UPDATE AS OF 3/19/26

We spoke with reporter Kevin Nguyen at the SF Standard regarding this property after he reached out to us asking about this property. We were the source that alerted Kevin to the fact that the picture below by  Anna Nevskaya showed failed post tension cables poking out from the building.

Turns out that post tension cables that support the podium deck slab have failed. I saw a review on Google by an owner at the property and knew instantly this building is F’d.

I’ll now predict that the slab can’t be fixed and the building will have to be demolished. What engineer in their right mind would believe that the other cables that aren’t broken are ok and just recommend repairs to the failed cables? No one in their right mind would in my opinion.

Details are still light, however residents of a condo building in Santa Clara have been ordered to leave the building until temporary shoring has been installed to support portions of the building that engineers are concerned about.

NBC 10 is reporting that concrete has come loose from the building and city engineers determined that the building needs to be repaired.

Judging from reviews that I found on Google, Villa Bella Condominiums, located at 1850 El Camino Real has had persistent leak issues since it was built. Robert S said in part on his review “One of the most concerning problems is the persistent water leaks in the parking structure. The developer insists that repairs can only be made when it’s dry, yet even after supposed fixes, the leaks return with every rain. This raises serious concerns about the quality of construction and whether these issues are actually being resolved or just patched up temporarily.”

This is just speculation but I would think that structural issues are a result of water intrusion into the below grade garage and has likely eroded support for columns and walls. That’s typically what I see when I do inspections with my engineers.

All in all, this is another reason why quality assurance inspections should be required on all buildings while they are being built to ensure that they meet all requirements by manufacturers of waterproofing products as well as structural inspections being done especially when footings, columns and walls are being poured or erected.

If you are a developer, architect or contractor who would like more information on quality assurance, inspections of your waterproofing systems being installed, reach out to us for a conversation about how we bring great value to your project.