Burbank's Soft Story Earthquake Retrofit Program - Soft Story Advisors

Burbank’s Soft Story Earthquake Retrofit Program

Strengthening the Burbank’s Resilience to Earthquakes

Burbank, California has established a voluntary program for Soft Story Earthquake Retrofit program to improve the safety of its buildings in the event of an earthquake. Soft Story buildings are structures with weak first floors that are unable to support the weight of the floors above them during a seismic event, and they are commonly found in older construction.

The city’s Soft Story retrofit program is designed to encourage property owners to take proactive steps to reinforce their buildings and make them more resistant to damage in the event of an earthquake.

The program is entirely voluntary, however, property owners who do not participate may face increased insurance rates or fines if they do not comply with building codes.

The benefits of the program are numerous, including reducing the risk of injury or loss of life in the event of an earthquake, improving property values and insurance rates, and compliance with building codes. By participating in the program, property owners can take proactive steps to ensure the safety of their buildings and the people who use them.

In Burbank, the Soft Story retrofit program is an example of a proactive approach to earthquake safety. By encouraging property owners to retrofit their buildings, the city is helping to create a safer community for everyone.

It is clear from the program that the city is committed to ensuring the safety of its residents and visitors throughout the city.

About Us

Real Estate and Business Veteran, Gordon Myers founded Soft Story Advisors out of the real need he witnessed daily, in the field.

Building Owners are stressed and concerned with hiring the best contractor and/or engineer to comply with various city ordinances because they know that a bad decision can be a very expensive and painful experience.

Licensed as a Realtor in 1988, Gordon has been actively buying, selling, developing, managing and investing in real estate and can easily recognize a one-sided deal vs. a good, fair one!

He immediately recognized the opportunity and foresaw the chaos when the Ordinance came out, requiring that approx. 12,500 city-identified, multi-family dwellings do the necessary work to support their “soft story,” buildings to better withstand a significant earthquake.

Lessons were learned from Northridge in 1994, and again in Mexico in 2017, providing evidence that Soft Story Buildings are more likely to collapse with any lateral movement during a strong earthquake.