2003 Chicago balcony collapse
Encyclopedia
The 2003 Chicago balcony collapse was a disaster that occurred on June 29, 2003 in the city of Chicago
, resulting in the deadliest porch collapse
in United States history. An overloaded balcony
collapsed during a party in an apartment building, killing thirteen people and seriously injuring fifty-seven others. The ensuing investigation was highly critical of the way the balcony was built, finding a large number of errors in its construction which ultimately resulted in the collapse. However, the building's owner continues to blame overcrowding on the balcony for its complete structural failure, although he has taken steps to strengthen the balconies at his properties to prevent a recurrence of the disaster. The accident resulted in sweeping inspections of similar structures across Chicago, with 1,260 cases being actioned by the city authorities.
neighborhood of the city's North Side. The second and third floors were being used as a party venue at the time of the collapse. Most of the party-goers were in their early 20s, and knew each other from their days at New Trier High School
and Lake Forest High School
of Chicago's North Shore
suburbs, Winnetka
. One witness says she warned other people in the building that the balconies were unsafe, but another later said of the balcony “It looked like it was newly built. It looked sturdy.”
stairwell. Survivors helped to pull victims out from under the debris of the balconies, and rescue workers had to use chainsaw
s to free others. One of the survivors was a nurse, and had started a rescue effort before the emergency services arrived. The Chicago Fire Department
supplied the main rescue effort. Eleven people were killed in the collapse with two more subsequently dying while hospitalized; fifty-seven people were injured.
said that “It appears to be a case of too many people in a small space.” Norma Reyes, the city’s building commissioner, said “I have no indication of any substandard problems or insufficiencies with the porch at this time. The buildings are not made for large assemblies and parties.”
However, it was ultimately determined that poor construction was to blame. In 1998, a permit was issued to owner LG Properties to install furnaces, air conditioners and water heaters in the building, but not to build the balcony. The balcony jutted out eleven feet from the building, one foot further than permitted by city codes, and had an area of 231 square feet (21.5 m²), 81 square feet (7.5 m²) larger than permitted. The balcony also had inadequate supports, was floored with undersized lengths of wood, and was attached to the walls with screws that were too short.
for the replacement of the balcony. The apartment block was legally uninhabitable until the balconies were replaced, as they provided mandatory emergency exit
s. The city's Buildings Department inspected forty-two other buildings owned or managed by Pappas and/or LG Properties for similar violations. The city also claimed that twenty-one other buildings owned by Pappas had similar problems. They did, however, note the fact that he had since made "dramatic improvements" to all 21 porches.
In the aftermath of the disaster, Chicago inspected a huge number of similar structures to ensure they were safe, with 500 cases being turned over to the city's Law Department for court action, and 760 cases referred to administrative hearing officers.
Pappas continued to blame overcrowding for the disaster. However, an undercover press investigation discovered all his properties now display notices forbidding parties on the balconies. Pappas also claims that a police report says two unnamed witnesses informed a paramedic
that they saw several people "jumping up and down" on the balconies shortly prior to the collapse.
In 2005, the City of Chicago filed a negligence lawsuit against two of the survivors, William Fenton-Hathaway and John Koranda. The city alleged that the balcony collapse occurred after defendants Fenton-Hathaway and Koranda "intentionally and negligently" began jumping up and down on the porch. Koranda's brother, Robert Koranda, was killed in the collapse. The charges against Fenton-Hathaway and Koranda were later dropped.
No criminal charges were filed and Pappas was fined a total of $108,000 as a result of the collapse. Twenty-seven families sued Pappas and the city over the accident. The balcony was rebuilt afterwards, this time with metal.
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, resulting in the deadliest porch collapse
Porch collapse
Porch collapse or balcony collapse is a phenomenon typically associated witholder multi-story apartment buildings that have wooden porch extensions on the front...
in United States history. An overloaded balcony
Balcony
Balcony , a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade.-Types:The traditional Maltese balcony is a wooden closed balcony projecting from a...
collapsed during a party in an apartment building, killing thirteen people and seriously injuring fifty-seven others. The ensuing investigation was highly critical of the way the balcony was built, finding a large number of errors in its construction which ultimately resulted in the collapse. However, the building's owner continues to blame overcrowding on the balcony for its complete structural failure, although he has taken steps to strengthen the balconies at his properties to prevent a recurrence of the disaster. The accident resulted in sweeping inspections of similar structures across Chicago, with 1,260 cases being actioned by the city authorities.
Background
The porch was attached to the rear of an apartment building located in the Lincoln ParkLincoln Park, Chicago
Lincoln Park, is one of the 77 community areas on Chicago, Illinois North Side, USA. Named after Lincoln Park, a vast park bordering Lake Michigan, the community area is anchored by the Lincoln Park Zoo and DePaul University...
neighborhood of the city's North Side. The second and third floors were being used as a party venue at the time of the collapse. Most of the party-goers were in their early 20s, and knew each other from their days at New Trier High School
New Trier High School
New Trier High School is a public four-year high school , with its major campus located in Winnetka, Illinois, USA, and a second campus in Northfield, Illinois, with freshman classes and district administration...
and Lake Forest High School
Lake Forest High School (Illinois)
Lake Forest High School, or LFHS, is a public four-year high school located in Lake Forest, Illinois, a North Shore suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is the only school of Lake Forest Community High School District 115, which serves the communities of Lake Forest, Lake Bluff,...
of Chicago's North Shore
North Shore (Chicago)
The North Shore is a term that refers to the generally affluent suburbs north of Chicago, Illinois bordering the shore of Lake Michigan.- History :Europeans settled the area sparsely after an 1833 treaty with local Native Americans...
suburbs, Winnetka
Winnetka, Illinois
Winnetka is an affluent North Shore village located approximately north of downtown Chicago in Cook County, Illinois. Winnetka was featured on the list of America's 25 top-earning towns and "one of the best places to live" by CNN Money in 2011...
