SAN FRANCISCO | Projects: Under Construction, Approved, and Proposed II

[tall/awkward]

Re: City Hall, great news! It's about time.

[38 Geary]

Originally Posted by theskysthelimit

Not related to developments but SF is proposing a build it or lose it way to get things going.

City Hall has a message for developers sitting on stalled office projects: Use it or lose it.
In a memo shared with the San Francisco Planning Commission on Thursday, Planning Department Director Sarah Dennis Phillips laid out a dramatic policy shift: Commercial office projects that have not shown a good-faith effort to move toward development could immediately lose their Proposition M allocation — a limited pool of office space that the Planning Department doles out each year.

http://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/office-towers-downtown-real-estate-22339474.php

Originally Posted by tall/awkward

Re: City Hall, great news! It's about time.

Agreed.

[38 Geary]

An update on current office conditions.

This tech company abandoned its S.F. headquarters. Now it’s taking over an entire office building
By Laura Waxmann, Staff Writer July 21, 2026



For years, San Francisco’s office landlords watched tech tenants shrink their footprints, embrace remote work and walk away from long-term leases. Now, one of the companies that once embodied that shift is betting in the opposite direction: Brex, which abandoned its traditional headquarters model during the pandemic, is taking an entire office building off the market for the next decade.

...

According to real estate firm CBRE, San Francisco recorded its seventh consecutive quarter of positive net absorption in the second quarter of 2026, meaning that more square feet of occupancy were gained than lost during the quarter. The brokerage reported this month that vacancy in downtown has dropped from a high of nearly 37% in the third quarter of 2024 to 29.2% in the first half of this year. Expanding AI startups contributed nearly 1 million square feet of net absorption in the second quarter, while leasing activity totaled nearly 3 million square feet. Demand from tenants in the market for office space “surged” to a record high of 8.9 million square feet, the firm reported, with “40% of this total expected to be for expansion space.”

The recovery, however, has concentrated in certain parts of the market, and in certain buildings: AI companies have driven much of the recent leasing activity in neighborhoods like Mission Bay and China Basin, which recorded the lowest office vacancy of any submarket at 17%, while the Yerba Buena area recorded the highest vacancy at 62.7%, per CBRE. Class A buildings — modern properties in prime locations with views — accounted for 77% of leasing activity in the second quarter, with companies gravitating toward newer or upgraded offices with amenities and access to transit. Brex’s office in a relatively modern, 2016-era creative office building in the South Beach neighborhood, which is located just north of Mission Bay where AI pioneer OpenAI has laid roots, appears to largely fit the bill.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/realestate/article/brex-san-francisco-building-22345480.php

[OakAngeles]

Thanks for all the updates, 38. I also saw that BART ridership is steadily making its way back up & they are even moving back up to the 10 car trains to meet demand. Seems like between the office occupancy growth & an increase in visitors, theres really some good momentum building for the city

https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/bart-highest-ridership-month-since-pandemic/4115323/

[38 Geary]

^ You're welcome!

But yes, nice to see BART ridership increasing steadily. It seems to be closely tied to RTO trends. Ultimately, in the long run, I think BART should accelerate its TOD expansion in many of the park and ride lots out in the suburbs though to help boost ridership as well, and work with the individual cities to prioritize urbanization around the existing stations. That will help diversify it from being a primarily commuter based transit system to a more broader general purpose one, and therefore less reliant on work commute variances.

[peanut gallery]

Not a construction update, but a photo of the city taken from Sausalito. A bit of an experiment as I want to start contributing to construction updates again and need a new hosting platform.

[38 Geary]

Nice shot! The picture is loaded up perfectly on my end, both on desktop and mobile.

[Busy Bee]

Yesh

[BobbyMucho]

2918 Mission St is finally making progress and has begun excavation at the site. Plans are to have 75 apartments online by 2028.





For those who don't recall, this is the site of the infamous "historic laundromat," where various neighborhood groups attempted to stall (nearly did) the original project and ultimately forced the developer to sue the city and sell the site.

[peanut gallery]

Thanks guys! I posted a few construction updates in the Bay Area thread.

Glad to see that Mission lot finally get started. And it fills a surface lot to boot!

[38 Geary]

Let's see if this one can finally get going.

Exclusive: S.F.’s notorious Divisadero car wash is finally set to become 203 apartments
By J.K. Dineen, Staff Writer
Aug 13, 2026

The largest apartment developer in the United States is set to break ground on the long-stalled 203-unit redevelopment of the shuttered car wash on Divisadero Street, which would be the first significant market rate housing to start construction in San Francisco this year. Multiple real estate sources confirmed that Greystar, a South Carolina-based builder that owns more than 110,000 units in multiple states, is in contract to acquire the former Touchless Car Wash property and has lined up the financing needed to start work. So far the development team has obtained Public Works permits to close the sidewalk along the Oak and Divisadero frontages and occupy part of an Oak Street traffic lane during construction. That permit lists Oct. 19 as a start date. The developer has also filed a permit to demolish the former car wash, although that one has yet to win final approval.

...

