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

[38 Geary]

^ Interesting proposal.

I do agree that any redevelopment here would absolutely need to retain the facade and rotunda. Anything eliminating it would be a nonstarter in my book. Also, do you know if the building on 865 Market has any historic value? I believe it used to be a Hale's back in the day, and the facade was redone at some point, so maybe not worth saving like the original Emporium building. There's also the existing buildings like Hotel Zetta and The Pickwick Hotel to consider how to incorporate. I also like that they'd be getting rid of the Fifth & Mission / Yerba Buena Parking Garage and replacing it with a pedestrian only street, although all the bus lines would have to be rerouted.

Originally Posted by obemearg

The concept looks a lot better than I expected it to and it's nice that they incorporated historic facades & the rotunda into the plan, but I still don't know if a stadium that's utilized for only a fraction of the year would be the best activation for the space. I do like that they're exploring lots of options for ways to bring people downtown though.

True, although you could also argue that the space is not currently being activated to its full potential, and seeing how malls/retail are largely obsolete aside from a handful of "lifestyle" centers like Valley Fair or Stanford Shopping Center, may not ever be again in its current format.

Are there other examples of heart of downtown soccer stadiums around the US/world? I wonder if the space can be used during non game days for concerts, other community events and/or farmers markets and things like that.

[pseudolus]

reminds me of the 1960s proposal for Yerba Buena that included an arena

Yerba Buena Center (1969) by Erica Fischer, on Flickr

[38 Geary]

Sunset affordable housing project gets go-ahead despite neighborhood complaints
By Sam Mauhay-Moore
Updated Aug 25, 2023 1:18 p.m.

A 90-unit affordable housing development is set to be built in San Francisco’s Sunset District after a neighborhood group intent on preventing the project lost its final appeal with the city last week.

For three years, the Mid-Sunset Neighborhood Association has fought the city on the development of an affordable housing complex at 2550 Irving St., claiming that hazardous chemicals used by former dry cleaners had left the area contaminated. On Aug. 16, the Board of Appeals rejected the group’s final appeal to prevent the project, making way for the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation to start the development process.

2550 Irving will be a seven-story apartment complex made up entirely of affordable housing units, a spokesperson for the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development told SFGATE. Units will be reserved for families making between 30% and 80% of the area’s median income, or between $38,900 and $103,750 annually for a three-person household, including 22 families who are experiencing homelessness. The property is located on Irving Street between 26th and 27th Avenue, a block south of Golden Gate Park.

https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/2550-irving-development-sunset-gets-green-light-18329727.php

[OneRinconHill]

Originally Posted by pseudolus

reminds me of the 1960s proposal for Yerba Buena that included an arena

Yerba Buena Center (1969) by Erica Fischer, on Flickr

It's quite ugly but why did this never get built?

[38 Geary]

Originally Posted by OneRinconHill

It's quite ugly but why did this never get built?

According to Wiki:

The idea of building a conference center, under the name Yerba Buena Center, in downtown San Francisco was a further development of the idea stemming from the late 1950s to redevelop the city center, particularly the industrial areas that were gradually falling into disuse. At the heart of the proposal was the vision of the city transforming from an industrial to a tourist-conventioneering city. The idea of the Yerba Buena Center itself first emerged in the early 1960s. At that time there was a concern about how development could occur in the downtown area. The South of Market area offered hundreds of acres of flat land at low land prices. Various corporate committees were founded to lobby for the redevelopment, which would also include high-rise office buildings, a vast parking garage, and a sports center. At the center of operations was the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency (SFRA) first headed by Joseph Alioto, who would go on to become mayor of the city in 1968. The area of the development was regarded as a blighted area of the city, even referred to by local media, local business and city officials as 'skid row'. However, the developers did not figure on the persistence of the local community, the vast majority of which were aged, male, ex-industrial workers who lived alone in the many cheap hotels in the area. Together the latter formed the Tenants and Owners in Opposition to Redevelopment (TOOR). Their demand was to be rehoused in the area in low-rent housing. The case went to court where the judge, Stan Weigel, judged in favor of TOOR. Things changed with the election of a new city mayor, George Moscone, in 1976, who spearheaded construction. The Gardens was later built as part of a deal by Mayor Moscone with developers to "set aside land and funds for cultural institutions such as museums, exhibits, and theaters."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yerba_Buena_Gardens

[Scaevola]

I do really hope the mall finds another buyer. If it weren't for the artificially deflated foot traffic resulting from the reputation of the Mid-Market area, it could be one of the busiest urban malls in the country. It's not a bad location for a stadium, but I would prefer trying to save what remaining commercial activity we have on that section of Market.

