If you live in San Diego, you might be familiar with the 14 story high rise that flooded in the Fall of 2018 and left residents evacuated for a minimum of 48 days. Diamond Terrace is a 114 suite high rise located in the heart of downtown, adjacent to Petco Park, the Gaslamp District, restaurants and San Diego’s nightlife.
On Sunday, September 23rd, 2018 a flood occurred in the mechanical room, and impacted over 50% of the building leaving residents standing in 1-2 feet of water in their suites, water pouring down the walls and rendering the elevators useless. Police and fire showed up to the scene and as a first for San Diego, the Fire Marshall declared it 100% evacuated due to lack of Fire & Life Safety in the building. In the video below, you’ll hear first hand accounts from residents as water flooded their floors, and stairwells.
Due to the impact of this flood, any suite impacted had to be restored prior to returned occupancy. ServPro was first on the job to mitigate damage to the building, remove wet and damaged materials and dry out the building. Three days later, we were grateful to get the call from the Board of Directors and assist Diamond Terrace’s return to its former glory with a renovated mechanical system, completely rehabilitated suites, and common areas and the return of its residents.
“I am extremely grateful to Cornerstone Managing Partners. They helped put our building in downtown San Diego back together after a catastrophic flood forced the 6-week evacuation of all 113 units. No amount of preparation could prepare a volunteer board for the hundreds of serious decisions that had to be made to repair the damage. We were fortunate to be referred to Tom Brooks and his Cornerstone team. – VP Diamond Terrace HOA
Today, the building is restored and we are thankful for the relationship that we built with this Community. There are days in our industry, as many, that the stress of our work can make you question why you show up everyday. We are so thankful for the recent feedback received from Jeff Larkin, a Board Member at Diamond Terrace who we had the privilege of walking through this process with. Read his full testimony below:
I am extremely grateful to Cornerstone Managing Partners. They helped put our building in downtown San Diego back together after a catastrophic flood forced the 6-week evacuation of all 113 units. No amount of preparation could prepare a volunteer board for the hundreds of serious decisions that had to be made to repair the damage. We were fortunate to be referred to Tom Brooks and his Cornerstone team. From the outset they stepped up and took charge.
Immediately, they scheduled a resident town hall meeting to answer questions and tackle logistical issues including building access, flood dry-out, mold testing and insurance claims. The safety of the residents was their sole focus during this time. Working with city regulatory agencies, Cornerstone helped us navigate the red tape to get our Certificate of Occupancy so residents could return to their homes. Only then did their focus shift to building restoration. This is where Tom and his team really shined. A top to bottom evaluation of the building took place to make sure every covered building component was replaced. When there was push back or a denial from the insurance company about whether something was flood related, Tom went to bat for us. His reputation, knowledge and unwavering persistence literally saved our association hundreds of thousands of dollars that would have otherwise been left on the table. Cornerstone also considered the immediate and long term needs of the building. For example, there were several mechanical systems unrelated to the flood that were at or beyond their useful life.
With Cornerstone’s guidance we were able to use reserve funds to replace them during the re-build, saving untold thousands in additional labor costs. We now have a building that operates as a cohesive unit and is well positioned for the future. In closing, I cannot speak more highly of Cornerstone. Tom, Tim and Alissa, if you are reading this, your integrity and professionalism is first rate. On behalf of the Diamond Terrace community, thank you! If you are a potential customer reading this review, do yourself a favor and look no further. Whatever your problem, Cornerstone is your solution. Tom and his team are the best in the business.
– Jeff Larkin, VP of Diamond Terrace HOA
