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

[Pedestrian]

Good friend of mine was laid off from his job at one SF Marriott hotel at the beginning of the pandemic and is now working at another but isn't too happy. I suggested he look into the Line Hotel (in the Serif building).

[Pedestrian]

Castro Theatre will pivot to live music after big renovation
By Ted Andersen – Digital Editor, San Francisco Business Times
Jan 19, 2022 Updated Jan 19, 2022, 4:29pm PST

The organizer of the annual Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival in Golden Gate Park has just landed a deal to revamp one of San Francisco's most iconic venues.

Berkeley-based Another Planet Entertainment announced Wednesday that it will partner with the owner of the historic Castro Theatre, Bay Properties Inc., to renovate the landmark and introduce live concerts and events to the venue.

APE — which has a track record of investing in regional historic buildings such as the Fox Theater in Oakland, the Greek Theatre in Berkeley and the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco — said it plans to enhance the Castro Theatre by implementing "significant improvements" to the sound, lighting, production, HVAC and the venue's trademark marquee, among other areas.

. . . “We want to activate and re-energize the building, making improvements to the customer and artist experience, including dressing room upgrades, restoring the marquee and blade and expanding food and beverage service. We want to present all sorts of programming in the theater – comedy, music, film, community and private events and more. We look forward to further contributing to the culture and economy of this vibrant neighborhood.”

. . . there are likely to be big changes when it comes to the venue's annual array of film festivals . . . .

The building will close for about six to eight months for construction, pending permits, and a new slate of programming is expected for a 2023 grand reopening. It hosted the 2008 premiere of “Milk,” about slain Supervisor Harvey Milk and recently hosted the premiere of “The Matrix Resurrections.”

The 1,400-person venue, which first opened in 1922 and was built for $300,000, was designed by Timothy L. Pflueger.

The glazed tile street foyer, ornate box office and wooden doors are all from the early 1920s, but the marquee and vertical neon sign were added in the 1930s. Inside, according to the theater's website, you’ll find Spanish, Asian and Italian influences. The Art Deco chandelier dates to 1937.

It was designated a San Francisco historic landmark in 1977.

https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco...-ape-bay-properties-live-music-film.html

[BobbyMucho]

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco...-ape-bay-properties-live-music-film.html

Nice! Glad to hear more love is being poured into the Castro. Definitely doesn't sound like a pivot so much as upgrades to better serve a variety of mediums and performance types.

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by BobbyMucho

Nice! Glad to hear more love is being poured into the Castro.

For the first time since 1987, new bars may soon be able to open in the Castro
By Alex Barreira – Staff Reporter, San Francisco Business Times
Jan 12, 2022 Updated Jan 12, 2022, 3:17pm PST

Believe it or not, zoning rules in San Francisco's Castro neighborhood have prevented new bars from opening there since 1987. That's likely to change soon after the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved new legislation Tuesday.

District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, who represents the neighborhood, introduced the ordinance in October to allow new bars to open with a conditional use permit from the Planning Commission, a process that allows the public to weigh in on the issue.

New bars have been banned in the Castro Street Neighborhood Commercial District (NCD) since its inception in 1987, given the saturation of bars at the time and the concern about the effect on the neighborhood.

In spite of the ban in the NCD confines — which stretch along Castro Street from Market to 19th streets, and on 18th Street from Diamond to Noe streets — new bar owners have been able to enter the picture over the years through buying existing establishments.

Many of the area's newer bars have opened nearby in the neighboring Upper Market Street NCD, where the use is conditionally permitted. But the ban still adds another hurdle to the already herculean prospect of opening a business in San Francisco, where liquor licenses are a highly competitive (and pricy) commodity. Proponents also say, acknowledging the neighborhood's efforts to maintain its inclusionary ethos in the face of citywide gentrification trends, that the ban has effectively locked out opportunities for new business owners.

Supporters of the measure include the leaders of the Castro Community Benefit District and the Castro Merchants Association.

The potential reversal of the ban reflects the challenges faced by bars and the Castro neighborhood, the former hit by social and economic factors that have led to establishments declining in recent years. Meanwhile, the retail vacancies in the area proliferated during the pandemic and have been slow to fill back up.

Since the old heyday for LGBTQ-friendly bars in the Castro, the rise of dating apps, exorbitant rents and competition from other parts of the city and Bay Area accelerated bar closures even prior to the pandemic . . . .

