The building was designed to be groundbreaking in its openness to the public, but it has instead become a monument to government bungling and the decay that plagues many American cities in the post-pandemic world.
The 18-story building opened in 2007 and was supposed to be a “model for civic sustainability.” The architect said that meant an attempt to be particularly eco-conscious, with a “democratic layout” for employees and a special focus on letting the public have access via a large plaza. “Sometimes I come home and cry after seeing what I see,” an employee told the outlet, adding that people stopped bothering to report crimes to the police because, The Standard said, “nothing was done when they reported similar incidents in the past.”
At the Pelosi building, the fence is a chain-link barrier that seals off access to concrete benches around the building. Drug dealers had claimed the benches as their territory.Ms. Ernst, in a letter to GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan, demanded to know how many federal employees are supposed to be at the building and how many are showing up daily. She also asked for the latest risk assessments for the plaza, which the senator said has become an embarrassment.
The building opened in 2007, two years behind schedule. Then, it was known as the San Francisco Federal Building.