SAN FRANCISCO | 555 Mission Street | 482 FT / 147 M | 33 FLOORS - Page 5

SFObserver · #81 Posted **Feb 9, 2007, 11:39 PM**

No kidding, especially now that the rain is back.
No pile driver on site yet.

botoxic · #82 Posted **Feb 10, 2007, 1:18 AM**

Even before this most recent round of storms, the site seemed to be having dewatering issues. The contractor had excavated at least three wells on the south side of the project and were pumping water every time I went by the site. I suspect they let those pumps run 24/7, and still the water kept coming...

Hopefully their dewatering system remains effective and they will be able to resume construction activity with the next available weather window.

CityKid · #83 Posted **Feb 13, 2007, 8:02 PM**

I first heard the incessant pile driving yesterday from my office on 2nd street. Any ideas how long this phase lasts?

SFObserver · #84 Posted **Feb 13, 2007, 9:46 PM**

Our building management was told 5 weeks depending upon the weather.

Reminiscence · #85 Posted **Feb 14, 2007, 1:40 AM**

Its good to hear this project is finally progressing, although I was expecting something closer to 2 months. 5 weeks is encouraging news.

BTinSF · #86 Posted **Feb 14, 2007, 8:25 AM**

The foundation doesn't really seem all that deep--two floors or maybe 3?

I recall when they built 560 Mission across the street they had to keep the pumps running too. Could well be an underground stream in that part of town.

mthd · #87 Posted **Feb 15, 2007, 6:40 AM**

^^ not a stream per se, but the entire water table is barely two levels down in most of the flat parts of downtown, but particularly in south of market as you get closer to the shoreline. construction dewatering is a must as are completely waterproof basement floors and walls - unless you like permanent dewatering, which means $$$$ to the city.

the uplift gets pretty severe past 3 levels if you aren't putting a very tall building on top of it... but rarely do people go 4+ levels down unless they're building something big on top. moscone center would be the exception and is tied down like crazy.

i am really looking forward to seeing this one go up - i think it's going to show admirers of 1 rincon, the infinity, and millenium what an all-glass curtain wall building SHOULD look like.

SFObserver · #88 Posted **Feb 27, 2007, 10:40 PM**

Reminiscence · #89 Posted **Feb 28, 2007, 1:46 AM**

Nice update, thanks for the pictures

I heard the rain has been coming down lately, seems like winter came a tad late this season. Piledriving, however, seems to be coming along nicely.

botoxic · #90 Posted **Mar 5, 2007, 3:33 AM**

Reminiscence · #91 Posted **Mar 5, 2007, 4:40 AM**

Hmm, I had not seen the excavation from the angle of the first picture. The building next door (to the east), might tarnish the image of the completed project. I'm not really concerned at the moment, but it would be a little bizarre to see such a beautiful glass building next to something like that

rocketman_95046 · #92 Posted **Mar 5, 2007, 4:56 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reminisence

Hmm, I had not seen the excavation from the angle of the first picture. The building next door (to the east), might tarnish the image of the completed project. I'm not really concerned at the moment, but it would be a little bizarre to see such a beautiful glass building next to something like that

Is that building getting torn down when 535 mission goes up?

Reminiscence · #93 Posted **Mar 5, 2007, 5:12 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by rocketman_95046

Is that building getting torn down when 535 mission goes up?

I was aware that it would remain standing and that 535 Mission would be on its other side. In other words, you'd have 535 Mission, that building, and then 555 Mission. Sort of like a midrise between two buildings. I could be wrong though, I'm not too sure.

rocketman_95046 · #94 Posted **Mar 5, 2007, 5:39 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reminisence

I was aware that it would remain standing and that 535 Mission would be on its other side. In other words, you'd have 535 Mission, that building, and then 555 Mission. Sort of like a midrise between two buildings. I could be wrong though, I'm not too sure.

yea, it looks like from the rendering that that building will stick around... but that blank wall will be right up against a blank wall of 555 mission...

it will be interesting if there is a gap between the two buildings but i doubt it..

Reminiscence · #95 Posted **Mar 5, 2007, 5:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by rocketman_95046

yea, it looks like from the rendering that that building will stick around... but that blank wall will be right up against a blank wall of 555 mission...

it will be interesting if there is a gap between the two buildings but i doubt it..

Well, I would think that depending on whether or not there is a significant gap between the two buildings or not, would determine whether or not we will see a glass curtainwall for that segment. It would not make too much sense to build a glass wall facing a blank wall, in my opinion. I think the same deal is going on at the Intercontinental Tower.

BTinSF · #96 Posted **Mar 5, 2007, 7:35 PM**

First of all, I'm pretty sure this blank wall won't be exposed but even if it were, there are examples of exposed blank walls all over town and some of them are very interesting. Right across the street, I believe, at 560 Mission, a blank wall of the Golden Gate U. building got exposed and they covered it with tall bamboo--looks great. At 199 Fremont, blank walls were also covered with a screen of vegitation to creat a very nice minipark. It's no big deal.

Also, I happen to think one thing that adds a huge amount of interest to downtown San Francisco is the mix of modern and older structures. Usually, the older buildings have lower rents and so are commercially viable for things like lower-priced restaurants that simply couldn't exist if the only places they had to locate were modern highrises. Prior to the demolition for 555 Mission, there was a very popular cafeteria-style Chinese place on the lot and I missed it when it closed. I am quite sure nothing like that would ever occupy space at 555 and, unfortunately, the little remaining building you're worried about probably isn't big enough, but maybe something to relieve the hard and relatively uninteresting lobbies (unless you work there) of highrises on the block will go in there.

Reminiscence · #97 Posted **Mar 5, 2007, 9:39 PM**

Good points, I mean, I'm not saying they should demolish it or anything. Perhaps maybe a paint job or so, or what they have accross the street. I was actually aware they had just renovated the interior of the building, which if its the case, demolition would most liekly be out of the question, at least in the visible future.

SFObserver · #98 Posted **Mar 8, 2007, 9:22 PM**

Our building management just received the following notification:

Please be informed that pile driving activity at 555 Mission Street was completed at 1:00 PM yesterday, Wednesday, March 7th.

Reminiscence · #99 Posted **Mar 9, 2007, 1:04 AM**

Great news, I guess those people annoyed by the loud noises are finally getting some relief, heh. I look forward to the next update.

BTinSF · #**100** Posted **Mar 9, 2007, 5:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SFObserver

Our building management just received the following notification:

Please be informed that pile driving activity at 555 Mission Street was completed at 1:00 PM yesterday, Wednesday, March 7th.

Jeez. Looking at botoxic's 3/3/07 photos, it's hard to believe they could be finished. I mean there aren't many pilings visible in the photos; just a couple of small groupings, perhaps under the elevator banks or something.

To my eye, the building has a relatively shallow foundation as well. But I guess they know what they are doing.