Tijuana’s municipal government shut down the Sideways Living condominium tower construction site in Colonia Madero for the third time on April 21, after the developer was caught conducting unauthorized deep excavations that violated the terms of a limited permit.
Developer Desarrollos SM8 had received a restricted permit in February, but city inspectors found the company was digging well beyond the approved scope of work. The Civil Engineers College of Tijuana confirmed the excavations were inconsistent with what the permit allowed, giving technical backing to neighbors’ complaints of ongoing illegal activity at the site.
Neighboring Homes at Risk of Collapse
Tijuana’s Civil Protection department has placed a red collapse-risk sticker on at least one neighboring home. Three other nearby houses are showing growing structural cracks tied to the unauthorized excavation work. The affected families live in a densely built section of Colonia Madero, also known as La Cacho, a popular residential and commercial neighborhood in central Tijuana.
Before the city issued its closure order, residents physically blocked construction workers from entering the site. The standoff came after two previous shutdown orders failed to stop the developer from resuming work.
Criminal Complaints Filed Against Developer and Officials
Affected residents have filed criminal complaints with the FGE (Fiscalía General del Estado, or state attorney general’s office) alleging property damage and trespassing by the developer. In a separate legal action, they also filed a complaint targeting the municipal officials who originally issued the building permit for the condo tower project.
Residents are calling on Tijuana’s mayor to impose stronger sanctions against Desarrollos SM8, including restitution for structural damage to their homes. They also want the city to revoke the professional licenses of the engineer and architect of record who signed off on the project.
Pattern of Construction Risks in Tijuana
The case echoes broader construction safety concerns in Tijuana. In April 2023, two apartment buildings in the La Sierra neighborhood collapsed after a landslide, displacing multiple families and prompting then-Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila to order a review of building permits in at-risk areas. That episode put a spotlight on lax enforcement of construction codes across the city.
The Sideways Living project’s repeated defiance of closure orders raises questions about the city’s ability to enforce its own building regulations, particularly when developers resume prohibited work between inspections. As of April 21, the site remains sealed, but residents say they are watching for any new attempts to restart construction.
This story was first reported by Punto Norte.