1525 Sutter St, San Francisco, CA 94109

The 11-unit, 3-story multi-family residential building at 1525 Sutter St, built in 1975 in Lower Pacific Heights, has undergone several significant improvements and faced various challenges over the years. Most notably, a $50,000 soft-story retrofit was completed in 2014, reinforcing the ground floor with 14 new steel strong walls to enhance seismic safety. The building has experienced recurring fire safety issues, with multiple violations documented between 2020 and 2024, including two recent sleeping area requirement violations in 2023 (October and December).

While many fire-related violations have been corrected, including issues with sprinklers, extinguishers, and combustible materials in 2022, false alarms and system malfunctions continue to be documented. The property has also faced maintenance challenges, with a collapsed sidewalk reported in September 2024. Recent activity at the property has primarily centered around street-level issues, with multiple reports of garbage, debris, and abandoned furniture on the sidewalk between September 2024 and January 2025.

The building's permit history shows limited major work since the 2014 retrofit, with only routine maintenance tasks like reroofing in 1989 recorded. Three routine safety inspections were conducted in 1999, 2013, and more recently in 2016, though the 2016 inspection appears to be related to a nearby construction site's erosion control issues rather than the building itself. The building's fire safety systems have required ongoing attention, with three violations noted specifically regarding alarm systems between 2020 and 2024, though the most recent 2024 violation was marked as corrected.