For the last twelve days of 2025, SFYIMBY will continue our tradition of reflecting on the biggest stories we’ve covered each month across the region. December provided plenty of headlines for twenty-something story towers, most notable of which was the preliminary permits filed for a 25-story expansion to the Marina Safeway. Several infill stories came across our desks, too, including a flat-iron apartment building in the Mission District and an eight-story infill in SoMa designed by Ogle Design. New BART Housing broke ground in El Cerrito, and a 15-story affordable LGBTQ+ project in the Castro secured funding. Lastly, the month ended with approval granted for two high-density projects in the city, though one was promptly listed for sale.
From all of us here at YIMBY, thank you so much for following along as we remain dedicated to covering construction and development across the Bay Area to Sacramento. We are so grateful to have readers like you and to our advertisers who help make this possible. We look forward to covering whatever comes next. Happy New Year!
New Building Permits Filed For 360 5th Street in SoMa, San Francisco
360 5th Street pedestrian view, rendering by Handel Architects
December 3rd: 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.
Meeting Today For 23-Story Affordable Housing in Mission Bay, San Francisco
Mission Bay Block 4 East evening view, rendering by Perry Architects and Y.A. Studio
December 4th: The San Francisco Planning Commission is scheduled to review plans today for the Mission Bay Block 4 affordable housing project in Mission Bay, San Francisco. The mixed-use proposal is looking to add nearly four hundred units across two structures, the tallest of which is 23 floors. Curtis Development and Bayview Senior Services are the joint developers.
Preliminary Permits Filed For Seawall Lot 330 Housing, San Francisco
555 Beale Street, rendering by Grimshaw and Perry Architects
December 4th: Preliminary permits have been filed for the residential component of a master plan development along San Francisco’s Embarcadero Waterfront. The initial plans describe developing Seawall Lot 330, also addressed as 555 Beale Street, with over six hundred dwelling units across two residential buildings. Strada Investment Group is the project sponsor.
New Building Permits For Skinny SoMa Tower at 896 Folsom Street, San Francisco
896 Folsom Street aerial overview, rendering by FORMA
December 5th: New building permits have been filed for a 26-story mixed-use tower at 896 Folsom Street in the SoMa neighborhood of San Francisco. The project will add over a hundred apartments and retail to a small corner lot three blocks from Market Street. The project will replace the existing office space of the project’s developer, FORMA Development Design & Management.
Updated Renderings for 915 Bryant Street in SoMa, San Francisco
915 Bryant Street golden-hour view, rendering by Ogle Design
December 5th: Updated renderings have been shared for an eight-story infill project at 915 Bryant Street in SoMa, San Francisco. The project is looking to add over a dozen apartments above a small cafe to a narrow urban lot. Chandra Livingston of Manhattan Beach-based real estate agency, All Of Us Enterprises, is listed as the property owner and applicant.
Preliminary Permits Filed For Fourth Safeway Redevelopment in the Marina, San Francisco
15 Marina Boulevard sidewalk view, rendering by Arquitectonica
December 9th: Preliminary permits have been filed for the fourth Safeway redevelopment proposal in San Francisco. This time, project developer Align Real Estate is looking to replace the grocery store with a 25-story sloped tower, containing nearly eight hundred rental apartments, at 15 Marina Boulevard in the Marina District.
Plans Surface For Eight-Story Flatiron Apartments at 3230 24th Street in Mission District, San Francisco
3230 24th Street, rendering by Wong Logan Architects
December 10th: Plans have surfaced for a potential eight-story residential complex at 3230 24th Street in San Francisco’s Mission District. The project is looking to add 35 apartments to a vacant triangular parcel just one block away from the 24th Street BART Station.
The Historic Huntington Hotel Has Announced Plans to Reopen Next Spring
The Huntinton Hotel, image via Singular Builders
December 11th: The Huntington Hotel is set to reopen at its historic building located at 1075 California Street in San Francisco’s Nob Hill neighborhood. The hotel originally closed in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, with no clear timeline for reopening. However, following a renovation project in association with Flynn Properties and Highgate, the hotel is on track to reopen its doors in early 2026.
New Renderings For BIG-Designed Tower in Downtown San Jose
35 South Second Street establishing view, rendering by Bjarke Ingels Group
December 12th: The San Jose Planning Director is scheduled to review updated plans next Wednesday for 35 South Second Street in Downtown San Jose, Santa Clara County. The plans, dubbed the Fountain Alley mixed-use project, have shifted from the previous pants-shaped office-housing complex to a 27-story and 28-story tower with 768 apartments and ground-floor retail. The project is part of the wider San Jose master plan led by Westbank and Urban Community.
The Oceanwide Center Property at 50 First Street May Soon Have New Ownership
Oceanwide Center western elevation, rendering of design by Foster and Partners
December 15th: The long-delayed Oceanwide Center project in San Francisco’s SoMa Neighborhood may be getting new life with a deal to change the property’s ownership. Last week, a new developer put down a nonrefundable deposit on the 50 First Street site, with hopes of closing a full deal within the next two months.
Funding Secured for 1939 Market Street, San Francisco
1939 Market Street, design by Paulett Taggart Architects and YA Studio
December 16th: Construction is expected to start in late 2026 and early 2027 for the 15-story affordable senior LGBTQ+ housing proposal at 1939 Market Street in San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood. The development recently secured funding from the California Department of Housing and Community Development. Mercy Housing and Openhouse are joint developers for the project.
Plans Approved for 58-Story 88 Bluxome Street, Promptly Hits Market in San Francisco
88 Bluxome Street aerial overview, rendering by Henning Larsen and SCB
December 17th: 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.
Parcel A Breaks Ground at El Cerrito BART Transit Oriented Development
El Cerrito Plaza Parcel A South, rendering via BART Board of Directors project presentation
December 18th: Last week, ground broke at the El Cerrito BART Station, beginning the first phase of construction for a sweeping 743-unit development to occupy the existing surface parking lot. Initial concepts for the project were reported on by SF YIMBY in 2020, with final approvals by the El Cerrito City Council coming through in May 2025. In that time, Holliday Development, Satellite Affordable Housing Associates, and Related California have emerged as project developers, sponsoring a combination of affordable and market-rate units on the site.
Preliminary Application For 36-Story Apartments at 329 Bryant Street, San Francisco
329 Bryant Street, rendering by Stanton Architecture
December 19th: Preliminary permits have been filed for a 36-story residential tower at 329 Bryant Street in San Francisco’s South Beach neighborhood. The application freezes local planning code to streamline the approval process for a project that could add 260 for-ownership units across from I-80 and One Rincon Hill. Stanton Architecture is listed as the project applicant.
67-Story Skyscraper Approved for 10 South Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco
10 South Van Ness Avenue, rendering by Arcadis
December 30th: The San Francisco Planning Department has approved plans for a 67-story mixed-use skyscraper at 10 South Van Ness Avenue. The proposal seeks to replace a two-story commercial building with 1,019 apartments, ground-floor retail, and basement parking in what would become the third-tallest building in the city. This approval comes soon after reports that the developer, Crescent Heights, hopes to start construction as early as 2027.
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