Editor-at-Large
San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliott is misleading the public by refusing to release potentially damning parts of a forensic report that reviewed the 101 Ash Street building deal, even after the report was promised to be an independent and comprehensive analysis of what has now become one of the City’s worst financial debacles in its history.
The “forensic analysis” was touted as an in-depth investigation of all aspects of, and all departments and personnel involved in, the $128 million purchase and $30 million renovation of the building after the 19-story tower had to be evacuated in January 2020 over employees’ exposure to asbestos.
California
United-states
San-diego
City-of-san-diego
Papa-doug-manchester
Kris-michell
Jason-wood
Jasonr-wood
Hughes-marino
Thomas-jones
Vivian-morena
Mark-kersey
Arturo
Editor-at-Large
Over 1,000 City of San Diego employees were moved into the 101 Ash Street building in December 2019 and January 2020 without final building inspections that would have required that all of the fire life safety equipment be certified to be working, and after City leaders were warned by the general contractor that the systems were not operable, but City staff then misrepresented the building status to the press, the public, and even the San Diego Ethics Commission.
The building, which served as the corporate headquaters of San Diego Gas & Electric and later its parent company Sempra Energy for more than 45 years, was leased by the City in January 2017 under a 20-year lease-to-own agreement, then the City spent more than $30 million in renovations before the building was ultimately abandoned in late January 2020 due to asbestos exposure.
San-diego
California
United-states
City-of-san-diego
Kris-michell
Arturo-casta
Cybele-thompson
Julie-ballesteros
Luis-schaar
Johnnie-perkins
Elvia-sandoval
David-davey