For the last twelve days of 2023, SF YIMBY will look back on each month and reflect on the biggest stories we covered. September saw increased residential capacity for 955 Sansome Street, Icon/Echo, and the Stonestown Galleria masterplan. Renderings were revealed for the North Berkeley BART Station redevelopment, and the San Francisco Symphony Hall revealed new elevations by Mark Cavagnero and Gehry Partners to remodel the exterior and interior. Lastly, the city’s commercial office market saw two major stories with the sale of 350 California Street and a new lease in Mission Rock.
Taller Plans For 955 Sansome Street, Telegraph Hill, San Francisco
955 Sansome Street pedestrian view from Vallejo Street, rendering by Handel Architects
September 6th: Increased plans have been filed for a 16-story apartment complex at 955 Sansome Street on Telegraph Hill, San Francisco. The updated plan has grown six floors above the last proposal by the same developer, this time increasing residential capacity to 102 apartments. Aralon Properties is responsible for the application.
Former Union Bank Tower Sold For $61 Million, San Francisco
350 California Street, image by author
September 6th: The 22-story office tower at 350 California Street in San Francisco’s Financial District has been sold for $61 Million, less than a quarter of the initial asking price. The property was sold by Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group to the joint venture of Swig Company and SKS Partners.
Affordable Housing For 180 Jones Street, Tenderloin, San Francisco
180 Jones Street via Van Meter Williams Pollack
September 8th: Construction has topped out with facade installation complete for the nine-story residential infill at 180 Jones Street in San Francisco’s Tenderloin. The development replaced a surface parking lot with 70 units of affordable housing. The Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation is the project sponsor.
Meeting Thursday For Increased Housing Of Stonestown Galleria, San Francisco
Stonestown greenway, rendering courtesy Brookfield Properties
September 12th: San Francisco Planning Commission is scheduled to review plans to increase the residential capacity of the Stonestown Galleria master plan. The new plan will create nearly 3,500 residences and reduce non-retail sales and service spaces. To add more housing, the plans for a hotel have been removed. Brookfield Properties is the developer, and the meeting is scheduled for this Thursday.
AIASF Opens Center For Architecture + Design In Historic San Francisco Building
Hallidie Building seen from the Crocker Galleria POPOS, image by author
September 12th: The American Institute of Architects, San Francisco, opened its new headquarters and the Center for Architecture + Design last Friday at 140 Sutter Street in downtown San Francisco. The civic-minded institution will provide a new cultural hub for lectures, events, and film screenings inside the historic Hallidie Building. Aidlin Darling Design, a San Francisco-based architecture firm, is responsible for the interior design, working alongside a team of collaborators.
Urban Catalyst Floats Housing Instead Of Offices At Icon/Echo
Icon-Echo Towers evening view, rendering by WRNS Studio
September 13th: Urban Catalyst is now considering adjusting plans for Icon/Echo by replacing the office component with more housing in Downtown San Jose, Santa Clara County. The plan was floated by the developer founder, Erik Hayden, and reported by George Avalos for the Bay Area News Group. If altered, Icon/Echo could create over a thousand units from the two-acre parcel.
Renderings Revealed For North Berkeley BART Redevelopment
North Berkeley BART Redevelopment seen from Sacramento and Delaware, rendering by David Baker Architects
September 14th: New renderings have been revealed for the North Berkeley BART Station redevelopment in Berkeley, Alameda County. The project will reshape a sea of surface parking with hundreds of homes, an extension of the Ohlone Greenway, and public open space. The detailed illustrations provide a comprehensive view of the proposed transit-oriented district.
Significant San Francisco Symphony Hall Renovation Proposed
San Francisco Symphony Hall existing (top) and proposed changes (bottom) along the east elevation, illustration by Mark Cavagnero Associates
September 26th: The San Francisco Symphony has started the entitlement process for renovations of the Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall at 201 Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco’s Civic Center. While plans are preliminary, the Symphony has hired local Mark Cavagnero Associates and the world-renowned Gehry Partners to produce a dramatic reimagination inside and out. Construction is expected to cost at least $100 million.
Predevelopment Funding For Student Housing At 2200 Bancroft Way, Southside, Berkeley
2200 Bancroft Way, image via Google Satellites
September 27th: The UC Board of Regents has dedicated $7 million to kick-start the pre-development of a new student housing complex at 2200 Bancroft Way in Southside, Berkeley. The project will replace a two-story structure and surface parking with a 1,400-bed dormitory to satisfy the city’s insatiable demand for housing UC Berkeley students.
Brookfield Provides Pathway To Approval For Concord Naval Weapons Station
Brookfield map showing phases of the Concord Naval Weapons Station redevelopment
September 27th: New details have been released for one of the largest projects in the region, a several-thousand-unit mixed-housing expansion across the former Concord Naval Weapons Station in Concord, the largest city in Contra Costa County. Details must be released, but the project is expected to create over ten thousand dwelling units over the 2,350-acre property.
Tech Firm Lease Offices In Mission Rock, San Francisco
The Canyon, image by Jason O’Rear
September 28th: Amidst a struggling commercial real estate market, Mission Rock has proven a bright spot for San Francisco. Phase one of construction is wrapping up now in Mission Bay, which Tishman Speyer credited to Visa’s decision to move their global headquarters into Building G, and the team announced five new retail tenants secured last month. Now, the podium office space in The Canyon has been leased to Capgemini America, the US arm of the France-based global technology company.
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