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

[Reminiscence]

Awesome shot POLA! Mind if I ask from what building you took it from?

-Edit: Nevermind, p.g. just answered my question

[POLA]

Originally Posted by peanut gallery

Cool shot! Do you know someone in The Paramount?

Yup, me! I work there.

[BTinSF]

So as the Tenderloin is becoming uniformly 9 stories, it seems western SOMA will become 6 stories:

. . . the Planning Commission is expected today to sign off on the Western SoMa Community Plan, which will pave the way for thousands of new units to rise along the nine-block stretch of Folsom between 13th and 4th streets.

The plan aims to "build on existing neighborhood patterns" by creating residential enclave districts — housing will be prohibited outside of these districts south of Harrison Street. Rather than blanketing Western SoMa with housing, the citizens task force has decided that the neighborhood is best served by enhancing the existing mix of uses — a mix that arose in the first place through what the report calls "benign neglect." All SoMa really needs is a little love, right?

Source: http://sf.curbed.com/archives/2008/0...or_you.php?o=1

[CityKid]

^^^ That's an awesome photo! You can barely see the window to my office and i've got the blinds shut. Must have taken the photo in the afternoon/early evening.

[peanut gallery]

You're in the white building on Third St. in the lower-left, the one with the red piece of mechanical equipment on the roof, right? You can see my building too (mid-right), but not my window.

[viewguysf]

Originally Posted by SFView

Wow, imagine living next door to that. I looks almost out of a cartoon or something...


Maybe this scene will make these houses famous someday...like a future San Francisco postcard?

As Downtown Dave would point out, so many scenes in SF would look a lot cooler if they'd continue burying those friggin' power lines!

[POLA]

More then the powerlines, I would say get some street trees! At least they cover the powerlines and are cheap.

[BTinSF]

Friday, August 15, 2008
S.F. housing projects emerge from deep freeze
City lifts 2-year condo ‘moratorium’
San Francisco Business Times - by J.K. Dineen


A 2-year-old Planning Department moratorium that put some 2,000 proposed housing units indefinitely on hold in the eastern neighborhoods of San Francisco has been lifted, giving developers hope that dozens of condo and apartment projects that have been stuck in political limbo will finally be revived.

On July 31, the Planning Commission passed a new “loss and replacement policy” for light industrial uses known as production, distribution and repair, or PDR. The ruling establishes a legal definition for what does and does not constitute PDR, which in turn will allow builders to move forward on housing projects that include some light industrial uses, even before the Board of Supervisors approves the larger eastern neighborhoods rezoning, which is expected by Thanksgiving.

The ruling could allow as many as 2,000 housing units to go forward in some 102 pipeline projects filed between 2004 and 2007, none of which required a zoning change when filed. In all the eastern neighborhoods, rezoning is expected to generate some 7,500 housing units while creating zones where light industry is allowed but housing and retail are not.

In a compromise with property owners, the final PDR definition is broader than originally proposed. In some cases, it allows some design and digital media businesses alongside the more traditional PDR uses like auto repair, manufacturing, printing, storage and shipping. While some housing developers have not been overly enthusiastic about building light industrial space they fear will sit empty for lack of demand, those concerns are outweighed by the relief that the rules are finally becoming clear.

“The words ‘certainty’ and ‘fairness’ are two huge words in our vocabulary,” said builder Richie Hart, whose 20-unit project at 129 Ninth St. was freed up by the ruling. “We play by the rules, we live by the rules, and when the rules change in mid-stream it throws us off.”

For builder Sean Keighran, president of the Residential Builders Association, the decision means he can go forward with entitling his 41-unit condo project at 1717 17th St., a development that will include 10,000 square feet of PDR. The project was filed in 2004 and Keighran hopes he will have a building permit in 2009, a five-year wait.

“Now at least you can figure out what it takes to meet the definition,” said Keighran. “Justice was done here. We’ve been working toward this for a while. It’s a relief that it’s over.”

The 2660 Harrison decision

The de facto moratorium had its roots in a Board of Supervisors decision in February 2006 that blocked a 68-unit condo project at 2660 Harrison St. in the Mission District, a project that the Planning Commission had approved in August 2005. In its decision, the board argued that the proposed project should be analyzed within the context of the ongoing eastern neighborhoods rezoning and the “cumulative impact” of some 80 proposed housing developments on existing PDR.

For developers with projects in the pipeline, that allowed three options: Undertake a full environmental impact report, a costly and time-consuming exercise usually done only for major projects; wait until the eastern neighborhoods EIR is complete; or offer to include PDR as part of the housing project. But because the definition of the PDR was unclear, projects choosing the third option were shelved, according to Ken Rich, who oversees the eastern neighborhood planning process for the city. “All the commission did on July 31st was clarify exactly what replacing PDR means,” Rich said.

