SAN FRANCISCO | 550 O'Farrell Street | 212 FT | 20 FLOORS

Pedestrian · #1 Posted **Apr 6, 2022, 5:15 PM**

Quote:

Demolition Permits Filed For 550 O’Farrell Street, Tenderloin, San Francisco
BY: ANDREW NELSON 5:30 AM ON APRIL 6, 2022

Demolition permits have been filed for the existing garage at 550 O’Farrell Street in the Tenderloin, San Francisco. The property will be replaced with a thirteen-story building with 111 apartments. The new addition is being designed by brick., an Oakland-based architecture firm.

The design will revamp the facade of the existing garage, repaint the gargoyles, and add floor-to-ceiling windows along with the street and second level. The third-floor wall will be set back, retaining prominence for the historic facade. The remaining tower will be cantilevered to partially cover this terrace, clad with a solid material to complement the existing garage’s facade.

Construction will rise 130-feet to yield 104,960 square feet, with 78,990 square feet of residential area, 5,650 square feet of communal open space, parking for 156 bicycles, and no vehicular garage on-site. Unit sizes will vary with 35 one-bedrooms, 62 two-bedrooms, and 14 three-bedrooms.

Of the 111 homes, 22 will be affordable housing units.

The property is located in the center of O’Farrell Street between Leavenworth and Jones Street. The project would rise to match the height of several existing buildings in its immediate vicinity . . . .

550 O’Farrell is owned by Sandhill O’Farrell LLC, a company owned by a Palo Alto-based individual. Presidio Bay Venture is sponsoring the development. Construction is estimated to cost $25.7 million.

[Existing garage]

https://sfyimby.com/2022/04/demolition-p...ell-street-tenderloin-san-francisco.html

38 Geary · #2 Posted **Apr 6, 2022, 5:18 PM**

Nice, solid infill. Glad they are retaining the unique and interesting facade of the original garage as well.

Pedestrian · #3 Posted **Apr 6, 2022, 5:24 PM**

In searching for a thread on this so I didn't create a duplicate, I was kind of surprised at how many projects of approximately this height, which is more or less the maximum for the Tenderloin, have been proposed. If everything gets built, and it's nearly all housing so most probably will, the Tenderloin will be a neighborhood with a lot of new or renovated housing, not at all the run down slum of its popular image.

Now if only the city could find a way to get the tent cities and drug dealers/users off the street.

38 Geary · #4 Posted **Apr 6, 2022, 6:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

In searching for a thread on this so I didn't create a duplicate, I was kind of surprised at how many projects of approximately this height, which is more or less the maximum for the Tenderloin, have been proposed. If everything gets built, and it's nearly all housing so most probably will, the Tenderloin will be a neighborhood with a lot of new or renovated housing, not at all the run down slum of its popular image.

Now if only the city could find a way to get the tent cities and drug dealers/users off the street.

38 Geary · #5 Posted **May 22, 2024, 1:42 PM**

The updated specs for 550 O'Farrell St:
- 17 floors, 170 ft
- 141 units (79 1BR, 32 2BR, 30 3BR)
- 19 of the units will be affordable
- 1,280 sq ft for retail
- Parking for 0 cars and 149 bicycles

The site:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/J2ek9QbdYeXGcfTq5

Quote:

Increased Preliminary Permits For 550 O’Farrell Street, San Francisco

BY: ANDREW NELSON 5:30 AM ON MAY 22, 2024

Increased permits have been filed for a dense residential infill at 550 O’Farrell Street in the Tenderloin, San Francisco. The application will now reach 17 floors, four additional levels, and thirty units more than previously filed plans. Presidio Bay Ventures is the developer, and Sandhill O’Farrell LLC is the project sponsor.

...

HGA is now responsible for the design, taking over from brick., an Oakland-based architecture studio. Illustrations give insight into the future design, which features a precast concrete and metal panel facade punctured by wide floor-to-ceiling windows. Terracotta cladding will establish the lower three floors.

