Millennium Tower: San Francisco city attorney suing developers
SAN FRANCISCO (KTVU) -- The San Francisco city attorney announced Thursday that the city will pursue legal action against the developers of the high-rise Millennium Tower, which is sinking and tilting.
City Attorney Dennis Herrera announced the decision Thursday morning during a press conference, the latest development for the upscale high-rise condo located in the city's south of Market Street district. Herrera accused the developer of failing to disclose information about the settlement issues despite knowing about the issue about a year before the luxury units hit the market.
The city's attorney's suit alleges that Millennium Partners were aware in February 2008 that the 58-story building had sunk nearly 6 inches, which exceeded projections.
Developers of the tower have previously blamed the tower's shifting and sinking on construction of the nearby Transbay Joint Powers Authority, which is developing a transit hub next to the condo tower.
The tower's developers insist that even though the 58-story luxury tower has sunk more than 16 inches since construction, it is 100 percent safe and city approved.
Millennium officials say when the TJPA broke ground on the Transit Center next door, it compromised the foundation of the tower.
Officials have said that Millennium, as well as the nearby Marriott Marquis are not anchored in bedrock 200 feet down, but rather 80 feet down into dense sand. Critics say it's an unstable, cost-cutting way to build.
Developers have said the "de-watering" process used for the transit authority has made the ground less stable. De-watering is a process used for buildings erected in areas where the Tower and Transbay Terminal are located. That's because they are built on landfill and bay mud. They likened it to draining water out of coffee grounds to get a more stable consistency.
The city attorney said the Millennium developers were legally obligated to inform potential buyers about the building sinking. By not doing so, the city attorney alleges that buyers did not have adequate information as they considered investing in the tower and its units.
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