[peanut gallery]

Originally Posted by peanut gallery

There's a notice on the current building for a hearing today at 1:30 to discuss the demolition of the existing building and construction of this one to replace it. At least the bureaucratic part of the process is moving forward.

This is 110 The Embarcadero. It was approved by the planning commission. Next up, the Board of Supervisors. According to an article in Saturday's Chronicle, that's not necessarily a slam-dunk:

Debate on plan for greenest West Coast building
Robert Selna, Chronicle Staff Writer
Saturday, November 8, 2008

A world-class architect who promises to build the West Coast's greenest commercial building on San Francisco's Embarcadero has nonetheless raised the hackles of some residents and city officials.

They say the building is too tall for the city's majestic shoreline and might set a bad precedent for future development along the boulevard.

The plan by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects was backed by the city's Planning Commission this week on a 4-3 vote, but city planners, architecture critics and some neighbors say they wish the 123-foot, 10-story building could conform to the waterfront's 84-foot height limits. "The city's general plan says buildings can go to 84 feet on the waterfront so you don't just start granting exceptions just because it's a green building," said Planning Commission President Christina Olague, who voted against the project.

Project developers say a big chunk of the structure's estimated $58 million price tag is the result of its predicted Platinum environmental rating - the best score granted by the U.S. Green Building Council. The extra height would create more rentable space, helping to pay for the added costs of making the building green, they say.

The project also needs approval from the Board of Supervisors, which generally supports green building practices, but has been known to reject commission recommendations when citizens raise concerns.

Planning Commissioner Michael Antonini, who favored the plan, said an exception should be made for the building because it is unique and shows San Francisco's nascent commitment to green building. The building is not large given its high cost, he said.

"I don't see this setting a precedent down there," Antonini said. "It's a building that will someday be a landmark and when people see it from the bay or the bridge, it will be a beacon for green tech building in the city."

Dubbed 110 The Embarcadero, the building would replace a long vacant two-story structure. It would stand next to the Audiffred Building, a three-story brick landmark from 1889 at the corner of The Embarcadero and Mission Street, which houses Boulevard Restaurant.

Seven other buildings share the block, including the beloved brick 1924 YMCA building, which is nearly as tall as the proposed 110 The Embarcadero. Skyscrapers loom just a couple of blocks to the east and to the north and south.

As it stands, 110 The Embarcadero would include a host of green characteristics, including solar panels, recycled wood and a wastewater recycling system. Its marquee feature would be "living" exterior walls in which planters on each floor would hold a mix of vines trained to create a net of foliage.

Chronicle architecture critic John King said the building could be "the most exquisite addition to the waterfront since the Embarcadero Freeway came down in 1991." But King described its height as "clumsy," recommending that it be lowered one or two stories.

The city Planning Department welcomes the building's innovations, but also has concerns about its height and recommended that the commission disapprove the project.

"There was a concern about supporting a parcel-specific change in height without looking at broader impacts of that change to urban form," said city planner Kevin Guy. "The compatibility of the building on a block that is smaller in scale and fronting The Embarcadero was a consideration."

Paul Paradis, an executive at Hines, a development firm, said only five commercial buildings exist in the United States with a Platinum rating, and none is on the West Coast.

"We think there are companies out there that will want to have their business in a green Platinum building and we want to bring that building to the market," Paradis said. "Right now if a company really wants to show its commitment to the environment by locating in the most green building that can be built, it has no options."