Purchased for $1.528 million in August of 2016, the rent for the Unique Cleaners building at 820 Post Street was soon raised, the business subsequently shuttered, and plans to raze the building and redevelop its Tenderloin parcel were drafted, as we first reported at the time and followed up with the preliminary renderings which have since been refined by Elevation Architects, including the addition of traditional bay windows and a contrasting top floor:
Opposed by a number of local residents seeking to have the development limited to no more than 5 or 6 stories in height, “in keeping with the immediate adjacent buildings” and to minimize “the anticipated loss of light and air” to their neighboring residences, San Francisco’s Planning Department is recommending the project be approved as proposed, without any required Planning Code variances or exceptions, by the City’s Planning Commission next week.
And if approved as proposed and the ground is broken, the 8-story development at 820 Post would yield a total of 12 apartments – a mix of 5 one-bedrooms, 6 twos (one of which would be offered at below market rates) and 1 three-bedroom penthouse unit with a private balcony – over a new 1,200-square-foot retail or café space and off-street parking for 12 bikes but no cars.
Sad to see so many new buildings look as if they were designed by uninspired architects.
You can say that about most buildings in SF. Notice how many have some ugly spin on bay windows.
Bigger without being out of scale, inoffensive, not 100% SROs (in an area that really doesn’t need more), and the rendering doesn’t have folks walking in the middle of the street while on their cell phones. What’s not to like?
The new building as proposed looks perfect for the site. Note the top which blends in with the corner building. The architects did a very nice building which blends in with the neighborhood and looks like it belongs. I really do not understand what some folks on SocketSite actually want new building to look like.
It’s a perfectly adequate background building, which is a fine thing for a building to be. On the other hand, the architects’ first iteration was also a perfectly adequate background building, and it wasn’t telling an unconvincing lie about what era produced it. That’s a better thing for a building to be.
Don’s comment is right on the money.
Come on, Don, don’t be a bay window hater! (Although, the building does look like a cyclops with only one bay…)
I knew a fellow once who loathed San Francisco solely for its bay windows. Just could not abide them; never came here unless he had to, and couldn’t wait to leave when he did. I never asked why; it just seemed too idiosyncratic and mysterious a reason to want it clarified. I’m fine with a nice bay window but sick to death of them being slapped on everything for “context”.
Post Street is not in Tenderloin.
I would argue that Geary definitely is the Tenderloin and this is 1 block north of Geary so if it’s not in the Tenderloin it is most definitely on the border. It’s Tendernob at a minimum.
Really glad to see this approved and (hopefully) moving forward.
Your argument shows you don’t spend much time in the area. Geary is “Trendyloin” from Mason to Leavenworth.
Mensho.Elephant Sushi. Rye. Swig. Redford. Jones. Public Barber. Bel Clift Market. Benjamin Cooper and August Hall. Incoming Maestro’s Ocean Club. I could go on….
of course it is. tenderloin is south of california and east of van ness. unless realtors have come up with new definitions
I live a block up on Sutter. This is what we locals call the Tendernob (or if you’d like, Lower Nob Hill).
Tendernob isn’t a thing. It’s made up garbage pushed by real estate agents and techies.
North of Geary is Nob Hill. South of Geary to Market is the TL. Write it on your forehead so you don’t forget.
As someone who lived at Sacramento and Hyde in the mid-90’s, I can assure you that “Tendernob” and “Lower Nob Hill” is most definitely a thing.
I’ve lived in the Tendernob for 10 years. It is a thing now. All my neighbors call it that. I prefer it to Lower Nob Hill. Tendernob sounds gross and weird and I love it.
The TL ends with the South side of Post
yeah, i’d say Post too. above that is gets notably better and below that gets grungier with each block.
i used to call it the TL or Nob-erloin. Tender-nob sounds like a sex ref.
UPDATE: Approved Tenderloin Development Downsized, Back in Play