Approval Deadline Set For Caltrain Railyards Mega-Project, San Francisco

The City of San Francisco has published a complete application notice for the plans to redevelop the 4th and King Station into a master-planned neighborhood in SoMa, San Francisco. The notice establishes a deadline for the planning department to make a final decision by mid-June. Prologis is sponsoring the development, in partnership with Caltrain.

Caltrain San Francisco Railyards high-commercial variant, illustration by Prologis

Caltrain San Francisco Railyards high-residential variant, illustration by Prologis

The developer is expecting to construct between 7 and 8 million square feet at full build-out, including approximately 4 million square feet of commercial office space and roughly 2,500 dwelling units. The tallest tower would rise around 850 feet above 4th and King Street, with the new Caltrain Station at its base. The first phase of construction includes 2.5 million square feet on the blocks at 4th Street and 7th Street.

The application writes that the “Proposed Project would modernize the Caltrain Station and Railyard, in coordination with the Transbay Joint Powers Authority’s construction of the Portal Project and the Pennsylvania Avenue extension.” The Portal is the proposed extension of Caltrain to the underground platform station below the Salesforce Transit Center, next to the Salesforce Tower.

Caltrain San Francisco Railyards sidewalk view of the new Train Station, rendering by Prologis

Caltrain San Francisco Railyards internal view, rendering by Prologis

At the core of the project’s pitch to the city, Prologis is promising to build a world-class transit hub, a major new mixed-use development, and provide grand public spaces while reconnecting the urban grid. The importance of the redevelopment is in part because the site is expected to serve as the city’s gateway to the California High-Speed Rail network.

Prologis is a San Francisco-based real estate company specializing in logistics facilities and warehouses worldwide. The international firm appears very capable at planning the infrastructure for the rail network to run through or below a mixed-use neighborhood. Given its previous work and the complexity of the proposal, Prologis may consider partnering with an experienced real estate developer to achieve the overall vision.

Caltrain San Francisco Railyards proposed site plan, illustration by Prologis

Caltrain San Francisco Railyards view of Station Lane, illustration by Prologis

Caltrain San Francisco Railyards front view of the new station entrance, rendering by Prologis

Plans to form a joint venture or find a co-sponsor have not been announced. An example of a potential partner with relevant experience in the Bay Area is Related Companies. Over in New York City, Related Companies and Oxford Properties are co-developing the 28-acre Long Island Rail Road’s storage yard into Hudson Yards, a mixed-use high-density neighborhood costing an estimated $25 billion.

The western end of the trainyard plan is across from the former Recology center at 900 7th Street in the Showplace Square. In 2019, Recology filed plans to reshape the 5.8-acre block with 1.25 million square feet of development, including several hundred housing units, offices, and light industrial space. Then, in late 2020, the property was sold to Amazon, and the tech giant filed plans for a new distribution center. Plans for the warehouse are still under review and awaiting approval.

Caltrain San Francisco Railyards view of the 5th Street Park, illustration by Prologis

Caltrain San Francisco Railyards site area context, illustration by Prologis

A significant question posed by the developer is whether to have the train tracks at-grade or below ground. The construction schedule estimates that a below-grade rail iteration could take around 13 years to complete, or 12 years for the at-grade rail version. The estimated cost has not yet been shared.

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