News Releases
The latest news and announcements from Mayor London N. Breed

Mayor Lee's Statement on Continued Review of Seismic Safety

Mayor Edwin M. Lee today issued the following statement:

“As Mayor, I want San Franciscans to be assured that we have a safe and resilient City.  Many issues and concerns have been raised in recent weeks about the seismic safety of downtown high-rises.  These questions persist because of continued settling of 301 Mission. 

I have been informed by the Department of Building Inspection (DBI) that 301 Mission is safe.  DBI’s responsibility is to ensure the safety of buildings in San Francisco, and they are awaiting a final report from the developer about foundation settlement at 301 Mission. Once the report is received, DBI will take any actions needed to ensure this building remains safe.

Concurrently, I have asked City Administrator Naomi Kelly and Department of Emergency Management Director Anne Kronenberg to strengthen, if necessary, existing building codes and independent review processes for current and future high-rises.  I have tasked them to consult outside experts and academics for a transparent and unbiased review and assessment.

Last week, I also directed Department of Building Inspection and the Office of Resilience and Recovery to immediately amend the 30 Year Earthquake Safety and Implementation Plan to expedite the safety of new and existing high-rise buildings.  I also requested DBI to immediately review failure mitigation measures for buildings in geographically hazardous areas.

The conversation about safety should be driven by facts with the goal of having the most accurate information available to our citizens.”