There are always significant challenges with building to that height, but I think there needs to be a fundamental shift in how we're approaching building in this city. The process is always focused on mitigating, minimizing, and containing development as if it's this horrible virus. We need to start with the FAA limit and work backwards. Start asking okay how do we get there? How many affordable housing units can we get in this building? Who can finance this? If changes need to be made based on structural/financial challenges fine. But as many have stated, the best use of this site which is next to a transit hub is dense residential housing. The city should accept nothing less.
Instead, we start with completely arbitrary limits on height, preference, aesthetic, and say what are we going to allow here, as the BCDC member stated at the hearing. Instead of trying to maximize the site, we try to minimize it. And this building is what we get.