“Basically you are still subject to the same three choices,’ said Rich. “You wait for the eastern neighborhood EIR to go through the board. You can do your own EIR. Or you replace the PDR on the site based on the rules adopted on the 31st.”

Other mixed-use PDR/housing projects impacted by the ruling include 26 units at 1174 Folsom St., 100 units at 1415 16th St., 557 units at 801 Brannan St., 27 units at 1240 Minnesota St., and 100 units at 25 Division St.

A shifting housing market

The long delay has taken its toll on builders. Many have been paying taxes and mortgages on non-income-producing land for years while waiting to restart planning work. Others have switched attention to Oakland, which has more relaxed land use policies but has also been hit much harder than San Francisco by the national housing recession.

“When there is trouble at home, you look to other areas,” said Dave O’Keefe, who has developed projects in SoMa but more recently has been working in Oakland.

O’Keefe said the new realities of the credit markets and weakness in housing market means that many of the projects that would have been long built and housing residents will now be tough to finance.

“Now there is finally certainty in terms of the fees and benefits, but there is no certainty as far as the marketplace,” said O’Keefe. “A lot of these projects will be put on ice anyway because the lending climate is not there right now. The mom and pop lenders have shut their doors. You’re holding the property, making payments, and suddenly the financial markets are not good and the sales market isn’t good.”

While many developers had one existing project under construction when the 2660 Harrison decision was passed, those have long been completed.

“In a perfect world, a developer has one under construction and one or two in the entitlement pipeline,” Keighran said. “The industry is coming to a halt and the work out there is coming to a halt.”

Based on 1,500 proposed housing units selling at an average of $700,000, the city is losing out on $10.8 million in property taxes a year due to the delay, Keighran estimated.

“By the time I have a building permit, it will be five years,” said Keighran.

George Hauser, the developer and architect whose 2660 Harrison St. project became the poster child for the projects put on hold, said he is waiting for the eastern neighborhood EIR. He said he would take another look at the 2660 Harrison St. project once the plan is passed.

“You can spend a lot of time drawing when it’s not something the zoning will allow,” he said. “That was one of the big promises, that by waiting for the rezoning we could have more certain entitlement environment in which to operate.”

Still, developers cautioned that the eastern neighborhood plan would not be law until the Board of Supervisors approves it, and the definitions could change significantly.

Source: http://sanfrancisco.bizjournals.com/...ml?t=printable

[CityKid]

Originally Posted by peanut gallery

You're in the white building on Third St. in the lower-left, the one with the red piece of mechanical equipment on the roof, right? You can see my building too (mid-right), but not my window.

I'm actually in the brown masonry building along 2nd St. My window's on the top floor furthest to the right in that photo.

[peanut gallery]

^^^Nice! I could remember accidentally photographing you outside your building some time ago. For some reason I thought that was on Third. Anyway, looks like a great spot for an office.

[nequidnimis]

Originally Posted by BTinSF

So as the Tenderloin is becoming uniformly 9 stories, it seems western SOMA will become 6 stories:


Source: http://sf.curbed.com/archives/2008/0...or_you.php?o=1

Not if SPUR has its way. According to the Examiner:http://www.examiner.com/a-1536497~We...ilding_up.html
"The plan is not without its detractors. A rival group of residents claim the plan does not do enough to clean up the neighborhood. The San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association has also criticized the plan, saying a 65-foot height limit on buildings is too restrictive to attract many new residents."

I guess they have an urban model more like Mission Bay in mind...

[c1tyguy]

Speaking of the Tenderloin.. I made an attempt to find more information about the following projects in the Tenderloin with no avail. So I'm hoping you enlightened posters can help inform and educate!

I was surprised to see so much activity in the Tenderloin! Not sure if everyone is informed or not (or even care about the Tenderloin), but here's my attempt (credit to TNDC):

990 Polk:

(TNDC: Approx. Completion Year: 2008?)

650 Eddy

(TNDC: Approx. Completion Year: 2009?)

850 Broderick Street

(TNDC: Approx. Completion Year: 2010?)

125 & 149 Mason St:

(TNDC: Approx. Completion Year: 2009?)

44 McAllister Street Renovation

(TNDC: Approx. Completion Year: 2010?)

Turk & Eddy Preservation

(TNDC: Approx. Completion Year: 2010?)

1400 Mission Street

(TNDC: Approx. Completion Year: 2012?)

