An overblown article from yesterday's
San Francisco Examiner. The towers are nothing new; we've known about them for over a year. But the Examiner decided to proclaim the plans by putting it squarely on the front page.
Rincon Hill primed for soaring towers
55-story building set for residences.
By J.K. Dineen
Staff Writer
Published: Friday, February 4, 2005 11:26 AM PST
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In what would be among the tallest residential towers west of the Mississippi, a developer is proposing a pair of soaring, pencil-thin structures city planners tout as the crown jewels of the new Rincon Hill neighborhood plan.
Developer Michael Kriozere, who developed the Towers at Embarcadero South, wants to build 700 units of condos in two glass-and-aluminum skyscrapers on the corner of First and Harrison streets. The plan calls for a 55-story building, a 45-story building, and 14 garden townhouses.
actually they're 61 and 49 story towers
The only taller residential tower on the West Coast would be the 58-story building at 301 Mission St., which is currently under construction.
301 Mission is a mixed use development with a hotel component
The towers, spread 115 feet apart, would sit on the modest apex of Rincon Hill and would shoot up by the Bay Bridge's onramp. Each story would contain just 9,800 square feet, making them the skinniest skyscrapers in The City, according to developer spokesman David Prowler.
"They are as clean as clean gets," he said.
The building would occupy a 50,000-square-foot lot where a three-story Bank of America office building now sits. Project attorney Steven Vettle said the developer was careful to buy enough land to allow the buildings to breathe, he added.
"The cleanliness of it appeals to me," Vittle said.
City Planner Marshall Foster said the towers conform exactly to The City's new Rincon Hill neighborhood plan. Under the plan, which calls for 3,900 new Rincon Hill housing units, floor plans must be less than 10,000 square feet and spaced 115 feet apart. They must provide all parking underground.
"We think that, generally speaking, it's a model for the kind of thing the plan is trying to do," Foster said. "It's an example of the benefits of having a clear set of rules that minimize bulk and minimize shade and preserve views and openness."
Gabriel Metcalf, deputy director of the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association, agreed.
"For people who like the way Vancouver looks, these are the buildings that most resemble Vancouver-style high-rises," Metcalf said. "We think this is a great building topography for San Francisco."
The developer goes before the Planning Commission on Feb. 17 and is hoping to break ground this summer.
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One Rincon Hill will replace the Bank of America Clocktower atop Rincon Hill now.
