1979 Mission: Streetscape Improvement Plan

The controversial plans for the proposed 331-unit development to rise up to ten stories on the northeast corner of Mission and 16th Streets include a host of streetscape improvements, beyond those to the BART Plaza, ranging from wider sidewalks to bike corrals.

As diagrammed above, the proposed streetscape improvements include bulb-outs at the northwest corner of 16th and Capp and the western side of the Capp and Adair Street intersection, to calm traffic and improve pedestrian safety; a widening and landscaping of the existing 9-foot Capp Street sidewalk to 12 feet on the western side of Capp Street between 16th and 15th streets; landscaping; and the addition of a raised crosswalk across Capp Street at Adair.

Additional improvements along Mission, 16th, and Capp streets would include planted tree wells, special paving, and bicycle parking corrals, providing 30 Class II bicycle spaces. The [developer] would apply to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) to have the two bicycle corrals installed within the public right-of-way on the street…and would fund their installation. There would be one bicycle parking corral for 16 bicycles on Mission Street, and one bicycle parking corral for 14 bicycles on Capp Street.

Overall, these improvements would require the removal of one curbside parking space on Mission Street, and three to four curbside parking spaces on Capp Street, resulting in the removal of up to five parking spaces.

And in terms of the project’s proposed “open space” plan, the storefronts along the northern and eastern sides of the BART plaza would be set back 15 feet from the property line, creating a 2,625 square foot “publicly accessible open space,” while nearly 29,000 square feet of the development’s roof and courtyard space would be landscaped for the use of the building’s residents, with lounge areas, play areas and even a dog run atop the building fronting 16th Street.

1979 Mission Street Open Space Plan

36 thoughts on “Atop And Around The Proposed Buildings At 16th And Mission”
  1. Open space around BART – Kill that idea….It will just be a new sewer with nicer paving vs the old one there…I’d rather they cantilever the building over the plaza and get rid of that pubic space. Or install lasers and concertina wire….Totally fed up with that disgusting corner.

    1. If you are fed up with the corner take it up with BART. This project doesn’t own and can’t do anything to the plaza without BART approval.

      1. I have talked with BART….MANY TIMES…BART says it’s a SF problem. SF says it’s a BART problem. I live nearby. I KNOW it’s a many faceted problem. Like The State of California dropping Ex-Cons and mental patients there every tuesday at 6:00 am. Go and watch and see what happens. Our society drops the most vulnerable off on the corner to fend for them selves. we should all be ashamed… But the open sewer that it is…drug ealing, screwing, prostitution…and other craziness…It’s a total SH_T Show

        1. There are ~20 SROs clustered within a two block radius of 16th & Mission with a total of about 1163 rentable rooms. There are ~40 SROs all in an area defined by Mission/Valencia between 15th and 20th.

          1. Can’t wait for the SRO owners to AirBnB their units. More money to them + fix units up nice to attract better tenants.

    2. The open space could be fine IF it is programmed – the fact there is no entry into the Walgreens and BK currently adjacent to the plaza is what makes it the disgusting cesspool it currently is. As long as there is retail on floor 1, and that retail OPENS TO THE PLAZA it might work as a public space.

      Also, note the large courtyard is on floor 2 and doesn’t connect to the BART plaza, so it’s really not that much space adjacent to BART.

      1. From BART’s website in September, 2006:

        “Celebrate the new 16th Street Plaza $4.2 million plaza opens early and under budget. The newly completed renovations to the northeast plaza of the 16th Street Mission BART Station is giving San Francisco’s Mission District a spectacularly fresh and vibrant new look!”

        They dropped $4.2M on ONE of the two corners a few years ago and it would still be generous to call it a sh!t hole. I am all in favor of the development, but wonder if they will be able to drown out the horror.

  2. This is a great proposal. Just because the plaza now is an unpleasant place, doesn’t mean it can’t be a useful public space. This could be a location for a farmer’s market. The added space to the plaza could hold cafe tables for folks patronizing cafes or restaurants lining the plaza. I’d like to see the developers add a reduced rent arts/gallery space on the plaza or on a second floor mezzanine.