1036-1040 Mission Street


(TNDC: Approx. Completion Year: 2012?)

Eddy & Taylor Family Apartments

(TNDC: Approx. Completion Year: 2012?)

I also keep reading about a development at Eddy & Taylor in the Tenderloin. A mixed-use development with a possible ground floor grocer. After originally saying "no thanks" to Gavin and the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corp when approached about locating in the Tenderloin, this was posted onthe Fresh & Easy Buzz "Upcoming Development" page:

...Further, we suggested Tesco take a second look at putting a Fresh & Easy grocery store in the Tenderloin, based on the fact the neighborhood is changing for the positive...

Perhaps this is a new reason for Tesco's Fresh & Easy, along with other grocery chains like San Francisco Bay Area-based Safeway Stores, Inc. and others, to consider locating a store in that new development at Eddy and Taylor Street in San Francisco's downtown Tenderloin neighborhood? We think it is.

Word is that Tenderloin Historic Museum will be located at Eddy & Leavenworth.

I have a strange fascination with the Tenderloin, so any information provided would be appreciated

[northbay]

Originally Posted by BTinSF

So as the Tenderloin is becoming uniformly 9 stories, it seems western SOMA will become 6 stories:


Source: http://sf.curbed.com/archives/2008/0...or_you.php?o=1

wow, pitifully low. i say build taller!!! fit in more people, more uses!

btw, fouronefive hasnt posted since may and the first page hasnt been updated since feb. have things changed? do we need a new update? i dont think those tenderloin projects are included (should they be?)

[peanut gallery]

I think this is supposed to be a rundown of highrise projects, but I'd like to see them on the front page because I always lose track of the smaller stuff. And it's not like we don't constantly talk about non-highrise projects in this thread. I'm certainly guilty of it!

[BTinSF]

Originally Posted by northbay420

wow, pitifully low. i say build taller!!! fit in more people, more uses!

It helps to know the history. In the 1970s (I think--could have been earlier, I didn't live here then) the T-Loin was being swallowed by the likes of the Hilton, Parc 555, J.W. Marriot and Nikko Hotels--highrise tourist hotels. The result was mass demolition of the existing SROs (single room occupancy hotels) and older apartment buildings which housed most of San Franciscos poor, its pensioners and many of its seniors. Two changes were made to stop that: (1) the present height limits were put in place which were deemed too low to interest condo and hotel builders and (2) strict limits were put on conversion of SROs to tourist hotels.

It has largely worked. The Tenderloin's character has not changed much since that time but non-profit developers have taken over, renovating many of the SROs without changing their purpose and building many new "affordable" buildings, some of which are seen above in cityguy's post. The T-Loin is actually looking better and better each day but it's still something of a refuge for the poor and lower-paid working classes.

Originally Posted by c1tyguy

Speaking of the Tenderloin.. I made an attempt to find more information about the following projects in the Tenderloing with no avail. So I'm hoping you enlightened posters can help inform and educate!

125 & 149 Mason St:

(TNDC: Approx. Completion Year: 2009?)

I have a strange fascination with the Tenderloin, so any information provided would be appreciated

As it happens, I took a cellphone shot of 125 Mason last week but hadn't got around to posting it yet. It's very interesting--what appears to be dark orange color in the rendering it actually retro-70s faux woodgrain (if you've got maybe an old 8-track player, you'll know what I mean ). I've never seen anything like it on a building:



I don't think they've started 149 Mason yet--they are using that lot for the construction of 125 which is nearly done--then I assume they'll build 149. These are projects of Glide Memorial Church which has gotten in the housing development biz--another non-profit developer.

I've also posted pictures of 990 Polk a few pages back on this thread, but here it is again:

Your rendering
990 Polk:

(TNDC: Approx. Completion Year: 2008?)

The reality


and the "burkha" just came off of 650 Eddy--it looks nice too.

[AndrewK]

Originally Posted by c1tyguy

850 Broderick Street

(TNDC: Approx. Completion Year: 2010?)

this is squarely NOPA, far from the TL, but still looks like a nice project.

ps always glad to see nice stuff, and affordable, getting built in the tl. i dont spend as much time over there as i used to, but ill actually be swinging through this afternoon, maybe ill have to take a look at some of this stuff coming up.

[BTinSF]

Originally Posted by AndrewK

the tl. i dont spend as much time over there as i used to, but ill actually be swinging through this afternoon, maybe ill have to take a look at some of this stuff coming up.

