New building permits have been filed for a 21-story residential tower at 360 5th Street in SoMa, San Francisco. The application shows plans have slightly increased since preliminary permits were filed earlier this year, including an additional floor and 14 more units. Novato-based Thompson Builders is the project developer.
360 5th Street facade elevations, illustration by Handel Architects
360 5th Street aerial view with the Hilton tower visible in the background, rendering by Handel Architects
The 257-foot-tall structure is expected to yield around 303,175 square feet, including 269,450 square feet of housing and 29,120 square feet of parking. The two parking levels will accommodate 164 cars and 180 bicycles. With tandem self-parking stackers dug into the basement and reaching up to the third floor.
The complex will include 272 units, with 69 studios, 108 one-bedrooms, and 95 two-bedrooms. There will be 42 units of affordable housing across the site, deed-restricted for low- or moderate-income households. Residential amenities include the fourth-floor podium-top courtyard and rooftop deck, spanning around 9,800 square feet with specific programming yet to be determined.
360 5th Street pedestrian view, rendering by Handel Architects
360 5th Street elevation, rendering by Handel Architects
Handel Architects is responsible for the design. Illustrations show the overall design scheme has not changed dramatically since preliminary permits were filed, with some design elements across the tower shifted around. The firm writes that design takes inspiration from the neighborhood’s industrial artisanship and culture. Facade materials will include painted metal, patterned wood siding, and cementitious panels.
The 0.21-acre property is located along 5th Street between Clara Street and Shipley Street. The site is two blocks away from the 5M development site and four blocks from the Powell Street BART Station.
360 5th Street massing showing base density height (right) and the existing proposal, rendering by Handel Architects
360 5th Street ground floor-plan, illustration by Handel Architects
Previously, Trammell Crow Company secured an entitlement for an eight-story apartment complex in 2017 and sold the project to LEAP Development in 2018. LEAP Development broke ground in 2019, but suspended work in 2020, leaving an empty hole to collect water and a 2024-filed lawsuit.
360 5th Street, image via Google Satellite
Public records show the property last sold for $1.275 million in mid-May this year. The application shows construction is estimated to cost around $68.95 million, a figure that does not include all development costs. Work is anticipated to start in mid-2026 and finish as early as 2028.
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Love to see it. Parking ratio well below 1-1, and a height that encourages more growth southward. And a simplistic facade?? How’d we manage to find competence?
I’ve always thought Handel would be good at designing hotels. Specifically hotel towers in the late 1970s.
Happy to see some action bubbling up at this site, but not in any way ready to accept this design pays any attention or “takes inspiration from the neighborhood’s industrial artisanship and culture”.
Cause that hole in the ground has done the neighborhood wonders architecturally. Look at the 2009 Streetview.
The original conditions were even less remarkable. Now, we will have homes for 270 people (minimum). Perfection being the enemy of literally everything is why SF is an affordability hell.
It’s just funny how approvals can take 10x the time to get than actual construction. Don’t even get me started on how government regulation can cost 40-50% of project cost for multifamily projects.
To be clear I’m not arguing against building housing. Let’s not clumsily equate critique of architecture and design with challenging or opposing building.
There’s plenty to chew on and debate when it comes to heights, aesthetics, zoning and so on and still not be ok with empty pits in the center of the city.
Hideous design
I wonder how much lower construction costs and rents would be if there were no subsidized units and no parking spots. If only we could build actual towers without all of these waivers and bonuses. Why not 40 stories by right?
Construction and buying land are by far the largest costs. Taller doesn’t always mean better margins (or approvals). 400+ feet is excessive for most parts of SF.
I personally love this because – it’s not just a cheap looking glass box.
agreed! However, if I could change one thing about it I would make it more symmetrical. I don’t understand why architects do this thing where they make a couple random windows not line up with the rest.
Interesting… the height of each floor also increased significantly (257 ft, 21 stories. This is up from 85, 9 stories)