A handful of developers in the Bay Area are opting for higher density builds as municipalities in the region race to meet state-mandated housing goals.
In San Francisco, Thompson Builders is increasing its plans for housing at 360 Fifth Street, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. It’s the site of a long-stalled development in South of Market that has earned the nickname “Lake SoMa” after the project stalled during the pandemic, leaving a hole that filled with water.
Thompson Builders is seeking construction of a 25-story tower with 272 units, up from previous plans for an eight-story, 127-unit building which were approved in 2018 under previous owner Leap Development. City Attorney David Chiu sued Leap in 2024 after the builder excavated the foundation and left the property to become filled with “graffiti, garbage, mosquito infestations and standing water,” according to the Chronicle.
Last year, Thompson acquired the site along with an adjacent 2,000-square-foot parcel at 214 Clara Street. The developer filled in “Lake SoMa” and is now moving forward with its plans for a 257-foot tower. The housing project will utilize the state density bonus to increase residential capacity in exchange for designating 30 percent of the units as affordable housing.
Other notable San Francisco projects are also looking to increase density. In Potrero Hill, DM Development is building a 12-story structure with 425 units, an increase from a previous application that called for 290 units across seven stories. At the One Oak development, Emerald Fund is looking to build a 41-story tower with 541 units, up from a previous plan for 319 units.
In San Jose, another new application has surfaced that increases housing from a past venture at 501 South Almaden Avenue. Satellite Affordable Housing Associates hopes to construct a 99-unit, nine-story apartment complex, nearly doubling the number of units from a 53-unit iteration, the Mercury News reported.
The nonprofit development is looking to expedite the process using Senate Bill 35. This allows developers to bypass discretionary hearings with multiple municipal panels as well as skip reviews under the California Environmental Quality Act for projects in cities that have not built enough housing to meet state-mandated targets. The proposed housing development would be 100 percent affordable and rise next to another Satellite affordable complex known as Arya.
— Chris Malone Méndez
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