‘Unfinished and unsafe’: Dilapidated house in Des Plaines to be razed

A dilapidated, abandoned house in central Des Plaines soon will be razed at the city’s expense, at least temporarily.

The Des Plaines City Council on Monday approved a contract with Albrecht Enterprises to demolish the privately owned house at 996 Graceland Ave. The job will cost $19,250; a lien will be placed on the property to reimburse the city if there’s a sale.

The house, which is in the city’s 3rd Ward, had been owned by a Wyoming limited liability company called 996 Homes, city spokesperson Brad Goodman said. However, the corporation’s status was revoked in 2023, Illinois records indicate.

The house reportedly was left uninhabitable by a 2018 fire.

A permit to add a second story to the structure was issued in 2021, according to a memo from Chief Building Official Allen Yanong. Work began but stopped; there’s been no activity there in more than three years, he wrote.

“The structure remains in an unfinished and unsafe condition,” Yanong said.

Despite attempts, city officials haven’t spoken with the company’s listed agent since 2024, Goodman said.

A Cook County judge in June granted the city permission to demolish the building. In addition to knocking down the house and removing the resulting debris, a team from Albrecht will restore the landscaping with soil and grass seed.

Demolition will occur this year after environmental remediation is completed.

The property will remain privately owned.

The council awarded the contract to Albrecht without public discussion or objection as part of the consent agenda for Monday’s meeting. That section is reserved for items considered routine.

The Des Plaines-based company was among six outfits that bid for the job; Albrecht’s offer was the least expensive, documents indicate.

rlissau@dailyherald.com