254 N California Ave 1
Nothing on record for this building in the last seven years. Our model still sees a moderate chance of maintenance problems in the next 12 months, from the owner's wider portfolio and the surrounding area rather than from anything recorded here. No public enforcement record to go on. Walk the building, ask the current tenants how repairs get handled, and get any promises in writing.
This building has 0 building violations (7y), at or below the Garfield Park average of 1.9.
The bar and the rating point different ways because they measure different things: the bar counts building violations already on file, the rating forecasts the next 12 months.
What's in the 254 N California Ave 1 report
| Units | 2 |
|---|---|
| Year built | 1888 |
| Stories | — |
| Building area | 2,332 sq ft |
| Property class | 211 |
| PIN (Cook County parcel) | 16123110280000 |
Registered owner per Cook County Assessor records.
Landlord portfolio
Other Chicago properties this owner holds, with a risk rating for each.
Unlock complete reportThe two-unit residential building at 254 N California Ave 1 in Garfield Park, owned by Bernard Thomas, has a documented history dating back to its 1888 construction. The property has experienced several notable issues in recent years, particularly in 2025, when four building violations were recorded between June and July, followed by a plumbing violation in October. In 2024, there was one vacant/abandoned building complaint in June and a clean vacant lot request in November. The frequency and recent nature of the building violations, with multiple occurrences in 2025, suggest ongoing maintenance and compliance challenges. While these violations have all been closed, their cumulative presence indicates a pattern of building issues that have required repeated attention. The building's permit activity is minimal, with only one building permit recorded in the past seven years, which could suggest limited recent improvements or modifications to the property.
AI-generated · may contain errors · check the source data tables below
How 254 N California Ave 1's risk score is calculated
We trained a model on 7 years of Chicago code enforcement data — building violations, 311 complaint history, environmental enforcement, and owner track records. It estimates the probability that the City of Chicago will find a code violation at this address in the next 12 months. Lower % = safer.
What the score means for you
Lower risk — safer than most nearby
City inspectors rarely find violations here. Strong maintenance history and a clean complaint record.
Typical — about average for the neighborhood
Some past violations or complaints on record. Worth asking the landlord about any open issues before signing.
Higher risk — riskier than most nearby
Elevated violation and complaint history. City inspectors have found issues here before and are statistically likely to again.
Out of 3998 buildings in this neighborhood, 3078 are predicted to be safer. The band is relative to this neighborhood, so a share of every neighborhood falls in each colour.
violation
likely
What's driving this score
The data points that most influenced this building's risk rating — ranked by the weight the model placed on each one.
254 N California Ave 1 apartment reviews
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254 N California Ave 1 event timeline
Building violations, environmental complaints and enforcement, permits, scofflaw listings, and 311 calls — most recent records in order.
See all 5 events
Full history back to 2025 — violations, complaints, permits, and 311 calls.
Unlock complete timelineFull data for 254 N California Ave 1 apartments
Chicago public datasets for this parcel — building violations, permits, 311 calls, environmental complaints and enforcement, scofflaw listings, and vacant building registrations.
What this is
Violations issued by the City of Chicago Department of Buildings against this parcel.
| Violation # | Date | Category | Status | Address |
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What this is
Violations issued for failure to register or maintain a vacant or abandoned building.
| Docket # | Violation # | Issued | Department | Type | Disposition | Total Fines |
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What this is
Building permits issued by the City of Chicago for new construction, alterations, and repairs at this parcel.
| Permit # | Issued | Status | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
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What this is
Chicago 311 service requests recorded at this parcel — maintenance complaints and quality-of-life requests.
| SR # | Created | Type | Department | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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What this is
Environmental complaints filed about this property with the City of Chicago.
| Complaint # | Date | Type | Inspector | Resolution | Resolved |
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What this is
Formal environmental enforcement cases brought against this property.
| Case # | Date | Type | Violation | Disposition | Status | Fine |
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Unlock complete reportHow 254 N California Ave 1 compares to the neighborhood
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Cancel anytime · Data sourced from the City of Chicago Department of Buildings, Chicago 311, Cook County Assessor & the Chicago Data Portal