A firestorm of litigation is brewing in San Francisco over a $350 million residential high rise building, called the Millennium Tower, which has sunk 16 inches and tilted 2 inches since it opened up in 2008. Last month, developers and nearby resident Transbay Joint Powers Authority (TJPA) took turns blaming each other for the issue and it appears that the fight has just begun. For some more background information on the building, you can check out our past article by clicking here.
San Francisco Business Times recently spoke with a representative of Millennium Partner, the developer of the Millennium Tower. Despite the TJPA’s claim that the foundation should have been driven down to bedrock, as the soils below the building are actually a bed of sand called the Colma Formation, the developer claims no fault in any issues surrounding their construction methods and procedures. The representative cited that many nearby buildings, like the Embarcadero Center and the SFMOMA, were also built in the same Colma Formation and the foundations were very similar. The representative also pointed out to the Business Times that both the City and County of San Fransisco approved the drawings as they were built and that the company received all appropriate permits. Just my personal opinion, but I highly doubt that the City or County would ever be held responsible for approving drawings with a design that didn’t work.
Since the report broke that the building has sunk and tilted, there have been reports that no more condos in the luxury high rise have been sold. It’s clear that there’s a lot at stake in this foundation failure, but, unfortunately for all involved, no resolution is near.
Full story: Millennium Tower just one of 'dozens' of SF highrises built on sand, spokesman says | San Francisco Business Time
