rendering by steelblue

Since we first featured steelblue’s animation for San Francisco’s future Transbay Transit Center last year, a few more renderings have been added to the introductory flyover which includes twenty-three other area developments and two parks which are either under construction, approved or slated to be built.

Now including detailed renderings for the proposed developments designed by Foster + Partners (50 First Street) and Jeanne Gang (Transbay Block 1), not to mention Transbay Block 5, the projects which make an appearance above:

  1. 50 First Street (Office/Residential)
  2. 201 Folsom Street (LUMINA) (Residential/Retail)
  3. 530 Folsom Street (Rene Cazenave Apartments)
  4. Foundry Square III (Office)
  5. 181 Fremont Street (Office/Residential)
  6. 325 Fremont Street (Residential)
  7. 340 Fremont Street (Residential)
  8. 399 Fremont Street (Residential)
  9. 75 Howard Street (Residential)
  10. 524 Howard Street (Residential)
  11. 45 Lansing Street (Residential)
  12. 350 Mission Street (Office)
  13. 535 Mission Street (Office)
  14. One Rincon Tower 2 (Residential)
  15. Oscar Park (Park)
  16. 222 Second Street (Office)
  17. 41 Tehama Street (Residential)
  18. Transbay Block 1 (Residential)
  19. Transbay Blocks 2/3/4 (current Temporary Terminal) (Residential and Park)
  20. Transbay Block 5 (Office)
  21. Transbay Block 6/7 (Residential/Retail)
  22. Tranbay Block 8 (Residential)
  23. Transbay Block 9 (Residential)

And yes, there are more to come.

32 thoughts on “New And Improved: Transbay District Rising”
  1. I never make it down to soma east of 7th street anymore, is the transit center rising? Or is it a hole in the ground, when is it expected to be completed?

    1. It is rising from the depths of the giant hole that was created for it, but not above ground level yet. The train deck lowest level is nearly done, they are working on the mezzanine now. I understand that in October some structural steel may begin to pop up above ground level. It is still on track for completion in late 2017 I believe. But even when done, there will be no connection to 4th and king, that is now unfunded, so no trains, just buses and shopping in 2017.

  2. I feel this is like a McDonald’s commercial where the burger looks delicious, then when you actually order it’s nothing like what was advertised. Time will tell, but it just seems impossible that a glistening white transit center will look that way a week after ribbon-cutting.

    1. Didn’t you hear? The ribbon cutting ceremony was cut from the budget as costs continue to spiral out of control.

      As for your comment…you’re absolutely correct. A $2B bus terminal is nothing to salivate over, especially when it has no connection to local transit or Caltrain. Face it, the Bay Area was duped…again.

  3. But this is only a small part of whats coming that is unless the conversion to residential is stopped in the SOMA ,

    There are blocks and blocks of the SOMA that are prime real estate for residential conversion since it puts housing within a short bike ride of the downtown , can only hope that the transformation of the SOMA is not stopped

    1. 29% of SOMA residents that work walk to work, according to the US Census 2010. About the same percentage drive. More than a quarter take transit and about 10% work from home. Only 4% bike to work.

  4. The music is very moving — British-y, grand, even uplifting.

    Back to reality — when is the Transbay tower going to start rising?

    1. Good question – I was in L.A. yesterday (boo, hiss), and the core of the Korean Air tower is already 5 stories up (note, no steel, just the concrete elevator core) – and I think they broke ground later.

    2. I can see the transbay tower (now ‘salesforce tower’, yuk) construction from my office window. For the last few months they were putting in lots of rebar and concrete piles, but have been covering it all back up with dirt.

      In general, however, the foundation is probably the most time-consuming part of construction – once you get that in place, things tend to go quickly afterwards.

      1. we don’t really have a solid newspaper any longer. i think they stalled the transbay tower because of the whole tax issue. what a funny coincidence that once the tax increase was negotiated, it was full steam ahead.

  5. Looks interesting. I hope some day in my working life (I am 38) to actually take a train from the train station which is a 10 minute walk from my Peninsula house to the TBT

    Odds?

    1. I’ve got 10 years on you and lost hope a long time ago. If anything, more high rise developmen will occur along the path of the Caltrain extension making it difficult (and easier to throw around excuses) to build the extension.

      1. I hear you, but my understanding was that the rights of way had already been locked in, i.e., it’s not as though a new high-rise’s foundation will muck up the plan. Can anyone confirm / deny?

        1. I don’t know how deep the Caltrain extension will be between 4th/Townsend and the TTC. Towers are springing up throughout the transbay district, adding thousands of residents and workers, yet we fail to see transit keeping up with development. Sorry, the central subway really won’t do much to alleviate transit pressures in this part of SOMA.

    1. Yeah, funny how that Board of Supervisors vote and negotiation with the Transbay District tower owners last week, about the level of transit tax, was completely imaginary.

  6. Wow! Just what San Francisco need right now, more unaffordable housing and retail space! Thanks for the “inspiring” music..I feel so much better about my city being destroyed by corporate greed.

    1. Depends on what kind of retail. but don’t get your hopes up.

      Restaurants: quick service casual chains and probably one local “celebrity” place (MM, Charles Phan, Tyler Florence) to wow those folks getting off HSR from the Central Valley. Never mind. There is no HSR. Maybe a gourmet prepared food place for those who live nearby in those flashy residential towers or myself who works nearby and couldn’t be bothered making a sustainably-friendly, organic, carbon footprint-reduced meal the previous evening.
      Services: something tech-y, like a charging/coffee/zen moment station before you hop on your bus to El Sobrante that arrived late because of bridge traffic.
      Retail: definitely one SF tourist shop, but probably some pop ups since the rents will be through the eco-friendly green roof.

  7. The City by the Bay! Once thought of just the HUB of Starfleet in the Star Trek Movies is now BECOMING the city in which is was represented as in the Movies. Gene Roddenberry what you started is man thinking again.

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