SAN FRANCISCO | 841 Polk Street | 137 FT | 13 FLOORS

[Pedestrian]

Rendering Revealed For 841 Polk Street, San Francisco
BY: ANDREW NELSON 5:30 AM ON JUNE 25, 2021

. . . located at the corner of Polk and Olive Street, would create new retail space and housing with affordable units. RG Architecture is managing the building design.

A total of sixty apartments will be created, all of which will be studio-sized. According to the preliminary project assessment application, the developer has not decided if units will be sold as rentals or for ownership.

The proposed building would rise 137 feet high to yield 43,150 square feet, of which 1,710 square feet will be usable open space, and 1,000 square feet for ground-level retail. Parking will be included for sixty bicycles.

. . . The contemporary building will rise to the area’s height limit, overshadowed by several larger buildings in the area. The southern facade is wrapped with curtainwall and randomized decorative louvers, likely clearly hiding HVAC systems. The rest of the building will be clad with solid white panels.

An estimated timeline for construction has not yet been announced.


[Lot as it is now]

https://sfyimby.com/2021/06/rendering-revealed-for-841-polk-street-san-francisco.html

I am really pleased by the possibility of this building. I do a lot of shopping on Polk--my nearest "corner" markets and veggie stands--and this short stretch is about its sleaziest because there isn't current much on this block except auto repair so the homeless tend to congregate. Love to see middle class folks move in.

[unpermitted_variance]

I love how skinny this is; narrower parcels make more diverse and vibrant streetscapes. I just wonder how it will pencil out; I have a hard time seeing it get built.

[Pedestrian]

Googie Redesign For 841 Polk Street, San Francisco
BY: ANDREW NELSON 5:30 AM ON DECEMBER 24, 2021

New renderings have been published with a Googie-inspired design by a new architect for 841 Polk Street in San Francisco. The proposal will create 40 new group housing bedrooms near Van Ness Avenue by Polk Gulch and the Tenderloin. Ankrom Moisan Architects is responsible for the design.

According to the project application, “the purpose of the project is to provide the maximum number of high-quality individual group housing bedrooms to contribute to San Francisco’s housing stock.”

The 128-foot tall structure will yield 46,110 square feet with 38,920 square feet for residential use and 900 square feet for ground-level retail. The average bedroom size will span 648 square feet—40 bedrooms with 80 beds. The structure will rise from a 2,925 square foot parcel. The project will include a 1,790-square foot roof deck.

The ground floor includes a lobby, mailroom, trash, and storage for 20 bicycles along with retail. The underground basement floor will consist of tenant storage, laundry, and mechanical rooms. The second level will create an amenities room beside the manager’s unit.

The design for 841 Polk Street exemplifies the futurist architectural style that proliferated during the post-war car culture craze.

Ankrom Moisan Architects was established in 1983 as a small firm and has since expanded to have offices in Portland, Seattle, and San Francisco. With experience in several different sectors, the firm describes its approach to housing design “as urban placemaking, with environmentally and culturally relevant solutions that meet residents’ needs for comfort, security, versatility, and connectedness.”

CF Contracting is listed as responsible for the development as the property owner. This latest application shows a revision from CF Contracting’s initial plans for 60 apartments designed by RG Architecture . . . .

Construction is expected to cost $18.4 million, with an estimated timeline for completion not yet established.

https://sfyimby.com/2021/12/googie-redesign-for-841-polk-street-san-francisco.html

The orange canopy does kind of give it that "Howard Johnson's" look but the question then is why they would want to do that?


https://www.florida-backroads-travel.com/howard-johnsons.html

[AndrewK]

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

The orange canopy does kind of give it that "Howard Johnson's" look but the question then is why they would want to do that?


https://www.florida-backroads-travel.com/howard-johnsons.html

There are a number of mid-century motor lodge-style motels in the area (The Alexis, The Phoenix, among others), so even though all or at least most of them should be torn down and replaced with denser buildings, at least this design element is a nod to them.

[Busy Bee]

I always thought if i was a billionaire it would cool to buy the Howard Johnson name and actually make it a popular thing again. Not necessarily the motel part, just the restaurant. Its a shame it lost its appeal over the years when they didnt change with the times. If done right that midcentury nostalgic appeal could be a huge draw.

[38 Geary]

S.F. developer hits brick wall in bid to turn Tenderloin lot into housing
By Heather Knight, Columnist
Updated Aug 15, 2022 12:20 p.m.

...

Coby Friedman, head of CF Contracting, bought the small lot a couple of years ago. Tellingly in this city where every price tag makes eyes water, he paid $1.1 million for a 2,900-square-foot patch of dirt in the middle of the Tenderloin. He wants to turn it into housing — 100% affordable is his dream — but 14 months after turning in plans to the city, he’s no closer to making them a reality.

...


In this case, though, it’s mostly the inordinate expense of building housing in the city that’s causing the frustration. Under the city’s zoning rules, he can build high — 130 feet — but not dense. Just 23 units would be allowed. The lot is also so small, it would be hard to include the green space required by the city. Friedman has proposed building more units with different plans, ranging from 60 to 84 studios, but even at that number, which would require special permission from the city, he can’t find an affordable housing developer willing to build it. That’s because building affordable housing is so expensive and time-consuming — costing, on average, $750,000 per unit and taking seven years — that developers usually turn down projects with fewer than 150 apartments. So Friedman is caught in a Goldilocks-style dilemma with the city saying he’s seeking far too many units and affordable housing developers saying he’s seeking far too few.

Sam Moss, executive director of Mission Housing Development Corp., an affordable housing developer, said he had to turn Friedman’s offer down because it didn’t have enough units. “It won’t kick off enough money to pay the rent,” Moss said. “That’s a shame, but it’s not wrong. It is sad because in my humble opinion, it has given our city bureaucracy cover to just say no to anything that isn’t a 150-unit type deal. It means we’re trying to make the perfect the enemy of the good.” He added that it’s not all San Francisco’s fault. The federal government used to give more housing vouchers, which low-income tenants could use to offset the cost of rent.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/bayarea/h...nderloin-affordable-housing-17371022.php