For only the second time, San Francisco has flagged a contractor for repeatedly violating building codes meant to preserve safe conditions for residents and neighbors, according to records.
San Francisco, CA
Scofflaw Contractor Flagged by San Francisco Officials
Until Dec. 26, 2023, there was only one name on the city’s list of repeat offenders—Rodrigo Santos, a permit expediter and structural engineer who pleaded guilty to federal charges in January 2023 in relation to a scheme he was involved in that helped his clients receive lenient inspections on their projects.
Tad Van Nguyen is the newest name on the Department of Building Inspection’s expanded compliance list due to four serious violations within a year. Those violations occurred on four projects his construction company worked on in 2022 and 2023.
“The addition of Mr. Nguyen demonstrates that we are applying the Expanded Compliance control criteria as set forth in the building code, and we believe the extra level of scrutiny applied to these individuals is helpful in maintaining a safe built environment,” Department of Building Inspection spokesman Patrick Hannan said.
In 2021, San Francisco passed legislation to track and flag significant violations by developers, contractors and engineers who repeatedly break city permitting rules.
The law, which directs the city building inspection department to notify state regulators of violations and tasks senior inspectors to review complaints, was a reaction to a corruption scandal that involved the scheme by Santos, who had his clients donate to specific entities in exchange for favorable inspections by a city inspector.
Santos pleaded guilty to bank fraud, wire fraud and tax evasion charges in three separate cases stemming from the checks he misappropriated and the donations he asked his clients to make to a youth sports charity favored by Bernie Curran, who was at the time a senior building inspector.
Curran was one of three inspectors allegedly bribed by prominent San Francisco developer Sia Tahbazof, who was charged by federal authorities in November.
Building inspection spokesperson Hannan said that the fact that only two names have appeared on the list is a testament to the vast number of building projects in the city are aboveboard.
But even without citing other troubling issues with city inspections, such as a recently fired and charged department inspector who reviewed construction on his own home, Nguyen’s case may indicate the system is not catching all construction scofflaws the way it is supposed to.
Nguyen’s track record is littered with incomplete construction projects, unsafe working conditions and numerous lawsuits, according to court records and former colleagues.
For his part, Nguyen denied that he had done work without permits.
“I don’t know why they put me on the list,” he said. “We filed a permit and got everything approved. This is nonsense stuff.”
Nguyen did not respond to questions about a number of other issues his company has been involved with in the past.
The recent projects that Nguyen was flagged for are related to work his company did at four addresses in 2022 and 2023.
At 1237 Shafter Ave. in Hunters Point, his company did demolition beyond the scope of the approved plans in 2022, according to city inspection department records. Next door at 1239 Shafter, his company also did soil excavation beyond the allowed permits, which resulted in undermining the neighbor’s footing.
The two properties are owned by Amanda Reid, who did not respond to a request for comment. But early last year, Nguyen filed a mechanic lien on Reid’s property for failure to pay his company for the work it did, according to court documents.
Another nearby project flagged in 2022 was 1600 Thomas Ave., where Nguyen demolished a deck and stairway and rebuilt another one far beyond the allowed permitting. He also built a new and higher fence along a public right of way that exceeded the permitted project.
Thomas and Anna Jordan, who own the 1600 Thomas Ave. property, could not be reached for comment.
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Nguyen in 2022 at 1600 Thomas Ave. for health and safety violations related to unsafe scaffolding, failure to provide protection for overheating and Covid prevention, among other violations.
He was fined more than $14,000 for 11 violations, all of which he has contested.
At 352 Head St. in Ingleside Heights, Nguyen completed internal walling without inspection or permitting in 2023, city records state.
The LLC that owns the property has a registered address that is the same as Nguyen’s San Francisco home address.
The recent violations are only the latest controversies Nguyen has faced as a contractor in San Francisco.
In 2014, the Department of Industrial Relations sued him for nearly $12,000 in fines related to unsafe ladders and scaffolding on a Geary Boulevard project.
That same year, the state’s Contractors State License Board also cited Nguyen for work done at his 1440 Clement St. property without workers compensation insurance, according to court documents. Nguyen was fined $3,500, and his license was briefly suspended for the violation.
