SAN FRANCISCO | 4 blocks Gough to Laguna/Golden Gate to Fulton | 18 FL | 180 FT

[Pedestrian]

2,515-unit housing proposal in S.F.’s Fillmore is one of city’s largest ever
Roland Li
Oct. 29, 2020 Updated: Oct. 29, 2020 4:32 p.m.

A 1973 housing cooperative in San Francisco’s Fillmore district could become one of the city’s largest housing developments ever.

Freedom West, a 382-home complex on four blocks built in the wake of the city’s destructive urban renewal, is moving forward with a $2 billion proposal that would replace the existing housing and add 133 affordable units and up to 2,000 market-rate units.

Co-op shareholders voted to advance a plan from developer MacFarlane Partners and Avanath Capital Management, which will require city reviews and approvals.

The existing 382 homes, which are in need of repairs, would be replaced with eight-story modern buildings for current residents at no additional cost. They now pay around $1,000 per month. Revenue from the new project will help cover existing debt payments.

. . . Freedom West would be in its heart, just three blocks from City Hall. The project would dwarf any of the new projects in nearby Hayes Valley.

Freedom West co-op owners would also have a 15% profit share in the new market-rate units, which include new buildings rising 12 and 18 stories. The developer plans to seek tax credits and public funding to build the affordable housing units . . . .

MacFarlane hopes to win approval in two years and completely construction of the affordable housing in the three years after that. He hopes to finish the entire project in less than a decade.

The project would include 20,000 square feet of retail space and a 6,000-square-foot Innovation Center that would offer job training and small business assistance.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/business...e-15686795.php

[Pedestrian]

Not much new information here but another article about the plan: Massive 2,500-unit redevelopment proposed for Western Addition

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by AndrewCNelson

Heya,
Got a couple new stories we published this morning on SFYIMBY. New planning applications have been filed for the Freedom West development rising as high as 345 feet, a rendering has been discovered for a 240-foot Foster + Partners design in the [URL="https://sfyimby.com/2021/03/foster-partners-design-revealed-for-potrero-power-station-hunters-point-san-francisco.html"]

This appears to have gone from 18 floors to 34 or so. Sure seems like the "Freedom West co-op owners" are trying to cash in but I can't imagine the Planning Dept. going for that height so close to Hayes Valley.

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by timbad

I am reluctant to say this, but that actually looks too tall for the area. I do hope a bunch of new housing goes in there roughly à la this plan, but maybe just not quite so overwhelmingly. (I have a suspicion Planning will also think so.) anyone who lives closer to this have any strong feelings about the massing?

PS, also really like the Octavia Green idea echoing Patricia's Green, and leading to the newly-renovated recreation area to the north.

I live just a few blocks from here and have windows looking its direction but not directly at it and I don't think the towers will impact my view that much so I can't say I have "strong feelings" but I agree that the project change from 18 floors to maybe 34 is just too much for this area and I can't imagine Hayes Valley sitting still for it.

This appears to be a project being pitched to the "Freedom West" co-op owners, who are mostly not affluent, by developer McFarlane Partners and I can imagine the dollar signs in their eyes. But I suspect it won't go far in its latest iteration.

[Jerry of San Fran]

1288 Howard Street getting some color.
This month marks the 50th year that I have lived in the Fox Plaza.
1288 Howard Street, San Francisco

[Pedestrian]

Developers Filed Preliminary Project Assessment For Freedom West, San Francisco
BY: ANDREW NELSON 5:30 AM ON MAY 10, 2021

Developers have completed and submitted the preliminary project assessment letter, or PPA, for the $2 billion Freedom West project around 710 McAllister Street in San Francisco’s Filmore District. In the letter, San Francisco’s Planning Department staff expressed support for Freedom West to build 2,305 new apartments with affordable housing across four city blocks. PPA is the initial process that evaluates moderate to large proposals before development applications are filed . . . .

The PPA lists twelve critical considerations in planning Freedom West, among the most relevant being the racial and social equity planning for inclusive design, community engagement, preserving the neighborhood’s cultural legacy, and having a diverse land use program for concerns like child care and public access. The Bethel A.M.E. Church is an important community stakeholder for Freedom West. Bethel A.M.E. is one of three original Black churches in San Francisco, dating back to 1852.

The PPA letter underscores the church’s significance to the plan, sharing that “the sponsor envisions the proposal as the progression of the original vision of Reverend Hall of Bethel A.M.E. Church for the creation of Freedom West in 1966, thus honoring the legacy of the Fillmore while creating a new model for restorative justice.” The document describes the Fillmore/Western Addition as one of San Francisco’s few remaining Black and Japanese American neighborhoods and that Freedom West 2.0 must support the community.

The floor area for parking is not specified, though on-site garages will provide dedicated space for 1,854 vehicles and 1,269 bicycles. One of the key recommendations from the city is that the project developers reduce the quantity of parking to one space for every four residences, not counting the replacement units.

