October 31, 2014 Housing Action Coalition
From Native American hunting ground to World War II Naval Shipyard, Dogpatch has always served as a place of opportunity. Today, much in the same way, the neighborhood attracts new communities of people. SFHAC Project Manager Rob Poole curated a tour of the Dogpatch to explore sites slated to become new housing.
The first stop, 2290 3rd Street, designed by architect Owen Kennerly is currently a parking lot and underutilized warehouse. Soon to become 70 homes above 1,700 square-feet of ground floor retail, residents will enjoy the convenience of the Muni T-line located directly in front of the building and the evolving commercial corridor along 3rd Street.
Lou Vasquez of Build Inc. then guided us through Esprit Park to the future site of his project at 650 Indiana Street. Recently entitled for 120 rental homes, the development will include two buildings, designed by Kennerly Architecture and Pfau-Long Architecture, separated by a mid-block passage. Part of the project includes a public arts plaza inspired by the Burning Man Decompression Festival, which combines the ideas of pocket plaza and a outdoor gallery to create a “third place” where people can come together to engage with art and each other. Build Inc. helped fund the plaza through an “in-kind” payment.
Next, landscape architect David Fletcher, who’s worked on several public space improvement projects in the neighborhood, including the 22nd Street Master Plan, SF Muni playground and the 22nd Street Caltrain Station, shared with our group his vision for the Dogpatch Historic Promenade, a significant pedestrian pathway that connects the waterfront to the center of the neighborhood.
Moving on, BDE Architect Grant Weaver presented the plans for 645 Texas Street. The site, currently occupied by several underutilized commercial spaces, will become a 94-unit condominium development. The building will have a small retail space on the ground-floor and include a high percentage of two and three-bedroom homes, intended for families.
Jesse Herzog of AGI Capital showed us the site of their latest project at 1201 Tennessee Street, 259 rental homes with 2,400 square feet of ground floor retail space, slated to break ground in mid-November. Sharing a property line with the Hells Angels Clubhouse, the project sponsors received unanimous support from this unlikely fan of new housing.
The tour wrapped up with Kelly Pretzer of Forest City guiding us through the multi-acre Pier 70. This large-scale project proposes to add 1,000-2,000 housing units, nine acres of waterfront parks and a significant amount of office and retail space, all pending a Yes on F vote on Nov 4th.
Dogpatch neighborhood provides a uniquely urban experience, bringing together artisans and local businesses. The developments taking shape today and the residents they bring will continue to contribute to the vibrancy of this community. For information on future SFHAC tours, visit http://housingactioncoalition.org/events/.
