P
Patrick
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San Francisco -- The recession hasn't stopped San Francisco's city planners from thinking big.
The Planning Department released an ambitious set of proposals Thursday to turn the blocks around the Transbay Terminal into a commercial and transportation centerpiece of the region over the next two decades.
The 145-acre "Transit Center District" would redraw San Francisco's skyline with a half-dozen towers taller than almost any in the city, including one stretching at least 100 feet higher than the Transamerica Pyramid. The plan would widen the sidewalks and narrow the streets around a rebuilt terminal. It also would reroute most Bay Bridge commuter traffic outside the pedestrian-oriented district.
Officials say they're confident the 147-page plan, which has been in the works since 2007, will bear fruit despite a stumbling economy that has stalled several projects in the area.
"This is a 25-year plan," said John Rahaim, the city's planning director. "There's no question in our mind that this is the part of the city that should grow much more dense. ... It's appropriate for us to embrace this, and make sure it happens well."
The draft pulls together previously aired concepts, such as taller towers, with new details ranging from bicycle-sharing programs to a districtwide energy network. It also suggests potential development fees to fund the estimated $567 million in public improvements.
The comprehensive plan's release marks the start of an approval process scheduled to culminate in hearings before the Board of Supervisors late next year.
'Crown of the skyline'
The focus of the new district would be the block of Mission Street between First and Fremont streets. That's where the Transbay Terminal is to be rebuilt to accommodate commuter rail service and the state's high-speed rail system. That project will be funded in part by proceeds from the sale of part of the block to the development firm Hines for construction of an iconic office tower.
The plan promotes creating "an elegant skyline ... with its apex at the Transit Center" by allowing the Hines tower to rise 1,000 feet in terms of occupied space. Another 200 feet would be allowed for mechanical equipment and sculptural flourishes as long as they cast minimal shadows.
To ensure "that this building be the crown of the skyline," the plan also would require it to climb at least 950 feet. By contrast, the Transamerica Pyramid is 853 feet.
This emphasis on height could prove to be the plan's most controversial aspect; besides the transit tower, the proposed zoning makes room for six other skyscrapers exceeding the city's 550-foot height limit.
A greener alternative
City planners say skyscrapers offer a way to place large amounts of housing and office space near transit. There also are environmental payoffs. The district is projected to produce 62 percent less carbon dioxide than a typical Bay Area suburban development with the same square footage, according to the report.
But the revised zoning is likely to draw fire from past critics of downtown growth, and not just for aesthetic reasons. Towers at the proposed heights could cast new shadows on nearby city-owned parks, which runs counter to a 1984 voter-approved sunlight protection initiative.
The extra height is just one part of the effort to transform the blocks bounded roughly by Market, Steuart, Folsom and Hawthorne streets - a once-forlorn area that already is home to a cluster of glassy towers erected during the past decade.
Sidewalks would be widened through much of the district to make the pedestrian environment more appealing, along with new midblock crossings. Bicycle lanes would be added on several streets.
Detour for drivers
Conversely, the plan criticizes the daily backup of Bay Bridge-bound traffic as "an inefficient and unsustainable use of the district's street network." It would divert commuters from Folsom and First streets as much as possible, and nudge drivers toward transit by capping parking spaces in the district at an as-yet-unspecified number.
"We can't even accept the amount of traffic we have today," city planner Joshua Switzky said. "We can't just settle at 70 percent of people taking transit. We need to get to 80 (or) 85 percent."
The plan to make a new, walkable downtown still faces hurdles, including developers potentially balking at the taxes and fees the city would levy in return for added heights.
"The fees we have on the table are based on what's feasible for developers," Rahaim said. "When the market turns around, there will be renewed interest. Downtown San Francisco will continue to be a desirable place to do business."
Transit Center District Plan
The Transit Center District Plan aims for "a high-density, vibrant employment center" with "an engaging public realm appropriate to its place in the city." The full plan - available at transitcenter.sfplanning.org - emphasizes small details as well as large goals:
Height limits: Heights would be raised above the city's current 550-foot height limit on six sites besides the central 1,000 foot tower. This includes room for a 600-foot tower at the rear of the landmark Palace Hotel. "The Palace is a special case for us," said mayoral adviser Dean Macris. "It's a grand old building that needs to stay economically viable."
Landmarks: The report recommends giving landmark status to four buildings, including the Phillips Building at 234 First St. and the marble-clad union hall at 240 Second St. An existing architectural conservation district along New Montgomery Street would double in size - but leave out three older buildings on sites along Howard Street where the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art seeks to add a new wing.
Plaza: The plan would add a public plaza to the northeast corner of Second and Howard streets. Engineers say the structures now there must be removed to build the rail tunnel to the new transit terminal; the half-acre space would include connections to the terminal's proposed 5.4-acre rooftop park.
Energy use: With an eye to long-term sustainability, the plan recommends a districtwide approach to energy and water conservation - including a $154 million investment in new systems to generate power and recycled water for the district as a whole.