In order for any of that proposal to be a reality though, San Francisco needs an MLS franchise first.

[JManc]

I don't like the fact that some of the older buildings on the corner of Mission/ 5th and Mission/ 4th would get the axe.

[pequenosparkee]

Dollar store at 2100 Mission came down

https://missionlocal.org/2020/03/new-dev...ay-be-companys-last-market-rate-project/

[bluntcard]

I left San Francisco 14 years ago. It has always had its problems. I lived there for 16 years and never saw any improvement. I'm sad to see that it has become so bad that entire malls have failed because of it. As a progressive I'm proud of how far we have come but we have failed this beautiful city. I'm embarrassed. It really doesn't have to be like this.

[twinpeaks]

Originally Posted by bluntcard

I left San Francisco 14 years ago. It has always had its problems. I lived there for 16 years and never saw any improvement. I'm sad to see that it has become so bad that entire malls have failed because of it. As a progressive I'm proud of how far we have come but we have failed this beautiful city. I'm embarrassed. It really doesn't have to be like this.

The SF homeless coalition is the main root of the problem. They promote homelessness status quo or make it worse. They are not interested in helping solve the problem. They sued and block San Francisco from clearing encampments. I hope none of our tax money is going to them.

https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/new...pment-over-encampment-sweeps-injunction/

In general, majority of San Francisco is clean and safe. The Tenderloin and parts of SOMA is where you will see zombies and open drug dealing. Police needs to enforce the laws and courts must be stern in their conviction. Also, we cannot let mentally ill people roam the streets, that is inhumane.

I'm liberal, but I no longer believe in criminal reform in reducing sentences that involves hard drugs and larceny. It doesn't work, and made the problem much worse.

[38 Geary]

New Renderings For Bay Trail Bridge In Dogpatch, San Francisco



BY: ANDREW NELSON 5:30 AM ON SEPTEMBER 3, 2023

New renderings have been published for the proposed pedestrian bridge to cross Warm Water Cove in Dogpatch, San Francisco. The extension to the Bay Trail will connect a public park with the planned Potrero Power Station redevelopment, a project for which demolition has occurred, but construction has yet to start. Harrigan Weidenmuller Company is the project developer.

Groundworks Office is the project’s landscape architect, working with Simpson Gumpertz & Heger as the structural engineer and CBG as the civil engineer. WRA is the environmental consultant. Illustrations show a timber bridge reminiscent of the Moynihan Connector extension of the High Line in New York, designed by SOM.

The pedestrian and bicycle bridge will connect Warm Water Cove with the Amazon Warehouse parking lot at 401 23rd Street. Though small, the project pushes forward progress on the San Francisco Bay Trail, a planned 500-mile pedestrian and bicycle path wrapped around the Bay waterfront. Right now, the trail extends 350 miles. Once complete, the trail will extend through 47 cities and seven toll bridges.

By 401 23rd Street, the trail will connect to the 2,600-unit Potrero Power Station and the one-thousand-plus-unit Pier 70, both masterplans with millions of square feet of offices, retail, and public space to accompany the housing.

Construction is expected to last around 18 months, with six months for the seawall and 12 months for the bridge. In-water work will need to happen between June 15th to November 30th during low tides.

https://sfyimby.com/2023/09/new-renderings-for-bay-trail-bridge-in-dogpatch-san-francisco.html

[38 Geary]

And the renderings:









https://sfyimby.com/2023/09/new-renderings-for-bay-trail-bridge-in-dogpatch-san-francisco.html

[38 Geary]

New thread: SAN FRANCISCO | 955 Sansome St | 184 FT | 16 FL

[38 Geary]

The site:
https://goo.gl/maps/NqLpQKx6KxCgzW8B7

Former Union Bank Tower Sold For $61 Million, San Francisco



BY: ANDREW NELSON 5:00 AM ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2023

The 22-story office tower at 350 California Street in San Francisco’s Financial District has been sold for $61 Million, less than a quarter of the initial asking price. The property was sold by Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group to the joint venture of Swig Company and SKS Partners.