  3. I like the project and will support the development but to consider the paved area in front of the retail as “public open space” is a little ridiculous.

  4. They should at least propose a roof for the BART escalators, otherwise the plaza will continue to have perennially broken ones. This project will be an amazing transformation.

    1. Why would they propose anything in BART plaza? It is BART plaza. It is owned and run by BART. This project has nothing to do with the plaza except proximity.

  5. so everyone here who says this project is awesome needs to show up to the public hearings. we should get a group together to speak in favor of this project!

    1. People are too busy living their lives, hanging with friends and loved ones, raising kids, working. Public participation like this is totally flawed as the most vociferous are the only ones with incentive to show up. It’s a sham

    1. Bike theft is the biggest reason I don’t bike to the more popular places in SF. So while your comment is kind of a joke, I’d support it completely. A bike fortress in every neighborhood would make biking much more practical.

      1. The problem of bike thefts prevents me from riding my bike to many destinations as well. People really need to start filing police reports when their bikes are stolen. The number of bike thefts is under-counted in San Francisco, and yet we are still called the “Bike Theft Capitol of the World”, especially on a per capita basis. My favorite article was of the Chinese student studying in Boston who decided to bike ride across America to learn about the country and encountered kindness and generosity the entire way, but within 5 minutes of being inside of the San Francisco city limits he had his bike stolen.

        1. If bikes are going to replace cars, then we need to make sure that a 1000 dollar fixie or a 3000 dollar pedal assist bike (if you want older people or non-athletic people to bike, this is the way) can actually be used. The idea that we should all be driving 200 dollar crappers because they will be stolen is insane and pointless. I don’t work 60+ hours a week to bike on a piece of junk with broken gears.

          1. You can get a mighty fine bike for $200 if you look around for a lightly used legit unit. Sometimes you can find a bike bought with good intentions, ridden twice, and then stranded in the garage for years, factory grease still clean and shiny. Even a good brand new bike costs less than $500.

            There are tricks to avoid theft. One is to park within sight of a lot of people traffic. Locking up to a parking meter on a corner where sketchy people hang out is better than a quiet alley.

        2. that’s suprising that anyone would steal bikes here when everyone seems to have them! even the homeless people in my neighborhood have really nice bikes. why just the other day I saw a guy with a shiny white Bianchi with his pitbull and garbage bags

  6. Re the BART plaza. Use of the plaza would be improved (as would the other 3 at 16th and 24th) by retail uses opening onto the plaza. thereby allowing things like café tables, etc to add life. BART missed the opportunity when they were established (and in subsequent redesigns), and for the most part these plazas are surrounded by blank walls or fences. In addition, the new sliver of open space running from 16th across the front of the BART entrance will improve circulation…at both the 24th and 16th NE plazas, the entrance is uncomfortably close to the property line…..a bad oversight in the original construction that this proposal corrects.

    Like many, I can’t wait to see this proposal built.

  7. Not tall enough. Not dense enough. Needs more units. For such a large plot of land near a transit nexus, this is embarrassing. The major pluses I see are shops facing the BART plaza and the addition of bike parking. The developer and BART will need to discuss the design of the canopy that is planned for the station entrance so they match architecturally.

    1. Alright already with the hyperbole. It’s plenty tall. It’s plenty dense. What’s there *now* is an embarrassment. Let’s not get carried away here.

  8. When is this going to happen? It should be an emergency to fix this corner asap! Before someone’s google glass get snatch again. (>,>=)

  9. A mean amount of open space given the size of the building. And 10 storeys is way too tall for the area. Also, where does the 22 bus stop on 16th Street go – can’t see it on the plans?

  10. Ironic how the focus of the item is improvements to the streetscape. Just last week there was a public hearing upon proposed landscaping beautification changes to be made on Mission Street to which there was reported vociferous objection by the “community” on the basis that it was just a ploy for gentrification. Actually shouts of “No new trees!”

  11. I can’t wait for this to be built. Of course very misguided people (Campos!) are trying to stop all development in the Mission. I guess this works for him since he has a cosy spot and wants to make sure no one else can live here.

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