Costs: The public improvements to the district are budgeted at $567 million (not including the transit center). How to pay for it? Mostly through focused taxes and fees on new construction, which means the pace of improvements would be tied to growth.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/20/MNQ71AM8R8.DTL
The Planning Department released an ambitious set of proposals Thursday to turn the blocks around the Transbay Terminal into a commercial and transportation centerpiece of the region over the next two decades.
The 145-acre "Transit Center District" would redraw San Francisco's skyline with a half-dozen towers taller than almost any in the city, including one stretching at least 100 feet higher than the Transamerica Pyramid. The plan would widen the sidewalks and narrow the streets around a rebuilt terminal. It also would reroute most Bay Bridge commuter traffic outside the pedestrian-oriented district.
Officials say they're confident the 147-page plan, which has been in the works since 2007, will bear fruit despite a stumbling economy that has stalled several projects in the area.
"This is a 25-year plan," said John Rahaim, the city's planning director. "There's no question in our mind that this is the part of the city that should grow much more dense. ... It's appropriate for us to embrace this, and make sure it happens well."
The draft pulls together previously aired concepts, such as taller towers, with new details ranging from bicycle-sharing programs to a districtwide energy network. It also suggests potential development fees to fund the estimated $567 million in public improvements.
The comprehensive plan's release marks the start of an approval process scheduled to culminate in hearings before the Board of Supervisors late next year.
'Crown of the skyline'
The focus of the new district would be the block of Mission Street between First and Fremont streets. That's where the Transbay Terminal is to be rebuilt to accommodate commuter rail service and the state's high-speed rail system. That project will be funded in part by proceeds from the sale of part of the block to the development firm Hines for construction of an iconic office tower.
The plan promotes creating "an elegant skyline ... with its apex at the Transit Center" by allowing the Hines tower to rise 1,000 feet in terms of occupied space. Another 200 feet would be allowed for mechanical equipment and sculptural flourishes as long as they cast minimal shadows.
To ensure "that this building be the crown of the skyline," the plan also would require it to climb at least 950 feet. By contrast, the Transamerica Pyramid is 853 feet.
This emphasis on height could prove to be the plan's most controversial aspect; besides the transit tower, the proposed zoning makes room for six other skyscrapers exceeding the city's 550-foot height limit.
A greener alternative
City planners say skyscrapers offer a way to place large amounts of housing and office space near transit. There also are environmental payoffs. The district is projected to produce 62 percent less carbon dioxide than a typical Bay Area suburban development with the same square footage, according to the report.
But the revised zoning is likely to draw fire from past critics of downtown growth, and not just for aesthetic reasons. Towers at the proposed heights could cast new shadows on nearby city-owned parks, which runs counter to a 1984 voter-approved sunlight protection initiative.
The extra height is just one part of the effort to transform the blocks bounded roughly by Market, Steuart, Folsom and Hawthorne streets - a once-forlorn area that already is home to a cluster of glassy towers erected during the past decade.
Sidewalks would be widened through much of the district to make the pedestrian environment more appealing, along with new midblock crossings. Bicycle lanes would be added on several streets.
Detour for drivers
Conversely, the plan criticizes the daily backup of Bay Bridge-bound traffic as "an inefficient and unsustainable use of the district's street network." It would divert commuters from Folsom and First streets as much as possible, and nudge drivers toward transit by capping parking spaces in the district at an as-yet-unspecified number.
"We can't even accept the amount of traffic we have today," city planner Joshua Switzky said. "We can't just settle at 70 percent of people taking transit. We need to get to 80 (or) 85 percent."
The plan to make a new, walkable downtown still faces hurdles, including developers potentially balking at the taxes and fees the city would levy in return for added heights.
"The fees we have on the table are based on what's feasible for developers," Rahaim said. "When the market turns around, there will be renewed interest. Downtown San Francisco will continue to be a desirable place to do business."
Transit Center District Plan
The Transit Center District Plan aims for "a high-density, vibrant employment center" with "an engaging public realm appropriate to its place in the city." The full plan - available at transitcenter.sfplanning.org - emphasizes small details as well as large goals:
Height limits: Heights would be raised above the city's current 550-foot height limit on six sites besides the central 1,000 foot tower. This includes room for a 600-foot tower at the rear of the landmark Palace Hotel. "The Palace is a special case for us," said mayoral adviser Dean Macris. "It's a grand old building that needs to stay economically viable."
Landmarks: The report recommends giving landmark status to four buildings, including the Phillips Building at 234 First St. and the marble-clad union hall at 240 Second St. An existing architectural conservation district along New Montgomery Street would double in size - but leave out three older buildings on sites along Howard Street where the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art seeks to add a new wing.
Plaza: The plan would add a public plaza to the northeast corner of Second and Howard streets. Engineers say the structures now there must be removed to build the rail tunnel to the new transit terminal; the half-acre space would include connections to the terminal's proposed 5.4-acre rooftop park.
Energy use: With an eye to long-term sustainability, the plan recommends a districtwide approach to energy and water conservation - including a $154 million investment in new systems to generate power and recycled water for the district as a whole.
Costs: The public improvements to the district are budgeted at $567 million (not including the transit center). How to pay for it? Mostly through focused taxes and fees on new construction, which means the pace of improvements would be tied to growth.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/20/MNQ71AM8R8.DTL