Initial reports for the sale surfaced in May, but the exact figure was revealed by Roland Li for the San Francisco Chronicle late last week. The $61 million price tag is far less than the initial quarter-billion-dollar asking price. Working out at over $200 per square foot, this continues a trend of sizable discounts on commercial office space in San Francisco as the city maintains over 31.8% office vacancy, compared with around 4% pre-pandemic.

...

In a statement shared with the Chronicle, Swig Company CEO Connor Kidd shared that “we viewed this as a generational opportunity to acquire an immaculately maintained and very well-located Financial District building at below replacement cost, and to do so with a skilled and trusted partner.” SKS managing partner Paul Stein said, “the acquisition of 350 California Street reflects the certainty that The Swig Co. and SKS Partners have in San Francisco’s continued role as a center of business and innovation.”

The 22-story tower was built in 1976, with architecture by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. The brutalist structure includes an eye-catching foundation, framing a transparent glass box lobby with studded walls. Above, concrete pilasters extend to the flat cornice. The project replaced the 1907-built Alaska Commercial Building, a 13-story office building designed by Meyers & Ward Architects. The 0.44-acre parcel is located at the corner of California and Sansome Street, across from the 48-story tower at 345 California Street.

...

Swig Company is a real estate investor. The firm owns 220 Montgomery Street, the Russ Building, and the recently completed 633 Folsom Street office tower now occupied by Asana. SKS Partners is a San Francisco-based firm responsible for the UCSF Psychiatry Building, 1154-1170 Sonora Court, a data center campus in San Jose, and the region’s first mass timber project at 1 De Haro Street.

Future plans for 350 California Street remain unknown.

https://sfyimby.com/2023/09/former-union-bank-tower-sold-for-61-million-san-francisco.html

[38 Geary]

And the images:







https://sfyimby.com/2023/09/former-union-bank-tower-sold-for-61-million-san-francisco.html

[38 Geary]

This one is now topped out with facade installation complete!

Scale great, urbanism excellent, affordability excellent, architecture pretty decent considering its an affordable housing project, with little to no additional VE'ing. Just an overall master class.

The specs:
- 9 floors, 88 ft
- 70 units (70 studios)
- All of the units will be affordable
- Parking for 0 cars and 70 bicycles

The site:
https://goo.gl/maps/bFswjLF3hnwdScR39

Affordable Housing For 180 Jones Street, Tenderloin, San Francisco



BY: ANDREW NELSON 5:30 AM ON SEPTEMBER 8, 2023

Construction has topped out with facade installation complete for the nine-story residential infill at 180 Jones Street in San Francisco’s Tenderloin. The development replaced a surface parking lot with 70 units of affordable housing. The Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation is the project sponsor.

The 92-foot tall structure contains around 38,500 square feet of housing, including a 590 square foot courtyard and 2,850 square feet of common space. All 70 units will be studio sized, of which 35 will be subsidized for adults existing homelessness, 34 units for households earning between 40-65% of the Area Median Income, and one unit for the on-site manager. The ground floor will include a common area, social worker’s office, a supervisor office, and additional offices for residents.

Van Meter Williams Pollack is the project architect. Facade materials will include cement plaster, metal panels, masonry, and a transparent vertical louver screen. The concrete structure showcases the angled double-height bay windows facing Jones Street and Turk Street. A second-floor courtyard will provide residents will a furnished open space next to the laundry room.

The 0.11-acre parcel is located at the corner of Jones Street and Turk Street, just one block from Serif SF and the recently-opened IKEA. Residents will be close to Powell Street BART, the Father Alfred Boeddeker Park, and a plethora of restaurants.

https://sfyimby.com/2023/09/affordable-housing-for-180-jones-street-tenderloin-san-francisco.html

[gillynova]

A 25k soccer stadium in the heart of Downtown San Francisco sounds and looks amazing! It would've been more feasible if we didn't have a Bay Area MLS in San Jose already. Maybe we can host another team in SF like how LA and New York have 2 teams but seems very unlikely to me.

