Building put up without a permit in Itaim Bibi stood stalled for three years until it was regularized

A high-end residential building in Itaim Bibi, in São Paulo's West Zone, sat idle for about three years because it was built without a license from City Hall. In June 2023, the city's Attorney General's Office (Procuradoria-Geral do Município) filed a public civil action (ação civil pública) seeking demolition of the 20-story building.

What City Hall pointed out

According to City Hall, the builder erected the building without the Construction Permit (Alvará de Execução), did not present the quantity of Additional Construction Potential Certificates (Cepacs) required in the Faria Lima Urban Operation, and built above the zone's basic floor-area ratio. The action also sought compensation for collective moral damage, to be paid to the Urban Development Fund (Fundurb). The Public Prosecutor's Office also asked the courts for demolition.

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Demolition denied, sales suspended

In August 2023, the 10th Public Treasury Court denied demolition in a preliminary decision, considering the measure impossible to reverse. The judge granted City Hall's other requests: suspending sales, advertising and apartment reservations and keeping the building vacant, with a fine of R$ 50,000 per day for noncompliance.

Regularization

The situation only changed in July 2026. After obtaining from City Hall the Approval Permit and the renovation Construction Permit, the builder was authorized by the court to resume work. Sales remained prohibited until the renovations were completed and the Certificate of Completion was issued.

On July 31, according to the press, the São Paulo State Court of Justice lifted the sales restriction, considering it disproportionate to wait for the final certificate on a practically finished building. The release came after the builder proved payment owed to the city for the missing Cepacs.