The 0.27-acre parcel is in the center of O’Farrell Street between Leavenworth and Jones Street. The project would rise to match the height of several existing buildings in its immediate vicinity. The Hilton San Francisco, the tallest hotel in the city, is two blocks away. Future residents will be surrounded by various shops and restaurants and next to a Muni bus stop.

https://sfyimby.com/2024/05/increased-pr...r-550-ofarrell-street-san-francisco.html

38 Geary · #6 Posted **Oct 31, 2024, 5:02 PM**

Quote:

Recent Permits For 550 O’Farrell Street in Tenderloin, San Francisco
By: Andrew Nelson 5:30 am on October 31, 2024

New permits have been filed requesting a meeting with city officials regarding the 17-story residential proposal for 550 O’Farrell Street in the Tenderloin, San Francisco. Earlier this year, the developer shifted gears on a previously approved project, increasing the scale by four floors and 30 units. Palo Alto-based Sandhill O’Farrell LLC is the project sponsor.

...

HGA is now responsible for the design. The previous plans were drafted by Oakland-based brick., an architecture firm that has since merged with HGA. Facade elevations from the studio show some insight into the proposal, with three levels of terracotta cladding establishing the base and the remaining 14 floors wrapped with precast concrete.

Demolition will be required for the existing century-old two-story garage. According to the 2017 Historical Resource Evaluation drafted by Carey & Co, the group determined that the 1924-built garage may be eligible for historic listing under Criterion 3 as a good example of the Gothic Revival style. The style was prevalent across San Francisco from the 1850s through 1925, often expressed through plaster finishes scored to appear like ashlar masonry patterns, buttress piers, and blind quatrefoil panel parapets.

https://sfyimby.com/2024/10/recent-permits-for-550-ofarrell-street-in-tenderloin-san-francisco.html

BobbyMucho · #7 Posted **Oct 31, 2024, 8:01 PM**

Is asking for just a little visual interest in these value-engineered projects really too much?

38 Geary · #8 Posted **Aug 21, 2026, 4:32 PM**

Looks like this one gets a height and units bump. The number of affordable units has gone down, and there is included parking now and it looks like the retail component is gone?

The updated specs for 550 O'Farrell St:
- 20 floors, 212 ft
- 158 units (24 studios, 82 1BR, 43 2BR, 9 3BR)
- 9 of the units will be affordable
- Parking for 81 cars and 120 bicycles

The site:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/J2ek9QbdYeXGcfTq5

Quote:

Updated Illustrations For 550 O’Farrell Street in Tenderloin, San Francisco

By: Andrew Nelson 5:30 am on August 21, 2026

Updated plans have been filed for a residential tower at 550 O’Farrell Street in Tenderloin, San Francisco. The proposal is now expected to rise 20 floors with 158 units from a small plot currently occupied by a two-story garage. Palo Alto-based Sandhill O’Farrell LLC is listed as the property owner.

The application invokes Senate Bill 330 and the State Density Bonus law to streamline the approval process and increase residential capacity. The development will include 158 apartments, of which nine will be deed-restricted as affordable.

...

HGA Architects and Engineers is responsible for the design. Illustrations show that the overall design approach has not changed since previous plans, with limited articulation between the podium and tower. Facade materials will include precast concrete, metal infill, and terracotta panels. The rear setback above the garage will produce a rooftop deck on the sixth floor. Additional amenities will include a top-floor deck, fitness center, lobby, social lounge, and yoga room.

https://sfyimby.com/2026/08/updated-illu...-street-in-tenderloin-san-francisco.html

38 Geary · #9 Posted **Aug 21, 2026, 4:40 PM**

And the renderings:

https://sfyimby.com/2026/08/updated-illu...-street-in-tenderloin-san-francisco.html

38 Geary · #10 Posted **Aug 21, 2026, 4:42 PM**

Unfortunate to see they are no longer retaining the unique and interesting facade of the original garage. Oh well.