By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities
Millennium Tower Association and Mission Street Development have reportedly agreed to a plan to correct a noticeable lean on San Francisco’s now-infamous condominium building.
The $100 million, 18-month long construction plan would drive 52 concrete piles 250 into the ground to bedrock. Dubbed the ‘Perimeter Pile Upgrade,’ all of the foundation reinforcement work would take place outside the building, allowing residents to stay during the entire process. A concrete mat extension would tie structural piles to the Tower’s foundation.
Both the City and County of San Francisco must approve the plans before work can begin.
Sources:
Residents of SF’s ‘leaning tower’ pitch $100M fix to city officials
https://www.upi.com/Residents-of-SFs-leaning-tower-pitch-100M-fix-to-city-officials/5341543971731/
Homeowners Launch Millennium Tower Fix
Published: Dec 4, 2018 8:00 a.m. ET
https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/homeowners-launch-millennium-tower-fix-2018-12-04
San Francisco’s Millennium Tower has gained notoriety for sinking 18-inches into the soil beneath the mammoth structure, causing the building to tilt to one side.
For several years, condo owners and the homeowners association have been engaged in legal battles with the developer. Both sides conducted various invasive tests of the site and the building, and the City’s Department of Building Inspection (DBI) was supposed to be kept in the loop by Millennium’s management team.
But after a window cracked on the 36th floor of the tower over Labor Day weekend, DBI found out about the problem from local media reports (see video about the drone accident, below), not from the HOA or its manager.
Earlier this year, that communication breakdown prompted DBI to threaten to “yellow-tag” the building if certain safety measures and inspections were not completed by Friday, September 14. DBI later backed off of its threat, allowing Millennium Tower’s management team a bit more time to arrange for DBI inspections of some 400 units in the building, as well as repair of its window washing crane.
NBC Bay Area reported earlier this year that a solution was in the works. At the time, the condo association and developer estimated the cost of the fix to be $80 million.
Related: Condo owners mulling cheaper solution to stop Millennium Tower from sinking and tilting