It would be a perfect venue for concerts though. There's a TON of events at Bill Graham (8.5k capacity) and Shoreline (18k capacity) that the soccer stadium can handle and would be perfect with the BART station right there.

Maybe if they can implement stores in the exterior so there would be continues foot traffic as people visit/check out the stadium then it would be a match made in heaven

[pequenosparkee]

Samsara took over where Formant used to be, right next to OpenAI. Lots of companies in PH / the Mission - Adept, Discord, Invitae, etc.

[38 Geary]

One of San Francisco's largest rooftop bars will soar above Union Square
By Susana Guerrero
Sep 12, 2023

When Chotto Matte opens its doors next month, the newest addition to Union Square is expected to be one of the largest restaurants and rooftop bars in San Francisco.

Ahead of the grand opening slated for October, SFGATE was invited to a media preview of Chotto Matte, on the eighth floor of the former Macy’s men’s department store. The Japanese-Peruvian restaurant is expected to host 400 guests in a dining space that will feature a lava stone sushi counter, a DJ booth and a vast wine display.

San Francisco has been a huge focus for Chotto Matte ever since the international restaurant chain first announced its plans to debut the massive eatery back in 2021. Chotto Matte’s grand opening was proposed for September, but it has been pushed back to late October while crews complete construction and last-minute details. Once it opens, the San Francisco outpost will be the largest Chotto Matte site, larger than even its flagship restaurant in London.

“In the heart of Union Square, we hope to blend into its electric energy and vibrant culinary scene, bringing our innovative dining offerings to its discerning food lovers,” Chotto Matte founder Kurt Zdesar told SFGATE via email last month.

A private elevator lift will take guests to the top floor of 50 O'Farrell St., where they will first spot a robata grill before catching sweeping views of Union Square’s shopping district and the cityscape on the exterior dining terrace. The space features floor-to-ceiling windows that can be opened or closed to help keep guests warm during the evenings and the chilly winter months ahead.

General manager Adam Chapman told SFGATE that Chotto Matte aspires to add to San Francisco’s energetic nightlife, pointing to where the forthcoming DJ booth and sushi counter will eventually be. Specific operational hours have not been released, but Chapman said the restaurant will likely stay open until 1 a.m., which is later than neighboring rooftop bars Charmaine’s and Kaiyo.

https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/sf-c...18360324.php?IPID=SFGate-HP-CP-Spotlight

[38 Geary]

AIASF Opens Center For Architecture + Design In Historic San Francisco Building



BY: ANDREW NELSON 5:00 AM ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2023

The American Institute of Architects, San Francisco, opened its new headquarters and the Center for Architecture + Design last Friday at 140 Sutter Street in downtown San Francisco. The civic-minded institution will provide a new cultural hub for lectures, events, and film screenings inside the historic Hallidie Building. Aidlin Darling Design, a San Francisco-based architecture firm, is responsible for the interior design, working alongside a team of collaborators.

Joshua Aidlin of Aidlin Darling Design said about the firm’s work, ”the Center is about bringing together people from different backgrounds in a physical space—a cultural destination for the community, where one can be inspired by the power of design.” The sparse interior intervention complements the exposed concrete pillars with warm wooden panels.

Across from the abstract sculptural concierge desk that greets visitors are the natural-lit storefront cafe space and the large double-height lecture hall. The back of the center includes a gallery and meeting room. The mezzanine level of the 10,000-square-foot space will create a new office space for AIASF.

Charles Higueras, Chair of the Board for the center, said ahead of the event last Friday, “Finally, we have a place dedicated to helping our diverse city understand the importance of well-designed spaces and places. The Center’s emergence now plays a key role in engaging the public in creating a more enduring and vibrant city.”

The Hallidie Building was constructed in 1918 with a design by Willis Polk and financing from the U.C. Regents. The architect said of the project, once complete, that “nothing like this building has ever been attempted in the world,” making it, by some accounts, the first-ever curtain wall building in the world. The city’s Historic Review of the project notes the “remarkable cantilevered and overscaled cornice, decorative fire escapes, and balconies.” The eight-story steel-frame building is named after Andrew Hallidie, a U.C. Regent and the inventor of the cable car.

https://sfyimby.com/2023/09/aiasf-opens-...-in-historic-san-francisco-building.html