The battle over the future of the blighted former Touchless car wash property at Divisadero and Oak streets has been a political football since it was first proposed a decade ago, with some residents arguing that the land should be replaced with subsidized 100% affordable housing and others contending that any residential development at the site would be welcome. It will be the largest housing development on the Divisadero corridor and the Lower Haight neighborhood.

...

Just 405 housing units have been completed in San Francisco in 2026, the vast majority of them have been affordable. The city’s state mandated housing goals calls for the city to plan for 82,000 units between 2023 and 2031. Since taking office, Mahmood has worked with 4Terra Investments about what it might take to get construction started on the 203-unit project first approved in 2017, which would include about 20 low-income units. Mahmood passed legislation that allowed projects to conform to the building code on the books at the time they break ground, rather than the codes in place when the application is filed, which 4Terra said cut project costs by between 5% and 7%, or about $4 million. The project became even more economically feasible this year when the Board of Supervisors reduced the percentage of affordable units required in market rate development from 20% to 5%.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/apartment-divisadero-street-san-francisco-22386042.php

[38 Geary]

A reminder of the project.

City Approves 400 Divisadero Street, San Francisco



By: Andrew Nelson 5:30 am on January 31, 2025

Plans have been approved for an eight-story apartment complex at 400 Divisadero Street in San Francisco’s Lower Haight neighborhood. The 203-unit application received ministerial approval via Assembly Bill 2011. 4Terra Investments is the project sponsor.

The 85-foot tall structure will yield around 194,280 square feet, with 109,800 square feet for housing, 1,850 square feet for retail, and 8,480 square feet for the 24-car garage. The proposal aims to create 203 residences, including 20 units of affordable housing. Unit types will vary, with 121 one-bedrooms and 82 two-bedrooms. Parking will be included for 24 cars and 144 bicycles.

...

BDE Architecture is responsible for the podium-style design. The articulated facade will be clad with a mix of stone veneer, stucco, and wood-look siding. The exterior will be punctuated by a mix of bay windows, balconies, and blue accents.

https://sfyimby.com/2025/01/city-approves-400-divisadero-street-san-francisco.html

[38 Geary]

And the renderings:





https://sfyimby.com/2025/01/city-approves-400-divisadero-street-san-francisco.html

[38 Geary]

A small project but nice to see some small scale office to residential conversions nonetheless coming up in the pipeline.

The specs for 150 Hayes St:
- 7 floors, 100 ft
- 104 units (55 1BR, 42 2BR, 7 3BR)
- Parking for 88 cars and 108 bicycles

The site:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/z3JnWXxSyZokEASC7

Renderings Revealed For 150 Hayes Street, San Francisco



By: Andrew Nelson 5:30 am on August 18, 2026

Renderings have been shared for the office-to-housing conversion of 150 Hayes Street in San Francisco’s Civic Center. The proposal will produce just over a hundred units, adaptively reusing the existing structure while reskinning the facade and adding a floor. The application states construction could start as early as next summer. Emerald Fund and SDG are jointly responsible for the application.

...

Solomon Cordwell Buenz is responsible for the design. The exterior will be clad with a geometric bronze metal panel framing protruding over Hayes Street, with additional facade materials to include dark stone/concrete panels and floor-to-ceiling windows.

The application intends to invoke the recently adopted Downtown Revitalization Financing District. The program provides “annual incentive payments to eligible commercial-to-residential conversion projects in downtown San Francisco using tax increment financing,” according to the city’s website. None of the housing will be deed-restricted as affordable, invoking San Francisco Planning Code Section 406(j).

https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/newreply.php?do=newreply&noquote=1&p=10637226

[38 Geary]

And the renderings:







https://sfyimby.com/2026/08/renderings-revealed-for-150-hayes-street-san-francisco.html

[OakAngeles]

Originally Posted by 38 Geary

A small project but nice to see some small scale office to residential conversions nonetheless coming up in the pipeline.

The specs for 150 Hayes St:
- 7 floors, 100 ft
- 104 units (55 1BR, 42 2BR, 7 3BR)
- Parking for 88 cars and 108 bicycles

Considering how many big proposals seem to either lose funding halfway through or sit in development hell these days, I'll take a thousand of these smaller projects over bigger ones anyday.

The new design is also a big improvement over the very dated look it has now imo.

[38 Geary]

An update on the current residential market conditions.

With rents surging, developers race to build San Francisco apartments again
By J.K. Dineen, Staff Writer Aug 21, 2026



A former Mission District Laundromat. A shuttered car wash in the Lower Haight. An abandoned excavated foundation on Fifth Street that filled with so much rain water that neighbors called it Lake SoMa. After a six-year freeze on construction, residential developers are finally scrambling to deliver new market-rate housing to an overheated market that has the nation’s fastest growing rents, soaring home prices, single-digit vacancies and next to no new inventory. Many reasons contributed to the drop off in residential construction, with developers citing high construction and borrowing costs, burdensome affordability requirements and San Francisco’s damaged reputation in the wake of the pandemic. Cratering rents — which dropped by up to 20% in some neighborhoods from 2020 to 2023 — and rising operating costs made it nearly impossible to justify building homes. But developers say the landscape has changed with lower inclusionary housing requirements and investors interested in profiting from the housing demand sparked by the city’s AI boom. In just the last few weeks developers have announced plans to break ground on over 1,000 rental units.


