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San Francisco

“Abandoned” car wash redevelopment back in play with new filing

Plans for the Divisadero Street site in SF call for a 184-unit apartment complex

400 Divisadero Street in San Francisco
400 Divisadero Street in San Francisco (Google Maps)

Hopes to redevelop a shuttered car wash in San Francisco have gathered renewed strength with fresh plans filed to the city’s Planning Commission. To date, redevelopment options have aired for eight years, but failed to get off the ground. 

The car wash at 400 Divisadero Street is owned by Roy and Patricia Shimek. Roy Shimek began working at the car wash in 1960 as a student and purchased it from its first owner. The couple told Hoodline in a 2015 interview it was the city’s first automated car wash when it first opened in 1958, and later became the first in the country to do away with mechanical scrubbing when it reopened as Touchless Car Wash in 1987. 

The couple said in the interview that they were ready to retire and the only offers for the property were to redevelop it, not keep it as a car wash or gas station.

The first redevelopment plan was filed by Texas-based Genesis Living in 2019. The developer aimed to build a 184-unit apartment complex with 20 percent affordable units, and ground floor retail. The permits were valid for three years and expired this month. 

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Late last year Supervisor Dean Preston claimed that the developer “abandoned” the project. Construction stalled last year when the Planning Commission requested Genesis make some adjustments to its demolition permit regarding sidewalk encroachment and street trees. In July, city departments said they had not received design plans for the project to move forward.   

Preston said he became aware in February last year that the long-awaited apartment and retail complex was “being marketed.” In May the same year, Genesis filed a quit claim deed on the property and relinquished all rights back to the long-time owners, Roy and Patricia Shimek.

“Since the original developer abandoned plans after securing all necessary city approvals, we have been actively engaged to do everything possible to secure this site for 100 percent affordable housing,” Preston told TRD via an emailed statement.

However, plans were recently submitted to the city for the exact same 184-unit apartment project with another three year timeline. It is unclear whether Genesis is still the developer; however, it still lists the 400 Divisadero project on its website. The recent proposal is set to go before the Planning Commission on July 13. 
The new application comes at a time when construction applications have plummeted to a six-year low in San Francisco and developers have told the city that it must address its fee structure and affordable housing requirements in order for housing projects to pencil.

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