Burst pipe floods historic building downtown

By Jermont Terry

December 26, 2022 / 6:18 PM / CBS Chicago

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A pipe burst at a historic Loop building Monday afternoon, releasing a wave of water.

The Fire Department was on the scene at the Delaware Building at the northeast corner of Dearborn and Randolph streets.

As CBS 2's Jermont Terry reported, bursting pipes have been a problem around the city as a consequence of the frigid and sometimes subzero temperatures of the past several days.

Video showed water cascading down the walls like a waterfall. Water came down from the fourth floor all the way to the first.

The Italianate building was completed in 1874 – three years after the Great Chicago Fire. It is composed of a cast-iron base topped with a precast concrete façade.

Two floors and a steel-framed inner atrium were added in 1889, according to the City of Chicago.

The building used to house a two-story McDonald's on the ground floor, but the space is now vacant. Paul Young Fine Jewelers is also located on the ground floor, while the upper floors house offices – including Guaranty National Title.

Jermont Terry joined the CBS 2 team in October 2019. He's born and raised on Chicago's South Side. He's happy to return home to report on his community after 18 years of uncovering stories across the country.

First published on December 26, 2022 / 3:47 PM

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