$4 million in repairs afoot at Board of Equalization HQ
California's money pit is about to get an exterior makeover.
A $4 million repair project will start soon on the Board of Equalization headquarters in Sacramento, even as the state agency keeps pushing to get out of the high-rise.
The latest project will replace 3,911 exterior glass panels that run between windows on the outside of the 22-year-old building at 450 N St.
Last year, one of the panels fell eight stories, shattering on a sidewalk. No one was hurt.
Contractors brought in by the Department of General Services, which acts as the state's property manager, will start replacing panels on the building's 23rd floor in two to three weeks, said BOE spokesman Jaime Garza.
If that test run goes as planned, the full project will start in early summer.
The board, which collects business taxes, has spent $65 million so far on repairs. Other problems have ranged from faulty elevators and toxic mold to leaky windows and burst or corroded pipes.
Although General Services contracts out the work, the board – and by extension, taxpayers – must pay for the repairs. For years, BOE officials have pushed to leave the site.
"BOE continues to negotiate with DGS to pursue that goal," Garza said in an email.
BILL WATCH
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WORTH REPEATING
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