Courtesy: Vanguard Properties
Millennium Tower, a 58-story skyscraper in San Francisco designed by Handel Architects, has been the talk of the town for quite some time now due to its precarious tilt and sink. Residents of the luxury condominium tower, which was once known for its multi-million dollar views, have written off their units as having zero value. Since its completion in 2009, the tower has unleashed a series of problems for the residents and building owners alike. All of which has now turned into an ugly and litigious blame game between homeowners, developers, the city of San Francisco, and the developers of the neighboring construction project.
Outlined below are ten interesting facts about the sinking Millennium Tower which has been caught up in a controversy that shows no sign of ending anytime soon.
1) The city’s fourth tallest skyscraper has over 400 multi-million dollars condo units.
In less than five weeks of sales, the luxurious tower sold $100 million worth of condos, with the units ranging in price between $1.6 million and $10 million. It provides the inhabitants with high-end amenities like a pool, fitness center, wine cellar, and tasting room, movie theatre, and concierge services. The tower has prominent figures as tenants, like the San Francisco 49ers quarterback Joe Montana and late venture capitalist Tom Perkins. When it was first constructed, the project was visualized as a symbol of the revitalization of San Francisco’s South of Market district.
2) Millennium Tower has sunk an additional inch and tilted another two and a half inch towards the Transbay Transit Center under construction across the street.
Since its completion in 2009, the tower has sunk 17 inches and titled 14 inches to the northwest. According to reports and satellite images, the tower will continue to sink at a rate of two inches per year which is double of what the engineers estimated earlier.
3) The sink and tilt of the Millennium tower have triggered numerous other problems.
The tower’s unsteady footing has triggered a host of other issues, including cracks in the basement, declining home value, accusations of fraud, and numerous legal battles. Residents have also complained of bad odor in their units, floors bubbling up from moisture, cracked walls, and a giant fissure in the window on the 36th floor. Structural and geotechnical engineers are making daily routine checks of the building’s basement to monitor the growth of cracks on the stress gauges.
4) A huge crack was detected on the window of one of the units on the 36th floor, creating apprehension amongst the residents.
Recently an apartment owner detected a large crack on one of the windows on the 36th floor, along with complaints about creaking noises from other residents. A month-long investigation was set off during which the San Francisco Department of building inspection threatened to ‘yellow tag’ the building, marking it as potentially dangerous to the residents. During the same time, a drone investigating the building hit another building nearby before crashing to the ground. No conclusion was arrived at as to what caused the crack, but it was due to an ‘exterior impact’ and not because of the tilt or sink. Consequently, engineers were asked to conduct a survey of the tower’s windows, estimate potential damage to the façade, and install an overhead safety barrier to prevent debris from falling on the sidewalk.
5) The critics blame the city for allowing Millennium partners to anchor the building into packed sand rather than bedrock.
The problem with Millennium tower arose because the 60 to 90-foot-long friction piles supporting it were driven into sandy soil rather than the bedrock, 200 feet down. The tower sits on a land that is prone to liquefaction, and, often, the solution for high-rises built on liquefaction zones is to drill and anchor down to bedrock. Also, during a seismic activity, the loose sand and silt may give away under large and heavy structures.
6) A feud has started between the tower’s developers, Millennium Partners, and the neighboring building’s developers, Transbay Joint Powers Authority.
A blame game has kicked off where developers of the neighboring Transbay Transit Center—Transbay Joint Powers Authority, claimed Millennium Tower to have ‘inadequate foundation’, whereas the Transbay Joint Powers Authority themselves were accused of dewatering of the ground during the construction process of their building. Dewatering is the process of removing ground or surface water to provide a safe working environment and avoid soil erosion. Chris Jeffries, a founding partner at Millennium Partners says, “When the water levels under the Millennium Tower dropped, the sand compressed and caused the building to settle”. However, the Transbay Joint Powers Authority asserted that they are not at fault for the building’s sink and tilt.
7) A Total of $200 to $500 million has been proposed for the renovation of the tilting and sinking tower.
A plan for retrofitting the sinking and leaning tower has been proposed, with an estimated cost that ranges between $200 million and $500 million. The fix involves anchoring one side of the building to bedrock with piles while allowing the other side to continue sinking until it evens out, before driving the remaining piles necessary to secure the building. Reports revealed that the new proposal may stop the tower from sinking further but would not correct its tilt.
8) The Millennium homeowners association says that they are ‘stuck with nearly worthless condos’.
Residents of the Millennium Tower are fleeing the building and seeking to recover the value of their condos, which have depreciated significantly. Those attempting to sell are forced to slash their listing prices or pull their units off the market.
9) The dispute has cost San Francisco a whopping sum of $15.7 million dollars.
The legal dispute has cost San Francisco $15.7 million dollars as attorney fees—a sum that could end up being paid by the taxpayers. A total of nine lawsuits have already been filed, involving 146 attorneys.
10) The tale of the Millennium Tower continues as they await a trial next year.
The Millennium Tower tale continues, as developers await a trial in June 2019. Approximately 30 – 40 law firms are involved in the tower’s legal dispute, although the main case involves only the Millennium Partners, Transbay Authority, homeowners association, and individual tenants.