SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — It has become known as San Francisco’s sinking tower, and attorneys representing those who live in the Millennium Tower are seeking more than $200 million from those they say are responsible for the building sinking and tilting.
The tower is sinking 16 inches and tilting 12 inches at the penthouse level, attorneys said.
Members of the Millennium Tower Homeowners Association joined their attorneys Wednesday to announce they have filed a lawsuit over the sinking and tilting of their 58-story building.
“Our goal is to recover all the funds that are necessary to fix this building and fix it once and for all and we’re not interested in a temporary fix. We want a permanent fix,” Homeowners Association Attorney Daniel Petrocelli said.
The lawsuit seeks more than $200 million and targets Millennium Tower developers, contractors, engineers, and architects, as well as the public agency that’s building the adjacent Transbay Transit Center.
Attorneys say problems with the Millennium Tower were known years before they were shared with homeowners.
“That will be an area thought for sure that we will be pursuing, who knew what, and when, and why didn’t they tell the homeowners,” Petrocelli said.
As for those 1,200 residents that live in the building, the association president says safety concerns run the gamut from those very concerned to not concerned at all.
The focus is more about fixing the building so homeowners can recover their value of their investment.
“People have bought into this building, it’s a fantastic building,” homeowners association president Steven Mayer said. “…They feel something has been taken away from them. We want them to have the value back that they justly deserve, so they can live the lives that they want to.”
Millennium Partners spokesperson PJ Johnston has issued the following statement on the lawsuit:
We have been working cooperatively with the homeowners association at 301 Mission Street for the past six months to assess the cause and extent of the settlement of the building. We now know that TJPA’s reckless behavior caused excessive settlement at 301 Mission. Our top priority has always been to achieve a scientifically sound and reliable remedy.
We are disappointed and puzzled that the HOA board now is shifting gears to a disruptive strategy that leaves us no choice but to defend ourselves against false claims. The factual allegations in the Complaint are false, and we look forward to refuting them.
This lawsuit is distracting the HOA board from pursuing the fundamental goal we must share: determining the best possible remedy for the building and implementing it. That should be our focus. It is certainly what the residents are asking for.