City of L.A. Charts Milestone on Road to Seismic Retrofits

A recent report from the Los Angeles Department of Building Safety shows approximately 27% or just under 1/3 of the “soft-story” buildings in the City of Los Angeles have successfully met the city’s seismic safety retrofit requirements, up from 5% just 14 months ago.

While lagging many Bay Area communities, the Los Angeles Times reports this is a relevant start to resolving a compelling public safety issue. Owners have a seven-year window to comply, that began with the program’s launch in 2016. In its breakdown, the L.A. Times also points to additional cities with significant blocks of pre-1980 housing stock like Long Beach, Pasadena, and Culver City currently legislating similar programs of their own.

According to L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, “Our progress is ahead of schedule, but we have to keep pushing to make certain that we get the job done as quickly as possible.”

*Photo: Mayor Eric Garcetti, courtesy of the Los Angeles Department of Public Safety

For comments, questions or concerns, please contact Chris Egger