queues of inhabitants during the "rush hour". At that time the building had already been nicknamed "Balança, mas não Cai" (It Shakes But it Doesn't Fall) and "Treme-Treme". To get access to the building, one must either be allowed in by someone who lives there or hold credibility among other inhabitants. Another option is to use police force. Robbery among the local population was common. Pieces of clothing left hanging to dry were the most stolen objects. Jânio Quadros, at that time mayor of São Paulo, was the first to order the implosion of the building, although it was not done. Violence inside São Vito slowly expelled people from it. In 2002, there were 150 abandoned apartments. At that time, there were plans to change the building's name to Bulevar Palace. Also, 65% of the apartments were in debt in 2002. More people started not to pay the bills when Marta Suplicy announced the implosion of the building in 2003, again with no practical results. Expropriation and demolition The city hall expropriated the building in 2004, and until 25 June of that year, people started leaving the building, the last 140 families leaving it on the last day. To each expelled family, the government offered a monthly support of R$300 (some US$150) for 36 months. Originally, the building was supposed to be renovated, a project that would cost 6,2 million dollars, in 2002, so that the apartments could be re-sold to former owners mainly. A study of viability, requested in 2005 by Suplicy's successor, José Serra, concluded that every apartment would cost more than the highest costs of the Caixa Econômica Federal's program of public housing. Caixa's program also required the surrounding areas to be "recovered and attractive". There were also projects to turn the building into an hotel, a library or a concentration of municipal secretaries, but all of them were declined. Imploding the building was again the best option, then. It will be done manually, though, not to affect the municipal market of São Paulo, located a few meters west. Mercúrio building, built near São Vito, was only totally emptied in 2009 and is to be imploded too. Apart from both buildings, other structures started to be brought down in June 2010. The demolition, however, has not been done since 2006, the deadline proposed by the city hall. The demolition is questioned in the justice by 59 owners.