SAN FRANCISCO | 5M Development | 470, 400, 200 & 174 FT | 40 FLOORS
5M stands for 5th and Mission, the project's location in the SOMA neighborhood of San Francisco.
In late 2007, Hearst, owner of the San Francisco Chronicle, and of the 3.9 acres containing 20 separate parcels (the site in question) issued an RFP to developers, either to develop the site (in partnership) or to buy the site. Shortly after, Hearst chose Forest City to develop the site in partnership with Hearst. Forest City is also developing Pier 70, which after successful community outreach was approved by the general public earlier this year, and they are developing a few other notable projects in SF, including a successful apartment project in the Castro district, with a market hall/food emporium on the ground floor. After Forest City was chosen, with the Chronicle's woes (and other newspaper publishers) vacated some space in their building, allowing for opportunity for immediate repurposing. Forest City then interviewed 70 people in community focus groups and talked to 45 local organizations. The result was the hiring of Alex Michels, founder of Hub SOMA and Hub Berkeley, to create a new non-profit, 5M.org. Quote:
Further description of the non-profit activities fostered by Forest City on the site since 2009 below: Quote:
http://www.5mproject.com/ In 2012, 5M was a Finalist for Best Community Impact by the SF Business Times. In 2013, Yahoo replaced Square (who last year moved HQ to larger space in Mid-Market) as a 60,000 sf lease in the 300,000 sf Chronicle Building. Jumping forward to 2014, Forest City has been as carefully planning its master development at 5M as it has been planning Pier 70, which won voter approval this year at the ballot box. As early as 2011, Forest City's plan was to have their project approved in 2014 with construction to commence in either 2015 or 2016 and last through 2026. On October 15, 2014, Forest City submitted a 740 page EIR for the development. On November 20, it held a public hearing, kicking off a large political and community process that will determine what eventually gets built. Quote:
An important part of the pitch is that 25% of residential units will be built on and/or off-site as affordable units. On November 6, 2014, Forest City and its architect Kohn Pederson Fox released the first official renderings and set of detailed plans. Quote:
On November 20, the day that Forest City held its first public hearing, the San Francisco Planning Department introduced a proposal for SOMA office developers to pay additional impact fees to help keep non-profits from being priced out of the city. It would be an unprecedented move. Additionally, planners want to enforce Proposition K, which voters recent approved, to mandate that 33% of all housing units created would be available to middle and lower income residents. Office developers already pay $24/sf to subsidize housing and there is not much room to allow for more before development is completely non profitable. According to SFGate, Quote:
RENDERINGS http://www.socketsite.com/wp-content...t-Boundary.jpg source http://www.socketsite.com/wp-content...ject-Sites.jpg source http://www.socketsite.com/wp-content...t-Massings.png source http://www.socketsite.com/wp-content...Open-Space.gif source http://www.socketsite.com/wp-content...g-Skyline1.jpg source http://www.socketsite.com/wp-content...ng-Heights.png source Mary Street view looking south http://www.socketsite.com/wp-content...ring-Alley.jpg source https://html2-f.scribdassets.com/68l...b3d733d326.jpg source https://html1-f.scribdassets.com/68l...fed00d6db7.jpg source Minna Street view on Mary Court https://html1-f.scribdassets.com/68l...21a62e3013.jpg source View of Chronicle Building rooftop https://html2-f.scribdassets.com/68l...71c8af621c.jpg source Mid-rise Residential https://html2-f.scribdassets.com/68l...fc4cd0e320.jpg source High-rise Residential https://html2-f.scribdassets.com/68l...e9a30c7699.jpg source Office Building https://html1-f.scribdassets.com/68l...7c92515990.png source Office Building https://html1-f.scribdassets.com/68l...54054a3cf4.png source Looking East down Howard https://html2-f.scribdassets.com/68l...6059b0202d.jpg source https://html2-f.scribdassets.com/68l...4862fe8ccb.jpg source A Full Copy of the November 20 presentation (complete with renderings and diagrams) can be found HERE. I look forward to tracking this one with you all over the next decade (hopefully sooner). |
I like a couple of the buildings that are getting demo'd, but they really are a dime a dozen in SOMA, and this project will exponentially invigorate this area. Also they are retaining the four story brick building on Minna which is nice, and there is a build alternative which retains the building at Natoma & Mary.
One thing I did notice that I couldnt find mentioned anywhere is the fact that there is an unconnected parcel that is part of the project farther down Mission labeled as M3, but this only appears on the project map from the old socketsite link. |
It doesn't make sense to me that the building heights have to be shorter for the residential option. I understand ceiling heights are typically smaller in residential spaces, but that should open up more floors for units. This is such a great area for the residential option, it will mean even more people walking on the streets.
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Replacing a parking lot with residences and offices near mass transit? I like this project.
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Agreed, that area has long been under-built. This would bring some much needed density to that block. And the more productive usage, including offices and residences, will do a lot to help the area.
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Some details of the plan have been revised, per J.K. Dineen:
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^One tiny correction (I think). The Chronicle map seems to indicate the office building will be 395':
http://ww3.hdnux.com/photos/37/07/40...5/920x1240.jpg Another interesting change is the retention of the Camelline Building: Quote:
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I am happy that they are able to keep the Camelline building, but I hope they do something interesting with it, as the addition of open space for the rest of the footprint of N2 means that it will be surrounded by open space on three sides. I would have preferred keeping both it and N2 and turning the new building into an L shape to wrap around the Camelline building, to juxtapose old and new, as they are doing on the corner of 5th and Howard.
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^I really like your idea too. That would have been better. Perhaps sometime in the future.
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John King has a few words about the 5M proposal, with the first round of approvals coming up in September:
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http://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/a...witter-premium |
i pray to azazel that this one is allowed through.
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Much agreed.
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This project is big enough that a special joint hearing of the San Francisco Planning Commission and Recreation and Park Commission will be held this Thursday to vote on all the approvals. Among the documents set to be approved:
Even after all the above is approved (which appears likely), there is a 15-day appeal period, and then several of those amendments must be voted on by the Board of Supervisors (which has its own appeals process too) to become final. |
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