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SF steps up inspections of high-rises after falling windows

Another modern San Francisco high-rise building under construction
John Martinez Pavliga
/
Flickr / Creative Commons
Another modern San Francisco high-rise building under construction

Announced by Mayor London Breed on Tuesday, the city's Department of Building Inspection will assess all facade elements in tall buildings built after 1998.

Breed said it was "an important step we are taking to ensure the safety of all of our buildings to keep our residents safe.”

Previous city policy only required buildings to take part in the facade inspection program 30 years after it was built, but during intense wind and rain storms in March, three of the six buildings that experienced glass failures were less than 30 years old.

Eligible owners of buildings 15 floors or higher will have to provide a professional evaluation of their entire building to ensure it is stable.

Breed's emergency declaration set on March 27 allows the Department of Building Inspection to expand its facade inspection requirements to include 71 newer high-rises in the city. The hope is to find cracks and other malfunctions to prevent more glass failures from happening in the future.

Building owners will have six months to submit comprehensive evaluations.

Sunni M. Khalid is a veteran of more than 40 years in journalism, having worked in print, radio, television, and web journalism.