Lumina

I’ve received a lot of private requests for an update. Here is the short version. After almost zero help, extremely unprofessional behavior and outright lies by Denis Shaunagher, Maureen Gavin, and Andrew Hannah, I have filed a required «Deficiency Notice». The next step will be mediation, and then Binding Arbitration. As is typical of Tishman, their process is built to delay action and hide liabilities, not to do the right thing to avoid trouble.
Pictures supporting the deficiencies are here:
deficiencies:(PDF in the above google drive)
All of this information has been previously given to Denis Shanagher and has largely gone unanswered and unaddressed by him and the rest of the staff.
As mentioned, multiple owners and I have written promise of January 1^st amenities delivery dates.(Not just the gym, «amenities” – see exhibit) I sincerely doubt any arbitrator will allow you to hide behind disclosures of possibility of amenity delays when various members of the team (likely knowingly) disseminated false information for the purpose of luring us into a contract at an unfair price and continue to.
I am providing a level of color outside of the specific fit and finish provisions because there is a culture and pattern of neglect and fraud, not just a few innocent mistakes.
We have had frequent ant infestations. We have not left any food out ever, and the infestations have been along the side of the living room FAR from the kitchen. Perhaps this is failed seals of the windows. (See Photos)
Cabinet next to refrigerator. This was repaired once or twice and still has scratches and is uneven.
Paint splatters and extremely uneven finish in the master closet on the wall, walls throughout, just to the right of the refrigerator, master bathroom
All door frames have severe finish issues: Specifically uneven finishes, bumps, scratches, splatters, drips and knobs of paint.
Baseboard in the entry area has an irregular cut that was not lined up properly. It therefor shows a large break in the baseboard
The grout finish in the entry area bathroom is uneven. The shelf was installed in the wrong place. Switched to the right place, and the old holes were patched, but very poorly and unevenly.
HVAC initially did not work at all. It now functions in the living room, but almost no cold air goes into either bedroom.
Guest bath white trim lower left of shower needs to be smoothed out (bumps on paint and wood)
Master bath is missing all drawer liners (the ones with white with silver stripes)
Contractor stained our column. Then later painted over it with an improper finish. Stain is still slightly visible, and sheen and finish of paint is not uniform.
There are various grout holiday (holes) in Master Bathroom. One on the floor, one near the tub, and a large hole in the grout to the deep rear side of the Shower
Peeling Caulk at tub base outside, and also at top of tub just under the water source.
Living room: Upper part of left most window needs touch up of black sealant/​caulk
Windowsills in general have deficient, uneven, and unsightly caulk texture.
Baseboards through entire unit have ugly, misaligned, and sloppy junctions
Door trims at top in bedroom (all 3 of them) are uneven and visibly not aligned or painted evenly
Mullions frequently make loud noise that exceeds allowable ambient noise
Metal trim to the outside rear of master shower uneven at bottom. (Not parallel with top)
Various locations of wall paint chips and uneven-​ness at seam with windows in living room and bedrooms.
Bedroom blind casing has an uneven gap at ceiling. Much larger on left side. Let’s significant light in.
Guest bath: toilet flush buttons are visibly crooked
«Market on Main» Despite developers, staff, and Seller representatives knowing conclusively that the anchor retail tenant was not going to happen. They continued pitching this as a major reason to buy. MAI Appraisers would certainly confirm that the market price for condos without the retail tenant are worth less, so the damages are the difference between what was paid, and appraised value at the time without the anchor retail tenant.
The Master bath joints of the wall, counters, and shelves are off, with uneven-​ness, extra caulk, and improper cuts
Various hingers throughout have paint on them
Baseboards throughout are uneven with chips and bumps
Andrew Hannah, and Denis Shaunagher both confirmed they had a construction schedule in their possession, yet they lied about amenities delivery repeatedly. Please see picture of pool taken in March. The pool was announced in writing by Tishman’s team as «open in April». Per their own admission, once finished a pool must be inspected and let water sit for 30 – 45 days so there was never any chance the pool would open «on time». They knew that and continued spreading false information in writing in order to boost prices.
See google folder for rest…

While some things are promising, such as the upcoming market and the yet-​to-​be-​completed amenities, so far working with Lumina has been an exercise in frustration. When we first got our keys, the items marked for fixing during our walkthrough were only halfway completed, and not only that, but additional damage had been done (large dents in the hardwood floor, etc.). Several times we have requested fixes only to have the fix create another problem or make things worse. We also have to argue half the time to get something fixed. The team told us that we were the only ones experiencing a particular issue several times, but when we finally met up with other residents, we found that said issues were common. We have also had requests for fixes that were filed several months ago and are still not taken care of.
Communication is generally terrible, and I normally have to email several people to find an answer to a simple question because the question keeps being passed on or they will refer you to documentation that does not actually contain the answer. Thankfully, they have finally started an email newsletter, which has been helpful, but it would have been nice to have had one several months ago. For example, I found out that their prospective market had bailed and they had to find a new one from the newspaper instead of from Lumina staff.