Numerous complaints arose from the work being done on the property, some of which were also without permits, according to city records.
Chris Tuong, who is also in litigation with Nguyen, said in 2009 the contractor did work at 127 Milton St. that was substandard and did not meet engineering rules. According to city records, the work was being done without a permit, and a stop order was issued.
Tuong said that when the engineer, Stephen Chan, refused to sign off on the work, Nguyen threatened him.
“Tad took off his jacket and [got] in position to attack Steve,” Tuong said. “I was there because I’m thinking to protect Stephen, because Tad is too violent.”
Nguyen never completed the work, Tuong said. He had to hire another contractor.
More recently, Nguyen sued Chan for not doing engineering work on one of the projects Nguyen was cited for: 352 Head St.
“I didn’t do any work for him,” Chan said, adding that Nguyen was trying to get him to do engineering work for free.
According to court records, Nguyen lost the lawsuit.
(KRON) — A 32-year-old man has been missing in San Francisco for two days, police said. Gabriel Carreon was last seen at noon on July 7, when he left his home in the Castro neighborhood to go see a movie, the San Francisco Police Department said.
The following morning, a 911 caller told dispatchers that Carreon was missing.
Police described the missing man as Asian, 5’8’’ tall, and weighing 170 pounds. He has black hair dyed pink, and brown eyes.
Anyone who locates Carreon should call 911 and report his current location, police said. Anyone with information on his possible whereabouts should call the SFPD Missing Persons Unit Tip Line at 415-734-3070.
Sick of the TSA lines? Tired of playing musical chairs at the gate? Rather sit as far from your fellow airplane passengers for as long as possible, in the comfort of your own private, luxury airport terminal?
Soon you may get your wish. And San Francisco international airport wants to be your genie – for a fee.
The airport is hoping to build a brand-new terminal exclusively for passengers who pay a premium, gaining access to a luxurious airport experience complete with private security lines and valet service from terminal to tarmac. It will service commercial flights, not business or corporate jets, and the terminal will have its own Transportation Security Administration (TSA) lines as well as Customs and Border Protection (CBP) lines for international travel.
SFO is seeking bidders to take on the development, construction and operation of the private terminal, which is planned for a 75,000-sq-ft site located across the runway from all current public terminals. The airport will accept proposals between late September and early October, and is looking to award a contract by early December with hopes of opening the terminal in late 2028.
SFO’s interest in a luxury development comes from what airport spokesperson Doug Yakel called a “high level of demand” for “premium experiences” in travel, citing the popularity of existing credit card and premium lounges. A private terminal is essentially the next step up in exclusivity from those lounges – and the best chance at avoiding airport crowds entirely.
“Somebody that uses this product really wouldn’t see the other passengers they’re traveling with until they’re taken up the stairs of the jet bridge and onto the aircraft,” Yakel said.
Spending on “pay-to-play” luxury experiences at large is on the rise, according to a new report by Bain & Company and Altagamma. The airline industry has bought in, revamping lounge and onboard experiences with chef-designed menus and expanded premium seating for the highest-paying passengers.
Many see a market in San Francisco, where an AI-driven wealth boom is already agitating the local housing market, with homes sold at the fastest pace in five years and the single-family median home price clocking in at $2.2m.
Yakel said SFO felt now was the right time to enter the market of luxury travel.
“We see the level of interest that’s being invested onboard aircraft, inside terminals, around airports, and clearly this is something that other airports are rolling out,” Yakel said.
The price to pay for a private airport experience will be decided by whoever wins the bid for operations, and will be offered on a membership or per-use basis. The traffic experienced at public terminals likely won’t change, Yakel said.
Private terminals have become popular worldwide. London Heathrow and Paris-Charles de Gaulle airports in Europe have long operated luxury terminals, and São Paulo/Guarulhos international airport recently opened the first private terminal in Latin America.
