When I heard about the collapse of a building on the Near North Side, I went and checked old posts to see if I could figure out which building the news was talking about. The street in question, the 2700 block of James ‘Cool Papa’ Bell Avenue, has deteriorated so badly since I first took the photograph below for a post in February of 2012 that is seriously took me a long time to figure out that it was the same row of buildings as you see above.

What is left of the house that just collapsed was once the green house above, and what is left is below. What a mess.

I wonder about the future of the Second Empire house in the photo below; there is a lot of weight of the wall from the collapsed house leaning against it now.

See that wall standing to the right below? That was this house, which I photographed in September of 2012 (first photo); I guess it is not too surprising it has collapsed in a pile of rubble at some time in the last decade.

To say that its status is precarious is an undestatement.

It is probably only still standing due to the presence of the two story house to the east.