The last time we visited the tale of the one-percenter’s sinking penthouse, the in-aptly named Millennium Tower had “unexpectedly” sunk 8.3 inches into the San Francisco landfill on which the 58-story apartment building was constructed. That was in 2016 and complete details may be found here.
Now we learn the building has continued its slow merger with the landfill and is now, according to a recent Associated Press report, 18 inches lower than when it opened in 2009. And when we say sink, we don’t mean a measured, uniform withdrawal like an iceberg disappearing into Al Gore’s boiling seas.
The Millennium Tower is more like Al’s drowning polar bear. It’s sinking unevenly, with some portions resisting more than others. This stands to reason since no one knows — not a comforting thought for residents — how deep the piles that sorta support the building were driven into the crushed Big Mac boxes and discarded detritus of life on which the building was built.
Estimates are the piles are between 60 and 90 feet deep, which isn’t even close enough for government work since bedrock is 240 feet below the surface. Hence the sinking.
At the time of our last column residents on the top floor had a lean of 6 inches, but that was before the latest sinking calculation. Back then residents couldn’t be certain of making an accurate ice cube, now there may be a problem keeping water in the tub.
What caused the latest outbreak of negative publicity was the sudden cracking of a window on the 36th floor. The same Department of Building Inspection that signed off on the tower design and construction, now assures one and all the broken window “does not present an imminent danger.”
Just to make sure the department has ordered the building’s owners to “install a canopy around the perimeter of the 58-story building.” Presumably strong enough to stop hurtling panes of broken glass speeding toward the sidewalk.
Another portion of the order highlights the attention to detail and emphasis on quality that has characterized the building’s management from the very beginning. They are ordered to “repair a broken crane to allow engineers to inspect the cracked glass from outside.”
Good luck with that. Based on the story the broken window looked perfectly fine until it wasn’t.
This latest event will no doubt be included in the ongoing lawsuits of building residents against the developer. Let’s hope there’s some sort of outcome before the tower disappears altogether.
Michael Reagan, the eldest son of President Reagan, is a Newsmax TV analyst. A syndicated columnist and author, he chairs The Reagan Legacy Foundation. Michael is an in-demand speaker with Premiere speaker’s bureau. Read more reports from Michael Reagan — Go Here Now.
Michael R. Shannon is a commentator, researcher for the League of American Voters, and an award-winning political and advertising consultant with nationwide and international experience. He is author of "Conservative Christian’s Guidebook for Living in Secular Times (Now with added humor!)." Read more of Michael Shannon's reports — Go Here Now.