If a procedural second reading vote Jan. 25 passes the measure, it would be sent to Mayor London Breed's desk for her approval, veto, or to leave unsigned — but little opposition has been raised to the measure throughout the legislative process. Before reaching the full board the legislation was heard by the Small Business Commission, Planning Commission, and the supervisors' Land Use and Transportation Commission, and was approved unanimously by all three bodies.

https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco...s-zoning-permit-diversity-nightlife.html

[Pedestrian]

Special Zoning for New Irish Cultural Center Formally Sought
February 24, 2022

San Francisco’s Planning Department has just completed its preliminary review of the bold plans for an all-new United Irish Cultural Center to rise up to 96 feet in height on the site of the existing 35-foot-tall Center in the Outer Sunset and has raised a couple of concerns and/or considerations.

While Planning supports the aesthetics of the proposed approach of the project, it’s concerned about how the building would weather “the harsh shoreline / ocean conditions,” not to mention the “challenges of subsequent value engineering” once the project was approved.

The bulk of the proposed building has raised a couple of flags as well, not only in terms of its proposed dimensions above 40 feet in height, which is limited by Code, but the lack of a required 25 percent rear yard setback above the building’s second floor, for which a Variance could be sought but would likely be fought by the adjacent residences along Wawona, and a proposed Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 6.72 versus a limit of 2.5 as zoned.

And while the center could include a restaurant, “as a minor and incidental use,” restaurants are not permitted above the second floor of the site, which doesn’t bode well for the sixth-floor restaurant and cocktail lounge atop the center as rendered.

As expected, the proposed building’s façade has already been engineered a bit, as newly rendered by Studio BANAA below.

The project’s mass (Floor Area Ratio), substandard rear setback and sixth-floor restaurant and cocktail lounge remain as preliminarily proposed, however. And the formal application to entitle the development, with the approval of a site-specific “Special Use District “(SUD) and Zoning Map amendment to allow for the building as proposed being sought, has just been submitted to Planning.

https://socketsite.com/archives/2022/02/...ish-cultural-center-formally-sought.html

[Pedestrian]

Updated Renderings Revealed For 249 Pennsylvania Avenue, Potrero Hill, San Francisco
BY: ANDREW NELSON 5:30 AM ON FEBRUARY 27, 2022

New renderings have been shared with SFYIMBY.com for the residential development at 249 Pennsylvania Avenue in Potrero Hill, San Francisco. The project uses the 50% State Density Bonus program, hoping to add 92 new homes in the city. William Spencer Company, based in Brisbane, California, is responsible for the development as the property owner.

The seven-story project will yield 125,000 square feet, with 95,430 square feet for residential use, 24,800 square feet for the garage, and 10,410 square feet of usable open space. This includes the 5,030 square foot roof deck. Of the 92 units, there will be 54 one-bedrooms, 36 two-bedrooms, and two three-bedrooms. Parking will be included for 48 cars and 104 bicycles.

. . . the facade will have a diverse array of materials, ranging from composite panels and stucco to corrugated steel, a copper-like metal, and blue panel accents. The back of the building will face I-280 Freeway, with a Heart San Francisco sign on the sound-proof wall.

There will be fifteen affordable units on-site, with nine for households earning 50% of the Area Median Income, or AMI, three units for 80% AMI households, and three for 110% AMI households. Unit sizes will vary, with 54 one-bedrooms, 36 two-bedrooms, and two three-bedrooms.

Along with the State Density Bonus, the project team has applied for protection with the state Senate Bill 330, or the Housing Crisis Act of 2019. As written in the passed legislation, it “prohibits a local agency from disapproving, or conditioning approval in a manner that renders infeasible, a housing development project for very low, low-, or moderate-income households or an emergency shelter unless the local agency makes specified written findings based on a preponderance of the evidence in the record” . . . .

Construction is expected to cost $18 million, with groundbreaking in the first quarter of 2023, lasting 22 months. With site work expected to start in January, vertical construction would begin by May, and architectural finishings between late 2023 until the expected opening in late 2024.

https://sfyimby.com/2022/02/updated-rend...a-avenue-potrero-hill-san-francisco.html

Residents better enjoy freeway noise!

[timbad]

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

...Residents better enjoy freeway noise!

yeah, I kinda thought its former use as a good hardware store was a better fit for the site. this seems a bit strange to me

[timbad]

9th and Howard is gradually wrapping up

[AndrewK]

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

https://sfyimby.com/2022/02/updated-rend...a-avenue-potrero-hill-san-francisco.html

Residents better enjoy freeway noise!

