SAN FRANCISCO | 10th and Market | 352 FT / 107 M | 37 FLOORS

[Reminiscence]

I am particularly excited about this new project at 10th and Market. Along with the other projects such as SOMA Grand, The Argenta, and Symphony Towers, it will help to transform this area of the city. Its actually a pretty significant structure going up, as the article presents:

Renderings:





Here are two renderings of the exciting new project going up at 10th and Market, designed by Heller-Manus (the architectural team behind The Infinity, The Metropolitan, 199 New Montgomery, and many other projects across the country).

It will consist of two buildings sharing a common base and containing approximately 719 dwelling units, approximately 19,000 square feet of commercial space, and a garage with a capacity of up to 668 parking spaces (578 residential spaces and 90 commercial spaces), according to the Business Times.

The taller north tower, at the corner of Tenth and Market Streets, will be 35 stories and approximately 352 feet high with a 12-story, 123-foot-high base along Market Street. The shorter south tower, at the corner of Tenth and Jessie Streets, will be 19 stories and approximately 220 feet high. The two towers will be connected by a nine-story, 93-foot-high base running along Tenth Street. As there are few high-rise buildings nearby, views from 10th and Market should be fantastic.

With the Argenta under construction across the street, the revitalization of Fox Plaza Apartments, and Symphony Towers, The Hayes, 140 South Van Ness, and the Soma Grand within three blocks of this building, the mid-market area is certainly becoming a viable, quality alternative to the South Beach/Rincon area, which is pricing out a lot of people.

The commercial space is especially important, as that area is currently lacking in the kind of ground floor retail space that’s needed for a vibrant residential neighborhood. If they can get a great restaurant, an art gallery, and some small local businesses in there, people will wonder why someone didn’t think of using that area before.

Demolition has already begun at the site.

[SFView]

It looks as if Heller Manus is evolving with each of their designs - lately they include fields of evenly spaced small square windows, offset with accent planes of curtain wall glass, and balconies at evenly spaced multi-story divisions. The curved curtain walls are new as a solo effort. It looks like one of their better designs. The shorter south tower isn't so stunning. The semi-round facades, sort of reminds me of 101 California. Overall, not bad - great for Heller Manus! This will certainly help improve an area in great need of improvement.

[BTinSF]

Originally Posted by SFView

The shorter south tower isn't so stunning.

This is the part being done by non-profit developers (Tenderloin Housing Development Corporation). I suspect cost-control may have been a factor.

Yes, it's great for the neighborhood and, as someone else pointed out, with the Argenta practically across the street and SOMA Grand not so far away, it should make a big difference in that area. Now if we could just get Trinity Plaza underway.

[fflint]

I wonder how the project will affect or mitigate the wind-tunnel effect there--in my experience, that block is consistently blasted by strong winds like few others, anywhere.

[SFView]

Hmmm..., that's right. The winds are particularly strong at the sidewalks and crosswalks around Fox Plaza and AAA towers. There should be more wind breaks or setbacks of the buildings near the sidewalk to help reduce this problem. It's often too cold and windy to walk around there. It's better to run if you can. Forget using an umbrella on a stormy day. I had one completely destroyed in less than a minute around there once!

[BTinSF]

^^^Probably the fault of Fox Plaza but the area around both the Burton Federal Building and 100 Van Ness (I think it is--the AAA highrise) rival it. More highrises might help, especially if the situation is considered in their design.

[SFView]

Yes, 100 Van Ness is the AAA tower. That corner at Van Ness and Fell is a killer.

[mthd]

Originally Posted by fflint

I wonder how the project will affect or mitigate the wind-tunnel effect there--in my experience, that block is consistently blasted by strong winds like few others, anywhere.

the previous design of the the project was carefully considered to improve pedestrian wind conditions where possible, and not make them worse where no improvement was possible with a reasonable design.

the open corner in this version of the design will probably help even more (the office tower proposal had a semi-enclosed wintergarden at the northeast corner of the site) although it's likely to be a pretty inhospitable place when there are strong winds.

what would really help would be more tall buildings around fox plaza and the AAA building - particularly to the west. adding a large scale canopy to the base of the west side of fox plaza would also help.

