Harrison Street Development Site

Speaking of height limits in San Francisco, the current zoning for the eastern two-thirds of the SoMa block roughly bounded by Second, Harrison, Third and the Caltrans parcel under Interstate 80 currently ranges from 45 to 85 feet in height with existing buildings ranging from 12 to 48 feet.

As part of the proposed Central Corridor Plan that’s in the works, with a draft plan that should soon be made public and is targeting approval in 2014, the block would be up-zoned for heights ranging from 130 to 200 feet.

The designs for the aforementioned 2 acre parcel above, however, include three new buildings ranging in height from 200 to 350 feet: a 300-room hotel with a retractable glass roof and roof-top bar; a residential tower with 400 units which would either be rented or sold depending upon the market at the time; and a 28-story office building wrapped in glass with floor to ceiling windows.

Even with the proposed up-zoning, the heights of the proposed 400 Second Street Project would exceed the height limit of the proposed designations. And as such, following the adoption of the Central Corridor Plan which the Planning Department will have spent a few years planning, San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors would need to quickly approve a special Height District Reclassification in order for the Project to proceed.

The proposed project also includes 80,000 square feet of neighborhood retail and service stores, restaurants, and bars or lounges on the lower floors of the buildings.

9 thoughts on “The Big Plans For This East SoMa Block, Bigger Than Planned In Fact”
  1. So, does this mean the the height restrictions in the newly-completed master plan were too conservative, or does it mean that this is a typical developer trying to get special treatment? I would actually tend to believe the former, and anyone willing to live/work overlooking the freeway is welcome to do so. On the other hand, both of those warehouse buildings (645 and the one on the corner of Harrison and Second) contribute a lot to the character of the street, and they have been there for awhile, especially one of them:
    Photo Link

  2. I live in Hawthorne Place (77 dow) and this is going to cut off the view looking at the ballpark, I’m trying to find any reason that is a good idea………….

  3. Hollywood is planning on creating a 44 acre park by decking the 101 freeway. Hello San Francisco? Up-zone the adjacent properties and consider a decked ‘green line’. All in time.

  4. A cap park is great, but it’s hard to “cap” an elevated freeway. There is an opportunity in another part of town- I have long had the pipe dream of placing the portion of 101 that goes around Potrero underneath a sloping park to recreate the hill, between 25th and about 22nd.

  5. “I live in Hawthorne Place (77 dow) and this is going to cut off the view looking at the ballpark, I’m trying to find any reason that is a good idea………….”
    aw 🙁

  6. “I live in Hawthorne Place (77 dow) and this is going to cut off the view looking at the ballpark, I’m trying to find any reason that is a good idea………….” -mikemmmm
    Boo hoo. Welcome to living in the city, I guess you never realized that you can’t own a view, and that cities are constantly changing?
    I wonder how many people had complaints about your own building (which is also a highrise) when it was proposed? If they had their way, you wouldn’t be living there now.

  7. So it takes 10 years or more to formulate a plan for East SoMa. Tens of thousands of hours and hundreds of meetings and hearings. Everybody gets a chance to take a shot at zoning, heights, bulk,and land use issues. Where were these guy’s?
    What’s the point of all the meetings, hearings, approvals? If all it takes is money to undue the approved legislation in one stroke. I don’t think so….
    Let’s get real. This is nothing more than illegal SPOT zoning for a well healed out of town developer. If this plan moves forward with all the up zoning there will be lawsuits and they will tie this proposal up for years. Hope this developer has deep pockets….I see litigation going on for at least the next ten years…all the up zoning tied up in litigation and appeals.
    Go for it guy’s….game on! Welcome to San Francisco.

  8. Looks like plans call for keeping 645 Harrison in one form or another. Im all for keeping old historical buildings, but what is so significant about 645 Harrison other than being old? I was kinda hoping for something new here from top to bottom that was setback about 2 or 3 ft from the side walk to make room for some trees, shrubs etc.

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