S.F. preps Grand Southern lawsuit

In addition to an injunction against the Albion Hotel, lawyers for The City are preparing to sue the nearby Grand Southern Hotel for alleged rampant building code violations.

Notices of violation dating back to June 2005 outline problems such as broken windows and damaged walls.

“One of the threads between these two buildings that we have found in inspections and complaints from residents is that the operators make repairs that are not commensurate with the daily wear and tear on the buildings.”  Chief Building Inspector Rosemary Bosque said Thursday.

But hotel manager Mohammed Salam said the allegation of insufficient bathrooms is untrue.

“We pulled permits and we took care of it,” he said.  “They didn’t pass the work the first time, but they’re all in operation now.”

Deputy City Attorney Jerry Therdt concurred that the bathrooms had been put into operation, but he said the management only fixes problems under pressure.

“That’s why we want to get them under an agreed injunction,” he said.

Adam Martin