. One witness says she warned other people in the building that the balconies were unsafe, but another later said of the balcony “It looked like it was newly built. It looked sturdy.”
Collapse
About fifty people were on the top wooden balcony at the time of the collapse. According to one witness, the sound of splintering wood was heard immediately before the collapse, which occurred shortly after midnight local time. The collapse started on the third floor, pulling down other balconies below. The first, second, and third floor balconies all collapsed into the basement below, carrying a total of around one hundred people between them. Several people were also trapped in a basementBasement
__FORCETOC__A basement is one or more floors of a building that are either completely or partially below the ground floor. Basements are typically used as a utility space for a building where such items as the furnace, water heater, breaker panel or fuse box, car park, and air-conditioning system...
stairwell. Survivors helped to pull victims out from under the debris of the balconies, and rescue workers had to use chainsaw
Chainsaw
A chainsaw is a portable mechanical saw, powered by electricity, compressed air, hydraulic power, or most commonly a two-stroke engine...
s to free others. One of the survivors was a nurse, and had started a rescue effort before the emergency services arrived. The Chicago Fire Department
Chicago Fire Department
The Chicago Fire Department, also known as the CFD, is the principal fire suppression, prevention, and rescue agency of Chicago, Illinois, under the jurisdiction of the mayor of Chicago. The Chicago Fire Department is the second largest fire department in the United States after the New York City...
supplied the main rescue effort. Eleven people were killed in the collapse with two more subsequently dying while hospitalized; fifty-seven people were injured.
Investigation
Initial inquiries suggested that the collapse was probably due to overcrowding. This was backed up by neighbors, who told authorities that the balconies were only designed to hold between twenty and thirty people. Chicago's fire chiefFire chief
Fire Chief is a top executive rank or commanding officer in a fire department, either elected or appointed...
said that “It appears to be a case of too many people in a small space.” Norma Reyes, the city’s building commissioner, said “I have no indication of any substandard problems or insufficiencies with the porch at this time. The buildings are not made for large assemblies and parties.”
However, it was ultimately determined that poor construction was to blame. In 1998, a permit was issued to owner LG Properties to install furnaces, air conditioners and water heaters in the building, but not to build the balcony. The balcony jutted out eleven feet from the building, one foot further than permitted by city codes, and had an area of 231 square feet (21.5 m²), 81 square feet (7.5 m²) larger than permitted. The balcony also had inadequate supports, was floored with undersized lengths of wood, and was attached to the walls with screws that were too short.
Aftermath
Three days after the disaster, the city sued the owners and managers of the building in the Housing Court due to a number of breaches in building regulations. Those named in the complaint included LG Properties, the company's president Philip Pappas, and George Koutroumos, the contractor who built the balcony. The city was reportedly seeking $500 per violation for each day the structure was in existence, totalling hundreds of thousands of dollars, and a court orderCourt order
A court order is an official proclamation by a judge that defines the legal relationships between the parties to a hearing, a trial, an appeal or other court proceedings. Such ruling requires or authorizes the carrying out of certain steps by one or more parties to a case...
for the replacement of the balcony. The apartment block was legally uninhabitable until the balconies were replaced, as they provided mandatory emergency exit
Emergency exit
An emergency exit in a structure is a special exit for emergencies such as a fire: the combined use of regular and special exits allows for faster evacuation, while it also provides an alternative if the route to the regular exit is blocked by fire, etc....
s. The city's Buildings Department inspected forty-two other buildings owned or managed by Pappas and/or LG Properties for similar violations. The city also claimed that twenty-one other buildings owned by Pappas had similar problems. They did, however, note the fact that he had since made "dramatic improvements" to all 21 porches.
In the aftermath of the disaster, Chicago inspected a huge number of similar structures to ensure they were safe, with 500 cases being turned over to the city's Law Department for court action, and 760 cases referred to administrative hearing officers.
Pappas continued to blame overcrowding for the disaster. However, an undercover press investigation discovered all his properties now display notices forbidding parties on the balconies. Pappas also claims that a police report says two unnamed witnesses informed a paramedic
Paramedic
A paramedic is a healthcare professional that works in emergency medical situations. Paramedics provide advanced levels of care for medical emergencies and trauma. The majority of paramedics are based in the field in ambulances, emergency response vehicles, or in specialist mobile units such as...
that they saw several people "jumping up and down" on the balconies shortly prior to the collapse.
In 2005, the City of Chicago filed a negligence lawsuit against two of the survivors, William Fenton-Hathaway and John Koranda. The city alleged that the balcony collapse occurred after defendants Fenton-Hathaway and Koranda "intentionally and negligently" began jumping up and down on the porch. Koranda's brother, Robert Koranda, was killed in the collapse. The charges against Fenton-Hathaway and Koranda were later dropped.
No criminal charges were filed and Pappas was fined a total of $108,000 as a result of the collapse. Twenty-seven families sued Pappas and the city over the accident. The balcony was rebuilt afterwards, this time with metal.