Urban Infill For Small Builders And Makers
September 22, 2015
The awkward lot at the intersection of 25th Street and the Indiana Street on-ramp to Interstate 280 currently serves as a scrap and storage yard. But as proposed, a five-story building for builders and makers could rise upon the Central Waterfront site.
As designed by Leavitt Architecture, the 1228 25th Street project would provide 11,500 square feet of flexible workspace for small enterprises, including a 1,500-square-foot rooftop space and a 450-square-foot lobby, along with 2,500 square feet of ground floor retail that could be outfitted as a café.
In order to qualify as Small Enterprise Workspace, as is proposed, the individual spaces within the building will need to be limited to no more than 1,500 square feet apiece as opposed to up to 2,000 square feet for a full-floor tenant as is currently drawn. And while the proposal doesn’t include any parking for cars, ten Class 1 bicycle spaces would be constructed adjacent to the lobby.
Plans for four live/work lofts to rise upon the site were proposed and permitted fifteen years ago, but those plans were subsequently abandoned.
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Odd lots adjacent to freeways should be turned into open/green space. IMO.
That said, this proposal at least does not try to build housing on top of a freeway. As the Hines proposal on Rincon Hill does,
Hard to tell from a rendering but the design is a step up from the de riguer design for the mid-Market building showcased in the previous SocketSite post.
Why green space? It’s not much use as a park for picnickers, because of traffic noise – and the feeling of being nearly under the freeway. It seems like this is precisely the use you’d want in this kind of lot. And it’s telling that it already is in a light industrial use.
If this were a park / open space it would just become a homeless encampment.
Actually, there is a very nice open space created on caltrans right of way very close to this project and it is looking very good. I’m sure they have some homeless problems, but their involvement and use seems to be working. Among other things there is a bocce court.
Do people use it like they do dolores or duboce park?
Exactly. The green space does not have to also be public space when abutting a freeway.
In San Jose lots of the freeway on and off ramps have slivers of land that have mostly been turned into green space. Obviously not for public use, but green nonetheless. In San Jose many median strips are planted with a fast growing redwood that seems to not need so much water and does not become huge. Something like that could be done with this type of space.
Along 280 near City College its a shame these redwood trees, or some other large tree, was not planted abutting the residential areas that run right up to the freeway. Green buffer, sound buffer. Near Baden below 280 so residents apparently got this idea and there are some trees growing on the sliver of land between the freeway and the homes.
Because San Jose is an example? Perhaps we should build 6-lane roads for 10 cars per minute to use as well. San Jose has a bunch of those too.
There is nothing magical about ugly freeway grass.
“Let’s go down to that new park by the freeway!” Said nobody.
parks near freeways always become homeless encampments. very very bad idea
Terrific use of an awkward lot. Build it. Next.
Seriously.
yes?
I second this, though. Build it!
Agreed. Build it, and build it fast.
green space under freeway = homeless encampment.
they’ll use it as a toilet until the neighbors stop coming to it.
If this was designated as open green space it would only be utilized by the homeless. I HATE to say it but that is the most likely probability, and as such it would not be a benefit to the City populace at large. Given the proximity to the freeway i would bet that the homeless being driven (at least attempted) from showplace square and those at islais creek would take up residence in that space immediately. The coming El Nino is going to ultimately turn every freeway overpass that can provide refuge from the elements into an encampment and public space designation would basically be an invitation.
Not long ago i went to a community meeting prior to the opening of the homeless navigation center near Mission/16th and it was made clear from SFDPW, homeless advocates, and the SFPD that open space under freeways is not ideal simply because use of right of ways for encampments, is not a high priority and that police action involves a number of complaints, which only leads to removal of homeless, clean up, all of which generally results in the homeless returning within 24 hours.
Nice design. Ground level neighborhood retail is a much better use than the ugly scrap yard. Get it built soon.
UPDATE: Exemption for Small Builders and Makers Project Approved