At least it’s next to the off ramp as opposed to the actual freeway.

[weatherguru18]

Hey all, I have a question unrelated to architecture.

I’m likely to be relocating there in April. I’m excited about the move but worried that the cost of living will make my life exceedingly difficult.

I’ve been looking for a (new build) place to live but not sure where the younger, gay folks live. I know the Castro is the gay hub but I’m not sure I’ll be able to afford to live that close into the city.

I think my budget will be in the $3500/month-ish and was wondering where I can get the most space, in a new built building, in a very safe place as possible.

Any suggestions? I’m excited and I can’t wait to get there!

[38 Geary]

Originally Posted by weatherguru18

Hey all, I have a question unrelated to architecture.

I’m likely to be relocating there in April. I’m excited about the move but worried that the cost of living will make my life exceedingly difficult.

I’ve been looking for a (new build) place to live but not sure where the younger, gay folks live. I know the Castro is the gay hub but I’m not sure I’ll be able to afford to live that close into the city.

I think my budget will be in the $3500/month-ish and was wondering where I can get the most space, in a new built building, in a very safe place as possible.

Any suggestions? I’m excited and I can’t wait to get there!

How much room do you need? Is a one bedroom or studio enough space?

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by weatherguru18

Hey all, I have a question unrelated to architecture.

I’m likely to be relocating there in April. I’m excited about the move but worried that the cost of living will make my life exceedingly difficult.

I’ve been looking for a (new build) place to live but not sure where the younger, gay folks live. I know the Castro is the gay hub but I’m not sure I’ll be able to afford to live that close into the city.

I think my budget will be in the $3500/month-ish and was wondering where I can get the most space, in a new built building, in a very safe place as possible.

Any suggestions? I’m excited and I can’t wait to get there!

Gay people live all over San Francisco and there's really no need to live in a place identified as a "gay neighborhood". The Castro is a focus of gay culture but it is an expensive area to live and I would guess most of the younger people who live there have roommates (often several).

Quite a few younger gay men live in the Mission District, upper and lower Haight, Inner Richmond, Western Addition and other neighborhoods. But I have to be honest: Unless you are willing to share with roommates, I don't think you are going to be able to afford the city, especially "new construction" (of which there isn't that much). One of the largest new buildings in town is Trinity Place and as you can see, junior 1 bedrooms there go for around $2000/month. Most other new buildings are going to be in that range. And as was said above, with new construction you aren't going to have rent control.

There are some larger 60s/70s vintage apartment buildings on the fringes of the Tenderloin that might have a studio near your price range.

You might be wiser to look for a place in the East Bay near a BART station to make getting into the city easy. Least expensive would be the southern areas like Hayward but nicer is Berkeley and the areas around the MacArthur Bart Station. (I found a few places in this area for around $1000/month: https://www.apartments.com/transit/ca/oakland/macarthur-station/61z61gs/ ).

The East Bay seems very popular with lesbians by the way.

[38 Geary]

This is a nice new option too. Just opened! Has great views of the skyline.

Apartments are renting from $2,675 to $5,785 per month. Unit sizes range from 387 to 1,052 square feet each.

It's a short and safe, <5 min walk to Powell Station, then a 6 min, 4 stop subway ride via Muni Metro (light rail) to the Castro.

The George
The George is the 20-story apartment complex at 434 Minna Street, overlooking both Mint Plaza and The Parks. The 249-foot tall structure contains 310,490 square feet with 225,090 square feet for residential use, 9,140 square feet for amenities, 4,600 square feet for ground-level retail, 26,550 square feet for two below-grade levels of parking for 52 cars, and 1,590 square feet for bicycle parking.

https://sfyimby.com/2022/03/grand-openin...xed-use-development-with-5m-in-soma.html

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by homebucket

This is a nice new option too. Just opened! Has great views of the skyline.

Apartments are renting from $2,675 to $5,785 per month. Unit sizes range from 387 to 1,052 square feet each.

Tough to pay $2675/month for under 400 sq ft on a total income of $3500/month. But perhaps I misread the question. If the budget for rent is $3500/month, that opens a world of possibilities. As we all know, there are a number of new buildings in San Francisco on Market St, Mission Bay and so on that ought to have units in that price range.

[38 Geary]

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

Tough to pay $2675/month for under 400 sq ft on a total income of $3500/month. But perhaps I misread the question. If the budget for rent is $3500/month, that opens a world of possibilities. As we all know, there are a number of new buildings in San Francisco on Market St, Mission Bay and so on that ought to have units in that price range.

