SAN FRANCISCO | 952-960 Howard St. | 209 FT | 19 FLOORS

[Pedestrian]

Developer proposes 10 stories of apartments above Central SoMa office project
By Sarah Klearman – Staff Reporter, San Francisco Business Times
Oct 18, 2021 Updated Oct 18, 2021, 1:30pm PDT

Developer oWow has proposed adding 130 residential units above a small office property currently under development in Central Soma.

The nearly 25,000-square foot, three-story creative office space at 952-960 Howard St. is expected to be finished sometime in the summer of 2022, oWow CEO Danny Haber told me. Work on the project started in July but vertical construction has not yet begun.

OWow submitted a preliminary project assessment Oct. 7 for a 10-story vertical addition encompassing the 130 residential units, 24 of which will be earmarked for individuals making between 55% and 120% of area median income. The shift, Haber said, is in part owed to the Central SoMa plan, which provides incentives for residential projects that designate at least 10% of onsite units as affordable.

“The Central SoMa plan really makes it a must-have for projects in that area to include high-density housing, including increasing the number of affordable units,” he said. Among the incentives included in the plan is the acceleration of the entitlement process, Haber said.

OWow has proposed utilizing state density bonus law to get the residential component to 92,400 square feet. OWow also seeks to utilize state density bonus law to waive the 85-foot height cap for buildings within Central Soma; 952-960 Howard would reach 162 feet with the residential addition, according to project plans. The project's architect is oWow Design, the developer's design arm.

Haber said it was too early to yet know the development cost of the residential portion of the project, or the rents that would be needed. Haber said the goal is to make the project affordable by design to those making 80-100% of AMI, a range now at $74,600 to $93,250 for a single-person household in San Francisco. The developer has proposed using two standardized floor plans for the units to lower the costs. If the cost of the residential portion would push rents past that threshold, he said, oWow will reconsider to move forward with the residential component . . . .

https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfranc...60-howard.html

[homebucket]

Nice project. Hopefully they waive the height caps for more projects in this area. We really need more housing.

[timbad]

[timbad]

forgot this one had its own thread

[homebucket]

Thanks, timbad!

Just going to add some other renderings for future comparisons sake.







https://sfyimby.com/2021/10/new-rend...francisco.html

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by timbad

forgot this one had its own thread

The rules on this site seem to be that any project 120 ft or over can have a thread and giving them one tends to keep posts about them from getting lost. If someone posted something about a project and the post is now 10 pages back in the compilation thread, good luck to anyone looking for it. So hopefully if anyone knows of a 120+ ft project that doesn't have a thread, please give it one.

[homebucket]

Updated Design, Planning Activity For 960 Howard Street In SoMa, San Francisco



BY: ANDREW NELSON 5:00 AM ON OCTOBER 18, 2022

Updated designs have been published along with new planning activity for the mass-timber tower addition at 952-960 Howard Street in SoMa, San Francisco. The proposal would build a nine-story mass-timber addition on top of a three-tower mixed-use project to create 104 new homes. oWow is the project developer and architect.

The 125-foot tall structure will yield around 88,550 square feet with 75,490 square feet for housing. The existing space includes 18,250 square feet for offices, 5,180 square feet for PDR use, and 590 square feet for retail. Parking will be included for 63 bicycles and no cars, a decision that will support public transit and help reduce congestion.

Of the 104 units to be built, 13 will be offered as affordable housing for very low-income households. Unit sizes will vary with 15 one-bedrooms, 88 two-bedrooms, and one three-bedroom. By including affordable units, oWow hopes to utilize the State Density Bonus and various waivers to allow the project to increase the residential capacity up to 50% more than base zoning would allow.

https://sfyimby.com/2022/10/updated-...francisco.html

[homebucket]

Some additional renderings:





https://sfyimby.com/2022/10/updated-...francisco.html

[homebucket]

Looks like they went with a safer, less polarizing design.

Overall, still a good project. Glad they decided to go with no parking for it. Hopefully they can build it quickly too since they mention it'll be a "kit of parts" to allow for a faster timeline.

[pseudolus]

Originally Posted by homebucket

Looks like they went with a safer, less polarizing design.

Overall, still a good project. Glad they decided to go with no parking for it. Hopefully they can build it quickly too since they mention it'll be a "kit of parts" to allow for a faster timeline.

It would be nice if the design more clearly reflected the "mass timber"

[homebucket]

This one gets a bump! I went ahead and updated the thread title as well.

The specs for 960 Howard:

- 19 floors, 209 ft
- 274 units (158 studios, 116 2BR)
- 42 of the units will be affordable
- 11,920 sq ft for offices
- 5,180 sq ft for light industrial
- Parking for 0 cars and 59 bicycles

The site:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/hkuyE6cm4RY7uVpTA

Plans Nearly Tripled For 960 Howard Street, San Francisco



BY: ANDREW NELSON 5:30 AM ON FEBRUARY 16, 2024

New permits have been filed to increase the residential expansion of 960 Howard Street in SoMa, San Francisco. The updated plans use the recently passed Assembly Bill 1287 to achieve a 100% density bonus, creating a 19-story tower rising from an existing office building. oWow, the busy Oakland-based developer, is responsible for the application.

The residential proposal is the long-sought second phase for 952-960 Howard Street. oWow filed plans for the office and light-industrial structure in 2020, for which construction wrapped up last year. Phase two was filed in 2021 to create a 14-story building with 130 apartments. In 2022, oWow revised the plan to 104 units and a 12-story building.

This latest revision uses the new state law to substantially increase the residential capacity up to 274 rental apartments across 16 floors. Once complete, the 209-foot 19-story tower will yield 168,650 square feet, including 151,550 square feet for housing, 11,920 square feet for offices, and 5,180 square feet of light industrial space. Parking will be included for 59 bicycles.

https://sfyimby.com/2024/02/plans-ne...francisco.html