signs. Despite these efforts, only one structure has been successfully restored and had its red "X" officially removed to date.
Funding for this vital safety measure came via a $675,000 grant from FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighters program. Data obtained by WBEZ reveals that the city expended the entire sum within 13 months, beginning in June 2012, and no new signs have been erected since July 2013. Much of the funding went to two local contractors: AGAE Contractors and M-K Signs.
This program, intended to safeguard lives, now faces an uncertain future due to financial constraints. Critics argue that without additional resources, the initiative risks falling short of its goals. Meanwhile, residents like Poppy Coleman continue to wonder about the stories hidden behind these stark red warnings scattered throughout their neighborhoods.