The San Francisco Planning Department granted approval late last week for the 58-story residential proposal at 88 Bluxome Street in SoMa, San Francisco. Now, Alexandria Real Estate is looking to sell the 2.6-acre property, formerly occupied by the San Francisco Tennis Club.
Sarah Klearman reported in the San Francisco Business Times that Alexandria Real Estate is looking to sell the property after receiving entitlements for two separate projects. Most recently, the city approved the 599-foot-tall residential development sponsored by Strada Investment Group. The proposal aims to deliver 1,500 apartments and retail across two skyscrapers, rising 51 and 58 floors, designed by SCB and Henning Larsen.
88 Bluxome Street, image via Google Satellite
88 Bluxome Street aerial view, rendering by Binyan Studios
The second entitled project, secured in 2023, involves two commercial office buildings sponsored by Alexandria and TMG Partners. IwamotoScott Architecture is the project’s design architect, with STUDIOS Architecture as the executive architect. The developer has withdrawn previously approved plans for an office development and a replacement tennis club. In 2020, Pinterest paid nearly $90 million to terminate its 2019-signed lease as the project’s anchor tenant.
The property spans most of a city block, bound by Bluxome Street, Brannan Street, and 5th Street. Future residents would be just over a block from the San Francisco Caltrain Station, and half a block from the Fourth and Brannan light rail station, built as part of the Central Subway expansion.
Alexandria Real Estate has yet to reply to a request for comment.
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Fingers crossed to the max funding can be aquired swiftly.
This prime waste-of-space of a site should’ve been ridden of years ago, but if the wait successfully produces these towers, then the pain will be well worth the scar.
1,500 apartments will be felt HEAVILY in the neighborhood.
What are the implications of a developer selling a property after receiving entitlements? Why would they do that? Does this mean this project is delayed further?
Not every developer is in it for the long haul. Some get us to the point of site rework, play with the rules of code, and deliver a project that’s ready to start construction.
I have seen this in several different cities, not sure how common it is for SF. This process has shown immediate construction when the financial conditions are right. I have also seen this put developments on the back burner indefinitely.
Let’s hope the financial conditions are right and the positive momentum the city has been hinting at can finally come to fruition!
Clunky apartment towers unfortunately but elegant commercial buildings. . .
I don’t mind the apt building design. Although I wish they’d broken up the site and put a small building at a corner or two. Just to break up the block
For this much land to be unused for so long in this location, so near to CalTrain, is a travesty.
I hope this project is completed with speed.
We tend to forget how much low-slung or outright unused land there is in SoMa.
There is easily room for 10 more skyscrapers there.
I think there are probably at least 10 more planned for this part of SOMA. I’m particularly excited for the infill like what’s proposed (and approved?) on 3rd and Harrison (395 3rd).
Yes, but I hope all are at least 500 feet, and they don’t take a decade to build out.
The fact that this site right by Caltrain has been empty for 5+ years isn’t even the worst of it! The biggest travesty is that the old tennis club was torn down to make way for a development that promised a replacement but was never built. That tennis club was central not only to the tennis community but also the Bay area acroyoga/acrobatics community, and there will never be an adequate replacement. But (fingers crossed) at least it won’t be an empty lot anymore!
The city should redevelop the Caltrain tracks,station. New York built buildings over the Hudson rail yards.
It’s part of the area’s goals, but will probably break ground in the next 50 or so years, if we’re lucky. Lotta moving parts surrounding how HSR reaches downtown and how this station fits into that overall plan.
City is trying to get financing still
As a Affordable Housing market in demand,nothing can be built or developed without affordableaccomadations…which means less money and with all the required permits and inspections with the turmoil is city hall the former building inspectors fired for accepting bribes…any investors would not do.,..
I think this area, near the Cal Train station and a short ride to BART is where these kinds of mega projects should rightfully be implemented.
Real estate speculators’ darling politician Scott Weiner and Mayor Lurie’s developers will now be allowed to build up to 8 stories on Jefferson, Bay, and Northpoint streets; 16 stories on Geary and Clement streets; and more than 50 stories on Van Ness Ave, along the waterfront and in the Sunset, including Ocean Beach.
There are absolutely no protections for the rent control units or small businesses along these corridors.
Congressional candidate and real estate speculator politician Scott Weiner and Mayor Lurie’s theory is that the neighborhood small businesses might return after being displaced by years of mass demolition and then the construction of high end luxury condominium skyscraping towers is highly implausible.
A vote for Scott Weiner endorses mass demolition in our neighborhoods for the mass construction of multi-million dollar skyscraping luxury condominiums towers.
Weiner and Lurie’s upzoning plan neglects to interrupt the peaceful tranquility of wealthy neighborhoods such as Pacific Heights or Seacliff, however.
The Weiner/Lurie upzoning housing plan not only demolishes rent control units that will not be replaced, it does nothing to include affordability for working people whatsoever.
The Weiner/Lurie development plan concentrates on selling off public access by flipping these properties that face the ocean or bay to satisfy the appetites of the multi- millionaire and billionaire house hunting buyer, leaving access to our waterfront and beach severely restricted.
A vote for Connie Chan for Congress is for sensible development that protects our small businesses and retains irreplaceable rent control units, while keeping our neighborhoods intact.
Connie Chan for Congress is the most important vote San Franciscans will make in June & November 2026!