Plans to level the two-story Auto Trust Services building at 255 Shipley Street have been drafted. And as proposed, a modern four-story building designed by Natoma Architects will rise across the Western SoMa site with 24 condos and parking for six cars.
The development would stretch from Shipley to Clara Street, with a courtyard between, and overlook another modern infill project designed by the Stanley Saitowitz | Natoma Architects team at 259 Clara which is nearly construction complete:
Plans for a nine-unit building to rise upon the undeveloped parcels adjacent to the 255 Shipley Street site are in the works as well.
The rendering makes the Clara Street side of the building look like its 6 stories as the Shipley side as rendered is 4 stories and is obviously the shorter side.
As reported above, it’s four stories across the site. The height difference is an optical illusion as the Clara Street side of the project is wider by a third to the east.
This is laughably small considering the need we have for housing. Why do we continue to put our heads in the sand? Every 4-story building we put up now instead of a 10-story is 2 3-story victorians we will have to lose 30 years from now when all these soft sites are gone and we still have a massive housing shortage.
They’re able to be stick-built as opposed to steel and concrete. Money, it’s always the money.
Boy, that is one ugly building. It brings to mind late sixties or early seventies poor construction values. It ain’t gonna age well.
What are you talking about? You can’t see “construction values” in an architectural rendering. The 60s and 70s did have some experimental deign with shoddy construction because they pushed the limits of what the materials were capable of at the time. There’s no reason to think that this design will be difficult to execute correctly in the 21st century…
the western soma plan needs to be discarded and rewritten. it is a total piece of crap in terms of urban planning. Western SOMA is a core central area in the 2nd densest city in the US and we are restricting it to building suburban size height. nothing below 8-12 floors should be built in this area.
I am not in that area, but going on a google “drive” I notice that the lot is surrounded by narrow streets, and even 4-story buildings gives a very enclosed feeling
That enclosed feeling is called being in a city. Some of us quite like it.
Kinda like Paris, huh?
Sort of unrelated, but I just want to say that ATS is one of the best mechanics I’ve ever had. I hope he and his wife find a new home… seriously, good, honest people who do good work at a fair price.
Me too! Andy and Shirley are the best. They already had to move about 2 years ago, I really hope they find another location in the city.
UPDATE: Collective of Modern SoMa Condos Closer to Reality