Do yourself a favor and walk down Polk St. east of Post some nice Friday, Saturday or Sunday evening (or Sunday afternoon). You may be as shocked as I was. A lot of the sleeze seemed gone--the teenage hustlers and drug sellers etc. A new trendy vibe seems to be taking over. Lots of cars with Berkeley decals on them and such indicating a "bridge and tunnel" crowd--like SOMA in its heyday.

[viewguysf]

Originally Posted by BTinSF

Do yourself a favor and walk down Polk St. east of Post some nice Friday, Saturday or Sunday evening (or Sunday afternoon). You may be as shocked as I was. A lot of the sleeze seemed gone--the teenage hustlers and drug sellers etc. A new trendy vibe seems to be taking over. Lots of cars with Berkeley decals on them and such indicating a "bridge and tunnel" crowd--like SOMA in its heyday.

East of Post?

[BTinSF]

Originally Posted by viewguysf

East of Post?

Sorry. North of Post. At least I know how many houses I own.

[peanut gallery]

There was an article in Sunday's Chronicle on 766 Harrison, aka, Cubix Yerba Buena:

Home, small home: 250 square feet in SoMa
New condo development targets young first-time buyers without too much stuff
James Temple, Chronicle Staff Writer
Sunday, August 24, 2008

It's about the size of seven ping-pong tables - and all yours starting at $279,000.

A San Francisco design and development firm has begun marketing 98 tiny condominiums - ranging from 250 to 350 square feet - at the Cubix Yerba Buena building in SoMa.

Architect George Hauser is the first to say the studios are too small for many people, families in particular. He and local planning groups, however, believe the so-called micro units represent one means of providing more first-time home-buying opportunities in a city where most prices outstrip most incomes.

"It's not the last place a person might own, but a great place to spend three to five years as a young single ... to build equity and move up," said Hauser, principal of Hauser Architects in San Francisco. "You're in a small space with great amenities and the resources of the city."

The asymmetrical modernist facade of the eight-story building at Harrison and Fourth streets, a few steps from Whole Foods, is a Rubik's Cube of muted reds, browns and tans. Metal-framed windows of varying shapes and sizes break up the blocks of color.

The units themselves feel, well, small, but stylish and functional.

The kitchen area includes a mini sink, two-burner electric cooktop, half fridge and microwave-convection oven. The appliances are stainless steel; the countertop synthetic brown stone. There isn't room for a bed and a sofa, so each studio is staged with a sofa-bed. They come with a wardrobe but no closets.

The concrete-floored rooms have windows the height of the nearly 9-foot ceilings, and all but two have small balconies, which look out onto Harrison or Fourth, or buildings to the east. The bathroom is fairly large, squared off with translucent glass walls and adorned with slate or quartz tile.

Building amenities include a cafe on the ground floor, with additional retail spaces to be leased, and a community rooftop with glass-enclosed terraces, outdoor tables, drought-resistant plants and a grill.

The units cost $279,000 to $330,000. (Monthly homeowners' association dues are around $270.) By comparison, the median price for all homes in San Francisco was $749,000 in July, according to MDA DataQuick of San Diego. Given the generally high cost, only 39.3 percent of city residents own their homes, the lowest level among the state's counties, according to a California Budget Project report released in February.

Projects like the Cubix aren't the end-all solution to San Francisco's affordability challenges, but do offer one answer for one part of the market, said Sarah Karlinksy, policy director at the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association.

"What it's doing is providing middle-income housing without a subsidy," she said. "It gives them a toehold."

Affordable housing groups, business proponents and city leaders alike have long lamented the shrinking middle class in San Francisco, a category that generally encompasses nurses, teachers, cops and firefighters. The number of people making less than $150,000 in San Francisco fell between 3.9 percent and 7.4 percent between 2002 and 2006, while those making above that amount surged by at least 40.1 percent, according to Census Bureau estimates.

The project in the Yerba Buena Center Redevelopment Project Area was designed as a single-residence occupancy building, which gave Hauser Architecture greater flexibility in the number of units it could build on the site, as well as the amount of parking spaces it didn't have to provide. For general residential developments, the city's planning and building codes often mandate a certain number of units, bedrooms and parking spots with courtyards of a specific size, according to a SPUR policy paper.

Such rules have tended to discourage the development of small, affordable units in the city, Karlinksy said. But the sweeping blueprint for the city's eastern neighborhoods recently approved by the Planning Department provides some additional flexibility in this regard, she said.

Hauser completed 766 Harrison St. in July and opened the building's sales office two weeks ago. Three of the first 12 released units are in contract or escrow.

Echoing the development's marketing tagline, Hauser says, "It's your small piece of the big city."

For more information about the Cubix Yerba Buena, visit cubixsf.com or call (877)-282-4973.