...

Projects expected to break ground soon include 203 units on a former car wash at 400 Divisadero, 75 homes at the Wash Club laundromat at 2918 Mission St., 342 units at Dogpatch Power Station and 350 apartments at Pier 70. That number could expand greatly next year if Align Real Estate Partners starts construction as planned on its proposal to build 848 units on the site of the Marina Safeway. The optimism is in stark contrast to even six months ago when many market-rate developers were looking at building subsidized affordable projects because they couldn’t get equity investors to come to the table. That was the case with 321 Florida, where MacDonald applied for low-income tax credits. But with rents in the Mission up about 10% year-over-year, and occupancy at about 95% in the neighborhood, “market rate is feasible again,” he said.

...

While a building boom should eventually help drive down rents, the first wave of buildings won’t be ready for occupancy until late 2028, providing little immediate relief. And it will barely put a dent in the city’s struggle to meet the state-mandated goal of permitting 82,000 units by 2031. Nearly half way through the cycle, about 6,500 units have been completed. The first crop of new buildings will be rental rather than condo and will be aimed at the upper end of the market. While before the pandemic developers were shrinking the size of units to generate more density and higher returns, the next wave of buildings will have larger floorplates and more common spaces, according to developers. It would likely do little to offer relief to lower and middle income workers struggling to afford the city, which could be a political liability for Mayor Daniel Lurie. Marc Babsin, CEO of developer Emerald Fund, credited the city’s recent reduction in the amount of onsite affordable units that market-rate developers are required to build for making projects feasible. The requirement for large projects was rolled back from 25% to 15% in 2023 and from 15% to 5% in July.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/apartment-home-san-francisco-22393569.php

[38 Geary]

This one is complete! Considering that permits were filed in late 2020, approved in 2022, groundbreaking July 2023, and construction completed last September, with grand opening last month, we could definitely use more "quick" build projects like these.

A refresher on the specs for 730 Stanyan St:
- 8 floors, 83 ft
- 160 units (35 studios, 43 1BR, 42 2BR, and 40 3BR)
- 100% of the units will be affordable; 20 for transitional-age youth residents, 12 for families exiting homelessness, and 2 for on-site managers
- 5,090 sq ft for community public space (a tech training space, a TAYs center, and a senior center)
- 3,750 sq ft for childcare facility
- 2,300 sq ft for a cafe
- Parking for 0 cars and 160 bicycles

The site:
https://goo.gl/maps/5CMB39zeqowQJ5Cw6

YIMBY Tours 730 Stanyan Street in Haight-Ashbury, San Francisco



By: Andrew Nelson 5:30 am on August 24, 2026

The affordable housing complex is now open at 730 Stanyan Street in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury neighborhood. Recently, YIMBY toured the building with project team leaders from OMA, Y.A. Studio, and the Chinatown Community Development Center. Even before opening, all 160 units have been fully leased, and the ground-floor early childcare center is near completion. OMA led the project architecture, working alongside executive architect Y.A. Studio and GLS on landscape architecture. The exterior is clad with a system of modular glass fiber-reinforced concrete panels, designed with a playful wavy plasticity. OMA elaborates that “each panel includes integrated windows and ventilation louvers, a system that made the façade cost-effective, durable, and quick to install on site.”

The overall massing and color palette each take inspiration from neighboring buildings, with four-story volumes overlooking Haight Street and Waller Street. Among the small details of 730 Stanyan Street that OMA partner Jason Long highlighted was a scalloped bay at the building’s southeast corner along Waller Street. The corner of the building is carved out from the lot line to meet a neighboring Victorian house, 1760-1762 Waller Street. Jason Long, Partner at OMA, said of the building, “by carving 730 Stanyan to maximize light, views, and shared outdoor spaces, we sought to create homes that are generous and deeply connected to the surrounding community and Golden Gate Park.” Three primary carve-outs from the structure have produced three ground-level open spaces, including a childcare play area, residential gathering area, and the street-facing public courtyard outside the main lobby.

The fifth-floor setbacks are each improved with landscaping. The Haight Street-facing terrace is positioned outside the shared laundry room, providing a convenient waiting space for residents. The Waller Street terrace features outdoor seating and a stepping-stone path through an expansive planter. Yakuh Askew, principal at Y.A. Studio, said of their involvement, “partnering with OMA, TNDC, and CCDC on 730 Stanyan meant bringing real technical rigor to the project vision: durable materials, courtyards that actually get used, homes built for the long term. But none of that matters if we lose sight of who they’re for — families staying together, young people starting out on their own, neighbors rebuilding their lives at the edge of Golden Gate Park. That’s the work we’re proud of.”

https://sfyimby.com/2026/08/yimby-tours-730-stanyan-street-in-haight-ashbury-san-francisco.html

[38 Geary]

And the photos:

[Busy Bee]

Cool