From a plugged-in tipster last week:
One project that might be interesting to keep your eye on is the former Schlage Lock Factory site in [Visitacion] Valley. For the last two years this has been a survey area, and a Citizen’s Advisory Committee (on which I sit) was formed to explore creating a redevelopment district (which includes not only the old lock factory and a piece of former Southern Pacific rail yards, but also a portion of the commercial district on Leland Avenue, which is the neighborhood’s main commercial street).
If all goes to plan, in the not too distant future demolition and cleanup of the site might commence, with a view of increasing the number of dwelling units from the current estimated 200 in the project area, to approximately 1800, along with the neighborhood serving retail and new open space. Our efforts are in hope that the project will create jobs in the community, create new transit-oriented neighborhoods, and establish a model of green development in what has traditionally been an overlooked and underappreciated corner of the city. We also hope we will help set the tone for additional developments that may follow in the Baylands to the south, owned by the city of Brisbane.
The CAC meets second Tuesday of each month from 6-8PM, and our meetings generally take place at 401 Tunnel Avenue (at SF Recycling, aka “the dump”).
From James Temple today:
The owner of Visitacion Valley’s Schlage Lock Co. factory has settled a decade-old contamination lawsuit and transferred the property, clearing one of the biggest obstacles blocking a community-blessed plan to convert the boarded-up site into housing, parks, offices and stores.
And from J.K. Dineen:
The agreement comes a week after the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency published an environmental impact report on the Schlage site. The plan for the site includes 100,000 square feet of retail in addition to the 1,200 homes. It also includes a large park and the restoration of the historic Schlage Lock headquarters. The cleanup [which is slated to last 30 months] will start as soon as the city approves the EIR, [Paragon General Manager Steven Hanson] said.
∙ San Francisco Redevelopment Agency: Visitacion Valley Survey Area [SFGov]
∙ Draft Visitacion Valley Redevelopment Plan (PDF) [SFGov]
∙ Old Schlage Lock factory in S.F. finally sold [SFGate]
∙ Deal struck on S.F. site for 1,200 homes [Business Times]
I hope that the final redevelopment plan uses stronger language regarding access to the CalTrain Bayshore station from the VV neighborhood. The draft plan has some pretty weak verbage :
“Encourage new buildings on adjacent parcels to include safe pedestrian connections to the Caltrain facility.”
Rather than just encourage, I would compel at least one parcel to provide a direct way to reach the Bayshore station from Bayshore Blvd. Ideally that would be along the Vistacon Ave. alignment.
It would be a huge mistake to continue to require riders to loop around the old railyard to Blanken to reach the station.
Good plan
I hope Brisbane follows suit with their Baylands area.
I know they are considering mixed use but also I have heard automalls and other uses mentioned
This is where mid rise office towers should go, not Sierra Point
Various community members are to be accredited for their participation. There is a reason that this area of SF is finally getting some attention.
There is a CAC (citizens advisory committee) of the Redevelopment Agency that meets every month (and subcommittees that meet in between); several community-based organizations that focus on economic and social causes; and developers such as UPC that are starting to take notice.
The goal for many people to is to create a vibrant neighborhood the way this area was in the hay day of Schlage’s operation, so the planning and redevelopment steps are signs of optimism.
Visitacion Valley has reached this important milestone not without some regrets. Although the Schlage Lock buildings have been shuttered for nearly 10 years, as a company, Schlage Lock and its workers were an integral part of the Visitacion Valley community.
Visitacion Valley grew up around Schlage Lock as skilled blue-collar workers settled in the neighborhood, raised families, attended local churches and sent their kids to neighborhood schools. They shopped en mass along Leland Ave.
Times have changed and this plan for the redevelopment of the site represents the community’s vision (with invaluable support from the Redevelopment Agency and the SF Planning Dept) of integrating an industrial site back into the fabric of a residential neighborhood.
I hope they don’t do block-long megaprojects like King Street. Can San Francisco build urbane, human scaled neighborhoods on alarge scale any more?
“I hope they don’t do block-long megaprojects like King Street”
Exactly. But no luck there. It would be nice to break up the land into several pieces, but that just doesn’t happen anymore.
Take a look at the Chron’s published rendering: It could be any “new urbanist” megaproject in SF, Emeryville, or Pasadena, Van Nuys, Laguna Hills, Ventura….
http://imgs.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2008/06/12/bu-schlage13_ph4_0498617315.jpg
UPDATE: Visitacion Valley Unlocked: Schlage Redevelopment Ready To Roll.