Speaking of market rate development in the Tenderloin, and the demise of surface area parking lots, a plugged-in tipster reports that Heller Manus has been working on plans for a twelve-story high-rise with 110 residential units over ground floor retail and a 23-space garage to be built on the lots surrounding The Metropolis Hotel at Mason and Turk.
While we haven’t seen the renderings (tipsters?), apparently the early design actually incorporated bay windows which the Planning Department suggested should be nixed.
Great news! I’m in favor of any market rate residential in the tenderloin.
This is an interesting spot since it sits near the edge of the loin. You can have a fairly pleasant walk to Union Square and downtown via Market. But Mason and especially Turk are sketchy. I wish the developers luck and hope for their success.
Very ambitious. I agree that Turk is probably the worst street in the Tenderloin. I hope it works out!
Good spot to introduce some housing. As MoD pointed out, Mason/Turk is peripheral TL and tolerable when you consider the benefits of being central. Also creates a nice buffer from the trash that bleeds into our most touristy area.
Isn’t that the block that the Chron said was the most dangerous in San Francisco? ( http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/nevius/article/SF-s-troubled-Turk-Street-City-throws-in-towel-2354707.php )
Good luck to the developers. If we can clean that block up, you might see real impact.
This can only bode good for the neighborhood; more residential, more people on the streets, more shops and restaurants.
Slowly improving this very rough part of SF.
Why not make the ‘high’ rise high? The Tenderloin needs as much market rate housing as possible; this location offers amazing transit options — and is in the heart of an area trying very hard to become something better. Would love to see spot zoning exceptions given the dire reality of those blocks. We could double the number of market-rate units here. But, I’m happy to at least see a mid-rise here if we can’t think a little higher.
Glad to see market rate units go into/near the TL, but it’s going to be a tough sell for the developer. Certainly a step in the right direction towards gentrifying and “cleaning up” the TL.
I’m so embarrassed to admit that the first thing that, err, came to mind with this headline is the young gay porn star who goes by the monicker “Turk Mason”.
He’s quite big in the industry. So to speak.
Heller Manus? I’m generally not optimistic when that name is attached but have to admit they’ve done some decent work here and there. Hopefully, this is one of those cases.