1538 Clay St, San Francisco, CA 94109

The 12-unit, three-story apartment building at 1538 Clay Street in Nob Hill, built in 1916 and currently owned by Wong Family Revocable Trust 2019, has undergone significant renovations and faced several serious incidents over the past decades. Most notably, in June 2022, the building experienced substantial damage when a vehicle crashed into it, rupturing gas lines and damaging the garage and lobby walls, resulting in temporary building closure and requiring emergency structural repairs costing $30,000.

The building has been actively undergoing improvements, including the recent construction of alcoves for electrical and gas meters (approved in September 2024) and plumbing work for gas lines in all units (November 2024). A significant renovation project in 2019-2022 converted the first floor and garage area into three ADUs, involving extensive plumbing and electrical work, including new bathrooms, kitchens, and three 70,000 BTU furnaces. The property has completed mandatory soft-story seismic retrofit work (Tier 3) and has addressed several safety concerns over the years, including a series of building violations in 2001 related to fire safety and security, all of which were abated.

The building experienced serious plumbing issues in 2003, with multiple complaints of sewage backups affecting several units and common areas. More recent complaints from 2024 focused on fire escape maintenance and compliance issues, which were subsequently addressed. While there have been periodic maintenance and infrastructure improvements, including roof work in 1994 (now expired), and several 311 calls regarding building maintenance issues, the property has generally maintained active compliance with building codes and safety requirements, as evidenced by completed soft-story retrofit and recent infrastructure upgrades