Section 17-160. Proceedings for condemnation

Whenever any building or part
  thereof in the city, in the opinion of the department, by reason of:
    1. Age, or
    2. Defects in drainage, plumbing or ventilation, or
    3. Infection with communicable disease, or
    4. The existence of a nuisance on the premises,  which  is  likely  to
  cause  sickness  among  its  occupants,  or among the occupants of other
  property in such city, or
    5. Its stopping ventilation in other buildings, or otherwise making or
  conducing to make them unfit  for  human  habitation,  or  dangerous  or
  injurious to health, or
    6.  Its  preventing proper measures from being taken for remedying any
  nuisance injurious to health, or
    7. Other sanitary evils in respect of  such  other  buildings,  is  so
  unfit  for  human  habitation  that  the  evils  in,  or  caused by such
  building, can not be remedied by repairs  or  otherwise  except  by  the
  destruction of such building or a portion thereof, the department having
  first made an order to vacate such building, if it deem such course just
  and  proper,  may  condemn the same and order it removed. The department
  may institute proceedings in the supreme  court  in  the  city  for  the
  condemnation  of  such  building,  provided,  however, that the owner or
  owners of such building may demand that it be  surveyed  in  the  manner
  provided for in case of unsafe buildings.