Electricity Restored to Tower as Testing Is Conducted; Reopening Set for Friday
Amid a growing chorus of dislocated and disaffected tenants who say the building’s closure has cost them tens of thousands of dollars in lost business, managers of the Great American Building said Tuesday that “all systems are go” for a reopening of most of the 24-story high-rise on Friday.
Power to the building was reinstalled at noon Tuesday and was being tested floor by floor by federal and city inspectors. Further tests were scheduled by the Fire Department and city building inspectors Tuesday night and today, which, if successful, could lead to Great American First Savings Bank opening its ground floor branch office at 10 a.m. today.
The 14-year-old building was closed Oct. 20 after a second fire in a week caused by electrical problems forced the evacuation of employees. Since Sept. 29, the building has either suffered power outages or been evacuated six times, forcing tenants to suspend business, costing them money and, in some cases, confidence in the building’s safety.
Tenants Moving Equipment
Blaming lost business and the prospect of losing more, several tenants seen Tuesday moving office equipment, furniture and files out of the building to temporary offices said they would make more permanent arrangements unless the building reopens Friday. Several criticized the building’s management for leading them to think that the building’s problems were less severe than they turned out to be.
“If the problems are not resolved today, if we do not receive a 100% guarantee from the bureaucrats, as distinguished from a 90% possibility, that the building will open Friday, we’ll take a one-month lease in Del Mar,” said James Sullivan, partner of Sullivan, McWilliams, Lewin & Markham law firm, which occupies two floors in the building.
Sullivan said his firm had suffered “enormous losses” in the last five days because of a dramatic drop in billings to clients while overhead, mostly in wages of paralegals and administrative staff, remained constant.
“We’re going to do our level best to get the responsible parties for this negligent operation of this building to pony up and cover all of our losses,” Sullivan said.
Representatives of the building’s owner, Kowa Real Estate Investments of Japan, arrived in San Diego Tuesday and were scheduled to issue a statement today on what restitution, if any, the owner will make to tenants, spokesman Scott Allison said Tuesday.
Other tenants seen leaving the building Tuesday recited similar tales of exasperation. Attorney Byron Georgiou, saying he would not speculate on whether his seven-attorney law firm would “walk away” from its lease, described the costs related to the dislocation as “very extensive.”
“Clients can’t reach us, our mail has to be picked up at the post office, we have to make several trips a day here to pick up files, and we can’t type briefs,” Georgiou said.
‘Landlord’s Responsibility’
The Endeman, Lincoln, Turek & Heater law firm has rented two rooms at the Holiday Inn and rented six mobile telephones in an effort to salvage as much of its business as it can until it reoccupies its offices.
“I can’t imagine the tenants having to eat this,” partner Kenneth Turek said in reference to the added costs. “It’s the landlord’s responsibility to make his premises habitable and it is obvious his is not habitable. He hasn’t lived up to his end of the bargain. They may give rebates for a week’s rent, but damages are much more than that.”
Mike Peckham, a leasing agent who represents the First Interstate Plaza office tower two blocks west of the Great American building, said he has received inquiries from several Great American tenants who are thinking about leaving.
“We haven’t made any deals yet, but if (Great American’s owners) don’t open the building Friday, that could be the last straw with some of these people, and they’ll think more about going out and finding some new space.”
Despite rumors that the building could be closed for weeks, even months while faulty wiring is replaced, an inspector with the federal Occupational and Safety and Health Administration said he saw no reason why the building could not reopen Friday, staying open on weekdays while the rewiring is done safely on weekends.
“We see no problem up to now,” senior OSHA inspector Jack Rhodes said Tuesday. “Power went on appropriately. We’ll be making a full series of tests lasting throughout (Tuesday) making a determination as to whether the building can reopen sooner than Friday.”
Without being specific, Rhodes said OSHA has seen evidence of safety violations in the building that could lead to fines against the building owner. Allison said electric cables and switches throughout the building will have to be replaced.
Meanwhile, some business did go on as usual. San Diego parking controller Philip Leon issued several tickets to vehicles parked by tenants in passenger zones in front of the bank building while they were moving equipment and effects out.
When asked if writing the tickets weren’t akin to rubbing salt in tenants’ wounds, Leon replied: “I’ve got a job to do.”
