Responding to a complaint about the illegal addition of a residential unit above the Central City Glass shop at 759 Harrison Street back in 2003, a city inspector met with the owner of the four-story building who stated that the unit had “been in place for 20-25 years” despite appearing to have been recently installed.

Numerous complaints about unsafe living conditions in the building, which isn’t permitted for residential use, were subsequently filed with the city, including complaints about unsafe stairs leading up to the residential unit (which were inspected in 2005 and found to be substandard but built prior to existing code); faulty wiring (which appears to have led to a fire in the unit’s bedroom back in 2007); and plumbing leaks from the illegal bathrooms and an un-vented water heater (which the “Landlord [had] done nothing to correct” at the time of inspection but continued to collect rent).

But with big plans for the Central SoMa block in the works, and fingers pointing with respect to liability for the Ghost Ship fire, an anonymous complaint was recently filed with the city, reporting an “illegal residential use” of the building, with the tenants occupying the property “against code and [the terms of their] lease.”

And a notice of violation has been issued.

12 thoughts on “Playing the Illegal Housing Card for a Holdout in Central SoMa”
        1. That’s what I meant. This is the holdout building in the middle of the office development?

  1. I heard rumors that pretty much this whole block has been largely bought out by Uber. They’ve been working on getting the homeless out by keeping bright lights on overnight in the alley along I-80.

    1. Bright lights make it a little more difficult to sleep comfortably. Then again, laying on the concrete with a blanket will do it, too.

    2. While I have no idea if Uber has done anything with this block. I am always surprised how clean it is underneath 80 on 4th St. I regularly see security guards and any trash is cleaned up very quickly. Night and day compared to one block over on 5th St.

      1. Golden Gate Transit has a bus depot underneath 80 between 4th and 3rd. That’s why there is the “GGT only” wide left turn lane on 4th St onto Perry.

  2. I wonder if that billboard on the roof has something to do with that one building staying in place.

  3. My post-punk keyboard band is called Self-Reported Anonymous Complaint. Also my daily existential crisis. This comment will be moderated, probably.

  4. So is the point of this item to the effect that tightening the screws on this property will make it more likely that Boston Properties can wrest control and incorporate it into revised plans for its proposed building?

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