DLR Group is the project architect and master planner, with Kimley Horn as the civil engineer. Legacy First Partners is acting as the community representative.

Building heights have not been changed from when initial plans were first reported on SFYIMBY in early March. The tallest two towers will stand 345 feet and 215 feet above street level. Both will be in the second phase of construction. The 185-foot residential building in the northwest quadrant will be the tallest building to rise from the first construction phase.

The developers are seeking LEED Silver certification across the ten buildings. Construction will require the excavation of 400,000 cubic yards of earth, assuming a mat foundation. The preliminary application estimates the construction to cost $800 million.

https://sfyimby.com/2021/05/develope...francisco.html

[Pedestrian]

New Renderings Revealed For 2,387-Home Freedom West Proposal, Fillmore District, San Francisco
BY: ANDREW NELSON 5:30 AM ON NOVEMBER 30, 2021

New renderings have been revealed along with updated planning documents for Freedom West, a multi-billion dollar project to build 2,387 new residential units in San Francisco’s Fillmore District. The development will offer replacement housing for all displaced residents while adding a new hotel, retail, community spaces, and new open space. MacFarlane Development Company is responsible for the application.

The Freedom West Development will create 14 new buildings across the 10.8-acre site rising between 4 to 33 floors high. The tallest building, to be finished in phase two, will rise 345 feet high. At build-out, MacFarlane Dev. Co. hopes to see over 2.5 million square feet of residential floor area, 100,000 square feet for the 150-room hotel, 60,630 square feet for commercial retail, 8,860 square feet for Cultural/Institutional/Educational tenants, and 221,920 square feet of usable open space.

An innovation center is planned along Golden Gate Avenue, providing STEM workforce and entrepreneurship skills training. The innovation center will be one of a few community spaces. A new maker space facility will also open up to the public.

An estimated 625,000 square feet will become vehicular parking, adding 1,464 vehicles to the city. Parking will also be included for 1,561 bicycles. This is an improvement from previous parking plans to hold 1,854 cars and 1,269 bicycles.

DLR Group is the project architect and master planner, with Kimley Horn as the civil engineer. Legacy First Partners is acting as the community representative . . . .

Beyond the rejuvenated CoOp will be a much-needed additional 2,000 units of housing, more ground floor activation, and a small hotel. The surface parking lots will give way to open space as the parking moves below ground. New pedestrian environments will be created and all in all the overall neighborhood will be more permeable and have more activities and amenities . . . .

Of the 2,387 total units, 1,790 will be market-rate housing, and 597 units will be affordable. That includes the 382 replacement condominiums for existing residents. The property is owned by the Freedom West Homes Corporation, a non-profit housing co-op. The Freedom West Homes Corporation is joined by the project sponsor MacFarlane Partners and Avanath Capital Management as the Freedom West 2.0 joint development team . . . .

The recently-filed planning application estimates construction will cost $1.426 billion. The construction costs do not include development, pre-construction work, marketing, and other pricey expenditures.

Project addresses will include 710 & 889 McAllister Street, 735 Gough Street, and 550 Fulton Street.

https://sfyimby.com/2021/11/new-rend...francisco.html

[homebucket]

^ Nice, much needed project.

We'll see if the BoS rejects it or not.

[homebucket]

Finally, an update on this one.

Funding Milestone Reached For Redevelopment Of Freedom West, San Francisco



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

A new funding milestone has been announced for Freedom West 2.0, a master plan to right the wrongs of 20th-century urban redevelopment in San Francisco’s Fillmore District. The $27 million secured to date comes a month after a new state bill has created a new pathway to finance the project. The development team includes MacFarlane Partners and Avanath Capital Management.

...

Freedom West was created as a nonprofit housing co-op by Bethel AME Church in 1973, following the aftermath of Urban Renewal in the 1950s and 1960s. In the Fillmore District and Western Addition neighborhoods, the government-sponsored plan displayed over 20,000 residents.

Construction of Freedom West 2.0 will ensure housing stability for the thousand or so residents living in the 382 co-op units. An additional 133 affordable homes will be added during construction, while the master plan seeks to create nearly 2,400 apartments above retail and public open space.

Initial plans for Freedom West Development will create 14 new buildings across the 10.8-acre property. The structure will rise four to 33 floors high, the tallest of which will rise 345 feet high in phase two. At build-out, MacFarlane Dev. Co. hopes to see over 2.5 million square feet of residential floor area, 100,000 square feet for the 150-room hotel, 60,000 square feet for commercial retail, 8,900 square feet for Cultural/Institutional/Educational tenants, and 221,900 square feet of usable open space. DLR Group is the project architect and master planner, working with Hood Design Studio with Kimley Horn as the civil engineer.

Project addresses will include 710 & 889 McAllister Street, 735 Gough Street, and 550 Fulton Street. The recently filed planning application estimates construction will cost $1.426 billion. The construction costs do not include development, pre-construction work, marketing, and other pricey expenditures.

https://sfyimby.com/2023/11/funding-...francisco.html