Detailed plans have been published for the affordable housing project at 249 Pennsylvania Avenue on Potrero Hill, San Francisco. The nine-story proposal is looking to add 124 units to the vacant parcel, cleared in 2018 in preparation for a now-withdrawn market-rate development. Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation and Young Community Developers are listed as joint developers.
The nine-story structure is expected to yield around 108,530 square feet, including 97,400 square feet for the rental housing. Unit types will include 38 studios, 15 one-bedrooms, 36 two-bedrooms, and 35 three-bedrooms. Parking will be included for 118 bicycles and no vehicles.
249 Pennsylvania Avenue site plan, illustration by LMS Architects
The application seeks an 80% density bonus above base zoning for the fully-affordable project, increasing residential capacity up from the allowed 76 units. The project will be streamlined with Senate Bill 330 and Assembly Bill 2162. AB 2162 passed in 2018 to streamline supportive housing projects, including by removing CEQA analysis and requirements for conditional use authorization. The developer expects to designate around 30% of units for households earning 30% of the area’s median income, and nearly 70% of units priced for households earning around half of the area’s median income.
Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects is responsible for the design, though very few architectural details have been shared. An aerial view shows an E-shaped apartment complex with the longer side facing I-280, and two small open-air courtyards facing Pennsylvania Avenue. The ground floor will include transparent floor-to-ceiling windows at the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and Mariposa Street.
249 Pennsylvania Avenue, image via Google Satellite
Future residents will be close to Jackson Park and the Dogpatch neighborhood, and a 12-minute walk from the 22nd Street Caltrain Station. The estimated cost and timeline for construction have yet to be shared. Suffolk will be the general contractor.
Subscribe to YIMBY’s daily e-mail
Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates
Like YIMBY on Facebook
Follow YIMBY’s Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews
But this parcel would be better suited for commercial/industrial vs. residential. Even lower socio-economic folks don’t want to live right next to the freeway. But I know the city needs housing – so built it ASAP!
There’s already enough industrial development concentrated around there but I agree some kind of commercial (retail) would be nice on the ground floor. As for the freeway—well, the entirely overbuilt and basically useless freeway there really should go away, and then that issue would be solved.
Why can’t this be taller? TNDC has the money and power to do more. This is a non-profit with 1000s of units in the City. Surely they have the money