If SFO is successful, it would become the next major American airport to open a luxury terminal. Los Angeles, Dallas Fort Worth, Miami and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta international airports all offer a private terminal through PS (formerly known as the Private Suite), a company owned by security firm Gavin de Becker and Associates. Multiple representatives from PS and Gavin de Becker and Associates attended a June conference hosted by SFO about the private terminal, and PS has said it hopes to open a private terminal at every major US airport by 2030.
Access to existing PS private terminals can cost passengers $1,295 for a one-time experience, or up to $4,850 for a yearly membership. Heathrow’s private terminal costs thousands of pounds per person.
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The San Francisco Giants have a lot to consider at this juncture of the MLB season.
There were mid-level expectations for the Giants at the start of the season. On paper, it seemed like the Giants could battle for a wild card berth.
The Giants won’t meet those expectations.
A week before the All-Star break, San Francisco has the third-worst record in baseball at 38-54. The Giants lost 10-0 to the Toronto Blue Jays on July 8, held hitless through eight innings.
It’s becoming increasingly obvious that this team won’t be competitive down the stretch, which has many of the Giants faithful singing a NxWorries tune, wondering what to do and where to go from here.
It’s evident that a shake-up is needed. It’s simply a matter of where they start and what they can realistically do to change things in the dugout. But one thing’s for sure: the Giants are sellers heading into the trade deadline.
What should the Giants do now?
The Giants have to accept their fate. Entering the season, they looked like a team that could compete with anybody, but then the baseball games were played and that proved to not be the case. So now San Francisco has to look itself in the mirror and figure out what went wrong and how to make things right – well, better than they have been going, anyways.
Here are a few ideas:
Get aggressive in the trade market, sell high
It’s easier said than done, but the Giants have to get off the expensive contracts eating up their salary. Reason being, you won’t be able to get any talent, let alone invest in your prospects, if there isn’t enough dollars to go around by the time negotiations occur.
It’s also a matter of how aggressive they plan to be and who will be prioritized. Who is untouchable? ESPN’s Jeff Passan has Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee as a top-ranked trade candidate. He plays all throughout the outfield. Offensively, Lee ranks top 10 in MLB in batting average and strikeout rate.
Lee, 27, makes $22.83 million this season and next, before going down to $21.33 million in both 2028 and 2029. Although not a star, the Giants can sell teams on Lee being a promising, solid all-around player.
Move on from veteran players
With a record like San Francisco’s, the best thing you can do for the fans is give them something to be hopeful for. That’s not aging veterans.
Examine the market for your guys who are age 30 and up, or are occupying a ton of salary space.
Rafael Devers turns 30 in October. His age isn’t so much a problem, but his contract … combined with the lack of expected production. Devers has had a down year so far, batting .244, registering 86 hits and 18 homers. He’s under contract through 2033 at a hefty price tag.
Others to consider moving on from are Willy Adames and Matt Chapman. They’re fan favorites, but based on age and dollars it all makes sense. Adames is under contract through 2031 at over $31 million per season. Chapman is locked up through 2030 at over $25 million per year.
It’s hard to say goodbye, but in the best interest of the Giants, they have to find new homes for these guys. And honestly, it wouldn’t be surprising if Devers, Chapman and Adames wanted to find a new home if it meant playing for a contender and a chance at a World Series title.
Retain young talent, bring in fresh faces
There’s promise for the future in this squad with guys like Bryce Eldridge, Blade Tidwell and Drew Gilbert. It’s a start.
“The San Francisco Giants, who would love to trade two of their infielders at the trade deadline, need to clear space for power-hitter Bryce Eldridge. They realize it’s stunting his growth as an infielder to keep using him as a DH at the age of 21,” USA TODAY Sports’ Bob Nightengale wrote.
Eldridge has had plenty moments as a designated hitter but none bigger than his walk-off grand slam against the Washington Nationals on June 10.
Another intitiative San Francisco needs to focus on is hanging on to guys like Logan Webb, Heliot Ramos, Casey Schmitt and Landon Roupp. The best bet is to hang on to them to help usher in a new era. Years from now, when the team has a new look, you can decide whether to leverage them for additional assets.
However, in the interim, hold on to those guys for dear life because teams will come knocking as MLB gets closer to the trade deadline.
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