The ground has been broken for tower two at One Rincon Hill to rise. As we first reported earlier this year with respect to the 299-unit Phase II:
“For the floor plans and unit layouts, Phase II will combine the two adjacent small one bedroom units at the center of the building curve above floor 25 into one two bedroom unit. The number of two bedroom units will increase and the number of one bedroom units will correspondingly be reduced. Approximately 60% of Phase II unit plans are the same as Phase I.
Significant improvements in the Phase II building will include a 3,600 square foot exercise facility and a top floor 4,000 square foot penthouse “Sky Lounge.” (As comparison, current Phase I amenities include a 750 square foot exercise room and an 1,100 square foot Party Room). All amenities, including the existing swimming pool and spa deck facilities, will be available to occupants of both towers.”
While currently being positioned as rentals, the second tower will be condo mapped and we expect to see a sales, rather than rental, office for the building which should be construction complete by the middle of 2014.
Phase 3: Profit
http://moderateinthemiddle.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/gnomes_plan.png?w=490
Is it my imagination? Or does the first tower nearly touch a freeway onramp to a bridge? From the pix above, it looks like those on the first few floors could actually touch cars from their windows.
Surely this must be an optical illusion.
Cool. The lone tower looks so out of place.
@Cade
Probably a bit of a trick of the eye, but not that far off. If you’ve ever driven passed you can see right into units and freeway level.
A person would have to be mad to live in the bottom half of the building.
It’s no illusion. In fact, the state department of tranportation (Caltrans) is in preliminary discussions with the owners to purchase the unit and install a toll booth. All cars wishing to exit the freeway at that location would be required to pay a toll of $5.00 during peak periods. This part of the congestion pricing program under consideration as a pilot program to be jointly administered by the state and the city. The goal of the program is to encourage commuters with financial district destinations to shift their travel time to off-peak periods.
Nice project. Glad to see phase II moving forward.
Hopefully the build quality will be higher in the 2nd tower than in the 1st.
Especially since I suspect these units will be priced upmarket of the first tower.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/one-rincon-hill-san-francisco
Awesome news. I’ve been driving by nearly every day hoping to see some action.
Also hoping this brings more restaurants etc to this still quite barren area. Local Restaurant and wine bar is not enough!
Could someone help me with this logic? Why does a second poorly designed tower help the bad design of the first? I am confused. Leave the 80s architecture to Irvine. I doubt the new tower will be “upmarket”.
And how is the first tower “poorly designed”?
futurist – maybe anonconfused referring to the fact that it’s been in operation for four years, yet the air in SF is anything but purified.
Yes, “poorly designed,” because citing Yelp reviews is worthwhile. On Socketsite.
I think I made a comment a few years ago that when they built this second tower, it’d be a pretty good sign that the market had turned and the worst was behind us. Sure feels like that’s the case now.
Having lived at One Rincon, I concur that it was horribly designed. We had no ventilation whatsoever, and horrible noise night and day from both freeway traffic and the most annoying neighbors on the planet (loud music, walking on hardwood floors, dogs yapping). In the 21st century, I would hope that better design could make a place a little quieter than grand central station. And, we got to live in shoebox. The views were nice, but not worth all of the pain inherent in living there.
I’m currently living across from this site with view directly out my apartment window. I see no groundbreaking or work of any sort.
[Editor’s Note: Groundbreaking’s are ceremonial and the shovels are long gone, expect to see the big machinery arriving over the next few weeks.]