Illegal rooftop pigeonry exists for 12 years

A huge pigeonry with nine smaller pigeonholes sits on top of a residential building. (Lai Xinlin)

An illegally built two-story wooden pigeonry atop a residential building in Baoshan District has dodged demolition for 12 years, and it is still not known when it would be dismantled.

The rooftop pigeonry, with nine smaller protruding pigeonholes, was built on top of the 10-story building in 2001. Every pigeonhole is fitted with aluminum alloy windows.

"It's hard to believe that the owner could build such a large-scale illegal pigeonry on the rooftop and get away with it," said a neighborhood resident surnamed Li.