I assumed his rental budget was $3500/month. If that was his total budget (rent, utilities, food, other stuff) a month... tough luck. Might be better off staying in Texas.

[weatherguru18]

Ha! Thanks for all the suggestions.

To clarify: my RENT budget is $3500-$4000/month. Monthly income good bit higher.

I’m needing a one bedroom, preferably with an office space too. Man, it is mega sticker shock for me. I don’t understand how anybody makes it there unless you’re good with 5 roomies and or live 2 hours away from the city.

My office is located off battery street near the financial district.

[38 Geary]

Originally Posted by weatherguru18

Ha! Thanks for all the suggestions.

To clarify: my RENT budget is $3500-$4000/month. Monthly income good bit higher.

I’m needing a one bedroom, preferably with an office space too. Man, it is mega sticker shock for me. I don’t understand how anybody makes it there unless you’re good with 5 roomies and or live 2 hours away from the city.

My office is located off battery street near the financial district.

Gotcha. You should have plenty of options then. Probably not a 2 bedroom place but certainly a one bedroom with a large enough living room for a home office set up. Downtown Oakland could be another option too that might be cheaper. Lots of new housing developments have gone up recently.

[L.ARCH]

Originally Posted by weatherguru18

Ha! Thanks for all the suggestions.

To clarify: my RENT budget is $3500-$4000/month. Monthly income good bit higher.

I’m needing a one bedroom, preferably with an office space too. Man, it is mega sticker shock for me. I don’t understand how anybody makes it there unless you’re good with 5 roomies and or live 2 hours away from the city.

My office is located off battery street near the financial district.

I'd suggest Upper Market. There's a few new buildings you could check out on Market St between Castro and Dolores. Easy access to transit, grocery stores, restaurants and bars. Those new places in SOMA or Mid Market may be nice but the neighborhood is still too sketchy IMO.

[Jerry of San Fran]

Originally Posted by weatherguru18

Ha! Thanks for all the suggestions.

To clarify: my RENT budget is $3500-$4000/month. Monthly income good bit higher.

I’m needing a one bedroom, preferably with an office space too. Man, it is mega sticker shock for me. I don’t understand how anybody makes it there unless you’re good with 5 roomies and or live 2 hours away from the city.

My office is located off battery street near the financial district.

The Essex Fox Plaza might be a good choice.

1) THE crossroad for transit - MUNI (lines K, L, M, N, S underground, street car line on the surface), BART 2 blocks away, Sam Trans, Golden Gate Transit, 1 block from the Mission street 14 bus, 2 blocks 5 McAllister line, across the street from the 21 Hayes line. And Uber & Lyft circling the building like hungry sharks

2) Views from all apartments from the 14th floor to the 29th. The west side has calm views, the east size dynamic. Apartments can be hot with the sun in the morning (prefer the east view), west view sun can be hot lots of wind from the ocean. The one bed rooms facing south have sun ALL DAY. The higher the view the better they are. (views on the west side will change in the next year or so with the 46 story high rise coming soon at 30 Van Ness/Market Street.

3) Avoid being less than 3 apartments from the trash closet or next to the elevators

4) 2 - 4 blocks to the ballet, symphony, opera, jazz club, theater

5) be ready for sirens from police, ambulance, bomb squad. Windows are not double pane.

6) The building is under rent control. I just got my rent increase notice which is $35 (keep in mind I have been in the building for 50+ years).

Here is a link to the Essex Fox Plaza site with pictures & floor plans

https://www.essexapartmenthomes.com/apartments/san-francisco/fox-plaza/floor-plans-and-pricing

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by weatherguru18

Ha! Thanks for all the suggestions.

To clarify: my RENT budget is $3500-$4000/month. Monthly income good bit higher.

I’m needing a one bedroom, preferably with an office space too. Man, it is mega sticker shock for me. I don’t understand how anybody makes it there unless you’re good with 5 roomies and or live 2 hours away from the city.

My office is located off battery street near the financial district.

One nice thing about L.ARCH's suggestion of Upper Market is that it's pretty much a straight subway shot to the FiDi. But various newer buildings in Hayes Valley, "the Hub" and along mid-Market have the same advantage (from Hayes Valley it's a short walk to the Van Ness BART/Muni subway station).

I will say one thing, though. I'm not sure why you are determined to get new construction. In San Francisco, many people would prefer a nicely renovated/maintained Victorian/Edwardian flat.