Kanye West put on quite the show with his pre-release Donda listening events. That’s especially true of the Chicago show, which featured a life-size re-creation of his childhood house. It turns out, though, that West apparently wanted to move the actual building in which he grew up to Soldier Field for the event.
A report from the Chicago Sun-Times (as Complex notes) says that West was denied permission to move the house. The city’s Buildings Department explained, “Moving a home in Chicago is a very technical process that requires structural engineer reports and multiple city permits. The request to move the house at 7815 S. South Shore Dr. was denied last week because no permit application had been received to excavate and move the vacant property which is also in Demolition Court.”
So, it was this denial that led to a reconstruction of the building being made instead.
West purchased the building last year for about $225,000 and apparently had plans to renovate it, but it’s unclear how the home ended up in demolition court. Of Chicago’s demolition court, Justia notes, “Illinois statute 65 ILCS 5/11-31-1 sets out various options for local governments that wish to abate the problems created by ‘dangerous and unsafe buildings’ and abandoned buildings. Under 5/11-31-1(a), the government may apply to the local circuit court for an order authorizing it to demolish, repair, or board up a building, or requiring the building’s owners to do any of those things, if the owners have not taken sufficient action within 15 days after being sent notice of the problems. The mechanism for taking advantage of this provision in the City of Chicago is bringing an action in a court referred to as the ‘Demolition Court.’ This court is designed to provide an expedited process for hearing cases involving buildings that, in the City’s opinion, require demolition.”