So, a developer wants to create new housing in San Francisco; by the Bay, in the Financial District, 71 stories tall, or 20+ stories above the Bank of America bldg. It will be similar in height to the nearby existing Salesforce tower. It will be designed for market rate apartments, bypassing some "old" conditions now thought to hinder residential building. Hmmm. Yes, the state legislature finally realized that there's not enough places to live in California, much less in San Francisco.
Bayhill Ventures(cute name for a builder-makes you wonder if they're serious) announced their plans to build this "skyscraper", that old, old, descriptive term used by old people. Those who might live on the 71st floor will probably want parachutes as part of the appliance mix. It would add 1250 units to the City, hardly enough to change the needs of the town. However, the Census Bureau announced that the City lost population in the last couple of years: from about 854,000 to 717,000, or quite a number drop. Thus rents have stabilized somewhat. The rush out has continued, and is nowhere more apparent than the Financial Dist. where office space vacancy are north of 25%. Those former commuters are loving their conditions working from home. Who wants to take a gamble on B.A.R.T. where the "fare jumpers" slide in among the techies and often cause deep anxieties among routine passengers. The BART police dept. is understaffed and over stretched, usually sending officers out on calls by themselves. When a potential arrest is anticipated, the officer involved will call for a backup and can wait a long time before help arrives depending on locations of both parties. Not a good system at all.
So, 71 stories, and right nearby a 'leaning tower' is being remedied due to foundation problems. And there could be a big quake anytime. Bayhill Ventures doesn't really care, it's an engineering problem they can fix. Maybe.
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