Having already abandoned their plans to level the two-story Superior Automotive shop building on the northeast corner of 16th and Albion, a building for which they paid a record-setting $8.7 million back in 2013, Mx3 Ventures is now abandoning their downsized plans for the historic building which called for converting the first floor into two retail spaces and four parking spaces with four two-bedroom apartments on the floor above.
Instead, MX3 has just formally filed an application to convert the 3140-3150 16th Street garage into a massive 20,000-square-foot restaurant and event space dubbed “The Albion on 16th.”
As proposed, portions of the two-story restaurant could be cordoned off and offered for private use, including a new 2,300-square-foot “outdoor activity area” on the roof, the use of which would be within the restaurant’s hours of operation, “which are expected to be similar to that of the surrounding restaurants and bars.”
Blowin’ in the (market) wind….
Well, I’m glad gentrification was stopped here. Think of how bad it would have gotten if they’d allowed a few dozen small apartments. Now there will be a swanky restaurant which everyone can enjoy!
Not sure what you mean when you say “Think of how bad it would have gotten if…” – why do you think that??
The original poster was being sarcastic.
If you can’t open a tea cafe in the Mission, what are the chances for a 20,000 sf restaurant?
A tea cafe opened next door to this location a month or so ago: Katea
Some people do not understand the treasure we have in the Mission. It should be preserved as a home for the poor, for their predators the drug dealers and pimps and other criminals, as an example of a superior indigenous culture, and a model for other cities and countries of “San Francisco values.” No development should be allowed of any kind, there should be 100 percent residential and commercial rent control. No person, regardless of ethnicity or identity should be permitted to sell his, her or its property for a profit and move to the east bay. There is no good reason for the government of SF to allow any change.
To achieve this we must shut down Calle 16 and Calle 24 BART stations which are causing development and displacement pressures on this treasure.
Gah. I was hoping it would just be a temporary use like The Hall while they work to get the BS “preservation” ruling overturned, but it sounds like they’re really making a go at this. Not good.
Why is this not good? From the perspective of a resident of the area I just want a business that is open to be in the space. It will help keep this building clear of graffiti, and encourage the drunks that currently camp here all day listening to music and selling VCR tapes to move on to new pastures.
Agree that active use is better than nothing. What irks me is the missed opportunity for housing. I live in the neighborhood too, and I don’t want to see our neighborhood turn even further into an exclusive, homogenous enclave.
I have rent control, but high housing prices take away flexibility to move within the neighborhood, push out economic diversity over time, and make it hard to support a healthy retail environment because few businesses can afford to pay workers enough that the workers can afford to live nearby.
If they were gonna build a big 2-story restaurant and event space with 10 stories of apartments above it, I’d be the biggest fan. The event space doesn’t bother me. The lack of housing does.
I don’t think our neighborhood is lacking for non-rent controlled housing being built. I would prefer if they were able to make this space into a new pharmacy to replace the one at 16th/Mission if/when the project there ever gets underway.
What would it look like if our neighborhood WAS lacking in new construction, in your opinion? I’m not aware of a single project being built right now west of Valencia.
At Guerrero and 15th there is a building going up replacing a much smaller home (one in from the corner).
On 18th across from Oakview several of the homes there are being remodeled/expanded.
The warehouse(?) next to the church on Guerrero between 18th and 19th is about to be rebuilt into more housing.
The area you are talking about is pretty housing dense already (between Valencia and Dolores) I do agree a lot of the small buildings on 16th between Valencia and Guerrero could certainly stand to be built up, but I am not concerned about missing out on housing with this one particular property.
I’ll keep an eye out for the one at 15th and Guerrero. Don’t know how I missed it.
The warehouse next to the church at 668 Guerrero seems to have pulled permits, but only for a triplex, and it’s not under construction yet.
I wouldn’t call one project of significant size for an entire neighborhood (and a proposed small project) a lot. We need a faster rate of growth than that just to accommodate current residents having children, let alone immigration to SF.
This isn’t a good investment. The building isn’t attractive, it looks like…well, a giant stucco garage. A great new building with retail, restaurant space on the first floor, three stories of modern apartments or condos on top of that. Leave the trees. Brighten up the neighborhood with something new. New housing, new restaurant or shops. Yes.
An $8 million dollar restaurant?
UPDATE: Record-Setting Mission District Building (Site) Back on the Market