I park here often using Spot Hero. It’s hard to find at first because it is under construction, that being said it’s a good location if your in the financial district. Don’t know about the The Valet are quick, friendly and helpful. Right next to the bridge for a quick escape to the east bay. I wish I could afford to live there! The building looks incredible.

I’m compelled to come back on Unilocal out of my good conscience to let readers and prospective buyers know what theyre getting into with this building:
Lumina should be ashamed of themselves. Backed by the illustrious work of renowned development company Tishman Speyer, Lumina promises an unrivaled luxury experience but fails miserably in delivering it to current residents. Buyers beware, on the outside, the property has all the makings of a prestigious residence but the reality is quite the opposite. What you’re getting is not quality but poor workmanship, zero accountability across all levels of management for repairs, and a giant headache everyday. There are other owners that can validate what I just wrote, just read all the bad reviews or talk to the residents if you come across them.
Move on, or you’ll end up with buyer’s remorse.

I use Lumina for parking every day of the week. The staff is very professional, curious and friendly. Competitive rates as well. Great all around experience.

Updates following the grand opening of the fitness center.
First off, Audrey L. provided a glowing review of Lumina and shared photos of areas not open to the residents so I am suspecting she works for the sales team. Also, she only started posting additional reviews once she was called out on creating the account for the purpose of boosting the Lumina rating.
Ok, now for the updates: Sell the dream of what could be.
Fitness Center:
1.By far the nicest part of the facility and is what the sales agents now focus on since there isn’t anything else to show. It is very nice and the equipment is top notch. With that being said, they rushed to get the fitness center opened and just placed equipment. What does this mean? There is great equipment with a lot of features but most are not setup. Example: treadmills have the ability to stream music and shows (stare at construction today since these don’t work), and enable you to create an account, etc. None of these features are actually available because they just wanted to put the equipment in to stop from having to pay for our memberships down the street at Crunch. There is no drinking fountain so they put a water jug which empties quickly. The saunas are not ready and there are no towels so make sure to bring your own. The rock wall is up but we cannot use it for some reason. Pool is under construction and the builder is already blaming the city for delays as they say once it is done it will be months before the city can sign off on it. If it was completed last November when they said we might have it today.
2. Construction grinding noise continues 6 days a week and starts at 6 – 6:30 am.
3. Builder rented out parking spots to a parking app company so the gates at the entrance are useless. Just drive in — no security or gate access required.
4. Business Center– what a joke! I have seen hotels with a better business center. A desk, a computer, and an old school printer without a scanner. They have other rooms but they are empty and not finished. The conference room overlooks the pool that is under construction. It is the nicest room they have and will be the focus of every sales pitch since it is the only one that is done. But you may not be able to access them anyways. Even though you are part owner the key fobs and locks don’t work. You have to go get someone to open them for you.
5. Kids Room — Looks like it will be great. Today is it not available.
6. Parking garage is still so dusty. Have to wash my car twice a week.
7. Have seen everything getting rushed. The quality is really going down hill as I suspect they are getting a lot of pressure. I would rather the builder be honest and realistic. Don’t just open something that is not fully finished. Everything is partially complete.
Will keep updating. I would love to go to at least 2 stars but how can I when everything is partially complete? Pay the highest price/​sqft in the city and get mediocrity.

My husband and I searched throughout San Francisco for a new, modern condo with upscale amenities. We ended up purchasing at the Lumina and moving in September to our new condo. Thus far we have been really happy with the quality of the construction and with the staff. Whenever there have been any issues with any of the appliances etc. the team has been quick to come help us and fix any problems. The sales team including Hugh has been very easy to work with during the process of purchasing our home. The First Residential staff who run the concierge service and the front desk have been extremely warm and friendly, even helping us bring packages to up to our unit etc. The parking (valet only) has actually been quite simple and in the near future we will be using an app to request our car when we need it. We are still waiting for some of the amenities (gym, Market etc.) to be built since we were one of the first to move into Lumina, but I expect all the amenities to be of very high quality as the rest of the building is!

After much searching, I found LUMINA to be the only new construction condo building in San Francisco that satisfies my high class, luxury lifestyle at this time. The amenities are second to none, and the location is excellent. I bought with the future in mind — the transbay bus station across the street will soon be converted to a park and the new caltrain station nearby will position this property in the prime location for the Embarcadero area.
Some of my colleagues believed the price to be too high, but for a central location property in a global city like SF, I believe it is quite reasonable. Compared to comparable properties in London, Tokyo, or Paris, the price of LUMINA is much more affordable.

The Lumina sales team is by far one of the most professional and knowledgeable teams in all of SF. I took my clients to the sales center and they were blown away with Julia and Hugh’s presentation and description not only of The Lumina, but of the neighborhood. I went sell my clients a home at The Lumina, which I did, but I ended up also purchasing a home for myself. Thank you Julia and Hugh!

An absolutely beautiful sales gallery with very impressive technology! There is a large variety of amenities and the neighborhood is in a great location. Helpful website, too!