NCO Edits – Sidewalk tape

Interviews with Chicago residents about the problems caused by vaulted sidewalks and buildings which have fallen into disrepair, which the city government have failed to repair and maintain.

0:03Copy video clip URL Title screen. “Vaulted Sidewalk Damage: A Community Dilemma.”

0:13Copy video clip URL A local woman discusses the problems caused by vaulted sidewalks which have fallen into disrepair in her Chicago neighborhood. These vaulted sidewalks were created when the city of Chicago raised the street level. To do this, they built a new sidewalk that is held up several feet above the ground on beams, meaning that any holes that develop in the sidewalk are quite deep. The woman describes several injuries which have been caused by the holes and gaps in these sidewalks where the structures have been worn down over time. She believes the city needs to repair these sidewalks for the sake of public safety, but the residents had not successfully convinced the city to set aside funds for the repairs.

3:59Copy video clip URL The interviewer speaks to another long-time resident of the Noble Square neighborhood who complains that all the money she has invested in her property is cancelled out by the present state of the sidewalks nearby.

5:02Copy video clip URL A woman named Ann Burke from the 1300 block of N. Greenview in Wicker Park speaks about her broken leg that was caused by a sidewalk that was not repaired properly. She intends to sue the city of Chicago for damages and compensation for being put out of work by her injury.

9:02Copy video clip URL “Abandoned Building, 1532 N Bosworth.” A Wicker Park resident speaks about this abandoned building, which residents had been asking to have removed because it is a fire hazard and has become a dumping ground for garbage. However, at the time of taping, the city had not answered the complaints about the building.

12:31Copy video clip URL End of tape.