Portsmouth Square To Be Renovated In Downtown San Francisco

A presentation to San Francisco’s Civic Design Review Committee has revealed renderings for a revamped Portsmouth Square in Chinatown, San Francisco. Much will be changed, though the most significant additions will be a new building and redesigned playground. The park is central to the district’s community as a gathering point and destination for those visiting. I have fond memories of my first time seeing 838 Grant Avenue’s imposing facade and circular windows, awakening my appreciation for the breadth of urban architecture. Reporting from KQED this May details the project’s years-long saga of incremental progress, concluding that this proposal’s future is uncertain. This new presentation in front of the CDRC represents new fuel for its realization.

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One Steuart Lane, image by Andrew Campbell Nelson

SOM-Designed One Steuart Lane Tops Out, SoMa, San Francisco

The SOM-designed One Steuart Street has reached its 220-foot pinnacle, looking over the Embarcadero. Located in the East Cut portion of SoMa, the new residential tower plans to offer unique listings for the ultra-wealthy who might otherwise look for single-family houses in the city’s outskirts. Now that construction has topped out, the project is fast approaching completion and occupancy.

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419 4th Street, courtesy Google Street View

Permits Filed For 419 4th Street, Jack London Square, Oakland

Permits have been filed to build a 7-story mixed-use structure at 419 4th Street in the Jack London Square neighborhood of Oakland. The address sits between Broadway and Franklin Street. The site is within walking distance of downtown Oakland and is six blocks away from the Oakland Jack London Square. While renderings have not been released, we can confirm that Lowney Architectureis responsible for the design.

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