[BTinSF]

^^^When Archstone, a REIT, recently purchased Fox Plaza, they said one of the reasons they decided to do so was the potential to build another tower on the site to the the east of the existing tower (pretty much where the Post Office now is):

Aging Fox may still move quickly, and for price of up to $130 million
San Francisco Business Times - April 15, 2005
by Lizette Wilson

A whole city block is officially on the sales block.

Fox Plaza, a 29-story mixed-used project near San Francisco's Civic Center, is up for grabs and -- if market rumblings are on target -- could fetch more than $130 million.

Located at 1390 Market St. between Polk and Larkin streets, the 750,800-square-foot residential and commercial property is well away from the tony towers that dominate the central business district.

The project includes 231,923 square feet of offices, 19,228 square feet of retail, a 550-car subterranean parking garage, and 446 rent-controlled apartments. There's also an opportunity to build an additional tower on the property's eastern corner.

If achieved, the $130 million sum would reflect more the neighborhood potential than the outdated digs themselves. The project was developed by the Cahill family in the 1960s.

Along with the mid-Market redevelopment plan now working its way through city approvals, the Market and Octavia neighborhood plan, which would transform nearby streets to tree-lined promenades, is slated for final approval by the Board of Supervisors later this year.

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

[tyler82]

somebody mentioned Fox plaza getting a remodel, do we have more details on that?

[mthd]

Originally Posted by BTinSF

^^^When Archstone, a REIT, recently purchased Fox Plaza, they said one of the reasons they decided to do so was the potential to build another tower on the site to the the east of the existing tower (pretty much where the Post Office now is):

since another building to the east won't help the wind situation, the city should seriously consider making the developer put some wind mitigation measures in place on the existing tower.

fox plaza is, quite literally, one of the buildings which prompted SFs wind ordinance.

[botoxic]

I tried to capture a similar angle as the first rendering:


The demolition has started from the back (Jessie Street side) of the building:

[Reminiscence]

Despite some people's "toxic waste green" reference that I've heard in regards to the glass, I think its safe to say its a vast improvement over what is there right now.

[pseudolus]

In comments about this project at socketsite (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/newr...te=1&p=2717833) someone mentions "a large residential development proposed for the block between 5th and 6th (see today's SF Business Times)". Previously we heard about a 10-storey building with Target on the ground floor. Is there an update?

[BTinSF]

^^^I cannot find any reference to that block in this week's BizTimes. On the other hand, looking around SocketSite some more, I found this:

One can't fully appreciate the scale of the change about to occur along that section of Market Street without considering the massive westward expansion of the retail district that's about to occur as well.

It is my understanding, a half dozen or so major national retailers are looking to set up shop on the 900 & 1000 blocks of Market Street (5th-7th)

Leading the movement into no-mans-land is likely to be Target. Target is about ready to publically announce plans to open a "flagship" store between 5th and 6th. (on the site of the old theaters, i think..)

I vaguely remember hearing some of the other names looking in the area were: Kohls, Ciurcut City and yes.. Wal-Mart!

I can hear the poverty activists screaming already...

Source: http://www.socketsite.com/archives/2...h.html#comment

Whether the person who posted that knows what he's talking about, I cannot say.

[Reminiscence]

Wal-mart in/near that area?

How long have I been asleep, what year is it?

[FourOneFive]

don't know if anyone caught the Planning Commission meeting last Thursday, but this project was approved 4-3.

maybe construction will start by the end of the year?

[botoxic]

[Reminiscence]

Those are encouraging pictures. I though I read on another thread that the project had hit a snag though. Hopefully it wont derail the project and we can move this thread to the Highrise Construction forum.

[BTinSF]

^^^I think perhaps the "snag" you are referring to is regarding the towers up the street at Market & Van Ness, not 10th & Market. I haven't seen any problem at this site but I just posted the BizTimes article about the rezoning of the other.