If in the District of Columbia any building or part of a building, staging, or other structure, or anything attached to or connected with any building or other structure or excavation, shall, from any cause, be reported unsafe, the Mayor shall examine such structure or excavation, and if, in his opinion, the same be unsafe, he shall immediately notify the owner, agent, or other persons having an interest in said structure or excavation, to cause the same to be made safe and secure, or that the same be removed, as may be necessary. The person or persons so notified shall be allowed until 12:00 noon of the day following the service of such notice in which to commence the securing or removal of the same; and he or they shall employ sufficient labor to remove or secure the said building or excavation as expeditiously as can be done; provided, however, that in a case where the public safety requires immediate action the Mayor may enter upon the premises, with such workmen and assistants as may be necessary, and cause the said unsafe structure or excavation to be shored up, taken down, or otherwise secured without delay, and a proper fence or boarding to be put up for the protection of passersby. If the unsafe building or structure is an historic landmark or is located in an historic district, as defined in § 6-1102(5) , the Mayor shall not order or cause the building or structure, or portion thereof, to be removed or taken down unless the Mayor determines, in consultation with the State Historic Preservation Officer, as defined in § 6-1102(12) , that: There is an extreme and immediate threat to public safety resulting from unsafe structural conditions; and The unsafe condition cannot be abated by shoring, stabilizing, or securing the building or structure. If the building or structure is an historic landmark or is located within an historic district, as defined in § 6-1102 , the Mayor shall not order the removal of the structure unless the Mayor determines that there is an extreme and immediate threat to the safety and welfare of the general public resulting from unsafe structural conditions. If the Mayor makes such determination, the Mayor shall require the owner to make the building safe and secure in accordance with the provisions of subsection (a) of this section. The term “Mayor” means the Mayor of the District of Columbia or the agent or agents designated by him to perform any function vested in said Mayor by this chapter.
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