650 California Street viewed from Portsmouth Square, image by Andrew Campbell Nelson

Number 40: 650 California Street, Financial District, San Francisco

The 40th tallest skyscraper in the Bay Area planned or built is the Hartford Building at 650 California Street. The office building is in San Francisco’s Financial District and Chinatown, rising 466 feet above the street. The modernist tower was among the first in a wave that establishes San Francisco’s urban core as we know it today. It faced fierce opposition from many locals, leading then-mayor George Christopher to tell the SF Chronicle in 1962, “Our city is getting a reputation among investors of perhaps encouraging too much opposition. They feel they have to satisfy not only legalities but the artistic whims of the community.” The Hartford Building became the tallest building in San Francisco when Hartford Insurance completed it in 1964.

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2500-2530 18th Street, image via Google Satellite

Permits Filed to Allow Affordable Housing at 2500-2530 18th Street, Mission District, San Francisco

The Board of Supervisors has filed permits to amend the zoning map and create an affordable housing special use district at 2500-2530 18th Street, by the eastern edge of the Mission District in San Francisco. The permits will allow for new uses of the properties, including affordable housing. A local family resource center institution, Homeless Prenatal Program, is the property owner.

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Stonestown Mall conceptual land use proposal, illustration courtesy Brookfield

Brookfield In The Early Stages of Planning 30-Acre Redevelopment at Stonestown Mall, San Francisco

Brookfield Properties has recently presented an updated pitch to the public about the redevelopment of the Stonestown Mall property, located south of the Sunset District and about as far from downtown San Francisco while still being in the city limits. The proposal calls for a mixed-use neighborhood-anchoring project that will make a significant contribution to addressing California’s housing crisis.

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600 20th Street Rendering

Permits Filed for 600 20th Street, Potrero Hill, San Francisco

The preliminary assessment is underway for new development at 600 20th Street in Potrero Hill, San Francisco. Permits have been filed seeking approval of a new Life Sciences Laboratory building following an existing commercial building’s demolition. Further information for this latest proposal has yet to be released. Workshop1 is responsible for the application, as well as previous plans for residential development on the same parcel.

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