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The City Council on Wednesday "ordered" the Chicago Public Schools to postpone demolition of the Whittier School field house and restore heat cut off to freeze out protesting Pilsen parents.

Calling the structure "unsafe," CPS wants to demolish the field house at 1900 W. 23rd Street to make way for "green space" for kids."

Pilsen parents want the building converted into a library and parent center. Since Sept. 15, they have been conducting a "rotational sit-in" at the field house to press their demand.

On Monday, tensions between the two sides escalated to a new level. At the request of CPS, Peoples Gas cut off the gas in preparation for the building's demolition.

The decision to leave the field house without heat or hot water as night temperatures fell into the 40's crossed the line drawn by two powerful aldermen: Finance Committee Chairman Edward M. Burke (14th) and Zoning Committee Chairman Danny Solis (25th), whose ward includes Whittier.

They co-sponsored the City Council order - unanimously approved Wednesday - mandating that the gas be restored immediately and that demolition be halted until the Chicago Educational Facilities Task Force "releases recommendations on how facilities should be repaired or built."

"This is a matter of health and welfare. ... They're bringing electric heaters into the building so these moms and kids who are sleeping there can have some heat overnight," Burke said.

Calling the shut-off "cruel and short-sighted," Burke said, "I don't know what genius at the Board of Education made this decision. But, whoever it is ought to see what it's like to live overnight in a 35-degree dwelling place. They ought to turn the gas back on and we ought to direct them to do so."

Solis has recommended that demolition of the field house be halted until there's a "third structural engineering assessment" of the building. But, that can't happen until parents end their sit-in.

"In the meantime, the Board of Education cannot make a very dumb mistake ... of turning off the gas because the issue of safety comes up again," Solis said.