Last week, J.K. Dineen broke the news of a proposed 60-story condominium tower to be built atop the southwest corner of San Francisco’s landmark Sheraton Palace Hotel:
“The proposed 269-unit skyscraper would emerge out of the back left corner of the Palace’s 92,000-square-foot lot, at Jessie and Annie alleys, replacing a 1989 addition to the hotel that would be demolished.
The addition would soar 669 feet. One Rincon Hill, now under construction, will be 641 feet, and the Millennium tower at First and Mission streets, is slated to rise 645 feet. [The proposed City House in LA still weighs in at 751 feet.]
The plan is for 41 one-bedroom units, 63 two-bedroom units, 111 two-bedroom “plus” units, and 51 three bedroom units. There would be three 8,000-square-foot penthouses on floors 58, 59, and 60. The eighth floor roof of the current Palace would be redesigned with a pool, spa and yoga space.”
Skidmore Owens Merrill (SOM) is the “design architect on the project, with preservation architects Page & Turnbull handling the historic aspects.” (Under the current proposal, the hotel’s garden court and 518 rooms would remain untouched.)
Renderings of the proposed tower do exist, but so far we’ve had no luck tracking them down. Anybody? Anonymity or credit should you so desire, guaranteed.
This is very interesting because a proposed tower addition of new hotel rooms at the very same location was one of the big SF planning battles of the 1980’s. SOM was the architect at the time and proposed the new tower along with the building owner Kyo-Ya and the Sheraton management team as the “only way to make a financially feasible go” of restoring the existing Palace Hotel. As I recall, Tony Rsenblatt lead the planning and historic restoration forces that successfully kept the tower from happpening, SOM and Page Turnbull restored the Palace maintianing the previousc 580 odd room count and Kyo-Ya did build a giant tower somewhere else, like Hawaii.
Did I miss something … like the line of people waiting to move into SF? I mean, with One Rincon, The Infinity, the Fremont Towers and the bazillion (that’s a scientific term for “a lot”) other projects in the pipeline, WHERE are all the people coming from that are going to fill up these buildings???!!!
Oh, boy … I can’t wait for the fire sales!
Sexy & Sassy –
Um, yeah, you absolutely missed the line of people waiting to move into SF. The whole basis of the sustainability of SF pricing is based on the fact that there is always more housing demand than supply.
Your good point (inventory in the pipeline) is buried under a bad one (the line of people waiting to move into SF).
If this project comes to fruition it would be a killer location. The slender towers remind me of some of the new towers in Chicago and NYC. I hope a drawing becomes available soon.
Other than the top 20 floors, views will be blocked in several directions – Paramount & St Regis block the S/SW, financial district offices to the N/NE…Nob Hill is gonna be it unless you fork over the $millions for those top floors. But yes, I agree with the killer location comment. Anyone know if there are plans for grocery down in the area with all the new residences nearby?
“Anyone know if there are plans for grocery down in the area with all the new residences nearby?”
A couple of blocks down, but I’m loving the Bristol Farms in the basement of the new Westfield. Feels a lot like an upscale NYC/European grocery/market.
As an addition to my ‘killer location’ comment and the response by TheRealScoop…I actually like to be surrounded by other buildings. I would not want to be above The City but to feel a part of it by having and looking at buildings all around me. For instance, in the Infinity or One Rincon I would want to be on the the north or ideally northwest corner of those buildings (although I wouldn’t turn down a 1/2 floor that encompassed that part of the building as I like the Bay Bridge as well). Bridges such as the Golden Gate and Bay Bridge are spectacular but at night water is just black vs. the lights of the buildings at night.
City lights are nice at night, but I’d take a water/bridge view anytime. The Bay and GG bridges are lit at night now and there’s always the headlights that help light it up. Also, there’s only so much bayfront highrises than can be built.
That will make the unobstructed waterfront units at the Infinity prime property, not to mention the great location.