Demolition shut down in North Phila.

Chris Mondics, Inquirer Staff Writer Posted: Sunday, October 6, 2013, 2:02 AM

City officials, mindful of the June 5 building collapse that claimed six lives, shut down the demolition of a two-story North Philadelphia rowhouse on Saturday after neighbors complained of unsafe conditions and authorities determined that neither the owner nor the contractor had permits.

Rebecca Swanson, spokesperson for the Department of Licenses & Inspections, said that the building, at 2352 W. Thompson St., had been mostly demolished by the time the city halted the work. City crews spent much of the afternoon and evening securing the site and stabilizing the remains of the building after the contractor was told to halt work.

Swanson said L&I crews would finish the demolition Sunday.

"It was not a permitted job," Swanson said. "They were doing something that was completely not proper. There will be ramifications."

The work stoppage apparently came as a result of a phone call to 911 by City Controller Alan Butkovitz, who visited the site Saturday afternoon amid complaints from neighbors. Butkovitz said the site was unsecured, not properly cordoned off and accessible to neighborhood children, several of whom had been seen sitting on the front steps of an adjoining building that was being taken down as work was underway.

"It was a very dangerous site," Butkovitz said. "We took extraordinary measures" by calling 911.

According to city property tax records, the building is owned by Muhammad Mahdi Shabazz. Swanson said she was unable to identify the contractor.

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Demolition shut down in North Phila.