While the San Francisco Giants are settling into the new baseball season, they have been welcoming another crowd just across McCovey Cove. The team, in partnership with Tishman Speyer and other stakeholders, celebrated the official opening of China Basin Park yesterday morning, two days after announcing that leasing has started for the Studio Gang-designed residential tower, aptly named Verde. Construction is nearly over for the first phase of the city’s mixed-use Mission Rock master plan.
China Basin Park aerial overview, image by Jason O’Rear
Mission Rock bay trail looking towards the Visa HQ, image by Jason O’Rear
SCAPE Studio is responsible for the master design of the China Basin Park. The Bay Trail, which runs through the park, ensures a healthy flow of visitors and brings life to the space. Speaking at the event, the landscape architects described the process of sculpting the area around scenic sightlines while mitigating wind and providing adequate shading for hot days.
An unseen aspect of the park that the landscape architects highlighted was the cleverly light foundation made from environmentally friendly materials. Speaking at the event, Chris Murphy, Design and Construction Director with Tishman Speyer, shared that “the park is designed to be ten percent lighter than the existing surface parking lot that it replaced. So even though it has grown as much as 16 feet in elevation, when you are on top of the great lawn, you are standing on top of two feet of soil, thirteen feet of lightweight geofoam, seven feet of lightweight cellular concrete, and two feet of foam glass aggregate made from recycled bottles.” Webcor was the general contractor.
China Basin Park ribbon cutting, image by author
Willie McCovey statue in Mission Rock, image by Jason O’Rear
Verde is the last of four buildings to complete phase one of Mission Rock. The 23-story residential tower is scheduled to open this June with 254 rental apartments and 25,000 square feet of co-working and event space. Studio Gang is the design architect, working with associate architect Quezada Architecture.
“Verde’s start of leasing marks a key milestone for Mission Rock as we deliver more housing to San Francisco and approach completion of the first phase of the development,” said San Francisco Giants Vice President of Real Estate Development Julian Pancoast. “From the exterior building design to the amenities and services, Verde is being delivered to the Mission Rock neighborhood with intentionality.” More information about Verde’s affordable housing is expected to be released next month.
Verde seen from Terry Francois Boulevard, image by author
Verde facade details, image by author
The overall massing for the structure is nothing if not dynamic, with carve-outs for balconies at almost every level. The green ceramic tiling glistens in the sun, adding a fresh and novel color to the city’s waterfront skyline. The energetic facade is shaped to maximize sunlight and impressive views for residents while protecting them from wind.
The structure, addressed at 1070 Bridgeview Way, was built by Webcor, with Magnusson Klemencic Associates as the structural engineer and BKF as the civil engineer. The team is aiming to achieve LEED Gold Certification.
Members of the public have been able to access approximately two weeks before the official ribbon cutting, and Capgemini has officially moved into their offices in the base of the Canyon, according to the Managing Director of Tishman Speyer, Maggie Kadin. Kadin also mentioned that Visa is expected to start moving its new global headquarters into the toy-like white office complex designed by Henning Larsen.
China Basin Park aerial view, image by Ty Cole
Along with the office tenants moving into Mission Rock, the team has signed leases for several retail shops. Soon, the neighborhood will include an Arsicault Bakery, Quik Dog, Ike’s Love & Sandwiches, LuxFit, Proper Food, and the Che Fico restaurant.
The project was developed in partnership with the American subsidiary of Japan’s largest real estate company, Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd. Residents are expected to move into Verde by June of this year, after which phase one will be all but finished. While “more buildings and office are to come,” as mentioned during yesterday’s event by Larry Baer, President & CEO of San Francisco Giants, precise details and timeline for the next phases remain unknown.
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One thing I didn’t notice at first is how the Mission Rock building colors match the ballpark — brick, dark green tile (seats/painted steel), and white/tan (matching arcade/right field wall). Nice touch that really looks good when you view the area overall.
254 units and NOT ONE of them designated for less than stratospheric incomes.
More Yuppie condo towers doing nothing to help the housing crisis.
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves… I believe the two eastern parcels, closer to the pier are deeded for hundreds of units of affordable housing. The ‘expensive’ stuff is what helps fund the ‘affordable’ stuff.
“The ‘expensive’ stuff is what helps fund the ‘affordable’ stuff.”
If only it actually worked like that. What it is instead is a balancing/bargaining between regulations to require low income housing percentages at meaningful rates, versus the sheer greed of every single market rate developer in the history of development. YIMBY’s are keen to give everything to developers up front based on promises from same. It’s a huge fail and the result is what you’ve seen, Yuppie condos and 8,000/mo 2BR units for techie transplants that the YIMBYs secret hope is to gentrify the entire region with, as fast as possible. Nevermind that their promises only come to fruition years from now, if ever, and that they can backtrack or change their minds at almost any stage before the finale. It’s always about the specific details, and the slogan-wavers ALWAYS pay them no mention and get upset when I point them out.
These are apartments, not condos
Apartments can be designated for lower incomes also.
These are not that. It does nothing for the crisis.
It’s astroturfing to claim otherwise, as some do.
Get out of here you Nimby
Catch the never-ending series of clues, carpetbagger tools.
All new housing helps ease the housing crisis. The cost of housing is a function of supply & demand. The only way to make housing more affordable is to increase the supply. When high income people move into new upscale units they vacate other housing units which then go on the market & compete for buyers and renters.
Mision Rock Opens Waterfront Park etc.
Your headline needs another “s”.
I rode through there last week and was pleasantly surprised to see how nicely everything came out—granted it’s all still a bit quiet and the tide pool portion of the park seems to have been axed. Can’t wait to see the rest of the BMR lots built and the southern parcels designed, etc.
The park is only partially done they requested to push the tidal shelves along the waterfront and the food and beverage pavilion to Phase 2.
I too worry about the costs, but it’s clear that the first parcels need to overcome the massive cost of infrastructure. For the record the developers don’t expect to make profit on Phase 1 despite the seemingly high rents because of the investments in the park, and the brand new water and energy system. I believe Phase 2 will end up penciling out more in line with the rest of the city. The major cost tho is the parking lot they promise. There’s a small line item that allows them to put it underground under the Mission Rock Square. I prefer that over another above ground garage in Mission Bay. There’s already a dozen of them within a 10 minute walk.
What mission rock needs is more low income goverment housing preferably for people of color, LGBTQ+ , homeless and newly arrived immergrents! The ground floor storefronts need affordable grocery stores, restaurants , and drug treatment centers.