San Francisco Apartment 33 Tehama Reopens as Spera at 39 Tehama After Catastrophic Flooding
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — Two years after a devastating water main break displaced 600 tenants from the 33 Tehama building in San Francisco, the apartment complex has reopened with a new name and address, now known as Spera at 39 Tehama.
“I literally felt like I was in a Godzilla movie. There was water dripping down from everywhere,” recalled former tenant Ankur Sharma, reflecting on the chaos he and hundreds of others experienced.
In June 2022, a massive flood caused by a failure in the building’s fire sprinkler system forced residents from their homes as thousands of gallons of water poured through all 35 floors. Hines, the real estate development and management firm that owns the building, oversaw the extensive restoration efforts.
Now, tenants have begun moving back into the newly named Spera SF at 39 Tehama. According to a Hines spokesperson, “As of last month, approximately one-third of the original residents from 2022 have returned to the property, and of those who elected to retain their leases throughout the extensive restoration, nearly 75% returned to the property.”
Sharma, however, chose not to return, citing a 50% increase in rent and distrust in the management. He now resides in San Diego. “I wouldn’t feel comfortable living there given the false promises they made so far,” he said.
The renaming and readdressing of the building have drawn criticism. “It’s a sham. They are basically just fooling people so that the previous results don’t pop up on Google search. That’s why they changed the name, changed the address,” Sharma commented.
Attorney Nazy Fahimi, representing 90 former tenants in a lawsuit against Hines, stated, “We are hoping for a resolution. It’s clear that Hines defendants are liable. These folks should not be delayed any more for compensation for what they’ve suffered through.”
Hines maintains that significant restoration and renovation work has been completed at Spera SF. Despite this, Sharma and others believe the changes are an attempt to erase the building’s troubled history.
