With Nordstrom Inc. having inked a deal to sell its parking lot parcel for 176 cars at 469 Stevenson Street, between Fifth and Sixth, plans to develop the underdeveloped Mid-Market site have been drawn.

As rendered by Mark Cavagnero Associates above, a 16-story development could yield around 330 units of housing over 4,800 square feet of ground floor retail space and a 168-car garage upon the site which is only zoned for development up to 160 feet in height.

But in fact, the project team is planning to invoke California’s Density Bonus law in order to build up to 454 units of housing and much higher than principally allowed.

We’ll keep you posted and plugged-in as the plans progress.

UPDATE (11/28): Proposed 454-Unit Mid-Market Development Newly Massed

29 thoughts on “Plans for Major Mid-Market Development Revealed”
    1. Especially if they include a public pedestrian connection from Stevenson to Jessie on the project’s east side so the walk is decent. Hopefully they will.

    1. Agree—most of central SoMa needs 7+ stories of infill. Ridiculous that a project of this modest size exceeds the existing zoning.

  1. Nordstrom had – has – a parking lot? Was it used for their valet service…I can’t imagine what else it would be used for since I don’t remember them ever publicizing it.

  2. They can try and try to develop that alleyway but the fact of the matter is that the people that sleep (use, smoke, urinate, etc) there are not going to leave. They thought the huge former JC Penny development (which is empty by the way) and new residential lofts would make a difference but it hasn’t one bit.

    That parking lot is much needed for all the offices that surround the area (which is what keeps the retail going) but if Nordstrom is after the money, the money they will get.

    1. If you look at the close by Mint Plaza as an example, the piss and filth do go away when a street (even an alley) has foot traffic. There are plenty of places where it has proven viable.

      As for your mention of the need for the parking—thankfully why this area is transit rich. Jobs + people + transit and now we need to add more housing so the people that work in the area can also live (and play) in the area. I’m sure the area can find a way to manage less the ~150 parking spaces.

      1. Gee, I was at Mint Plaza last week, and it sure seemed piss-y and filth-y to me. Depressing; and this was in the mid-day-hour. Maybe better than years ago, but I was expecting walkable perfection and was sorely disappointed.

        Also, would not buy anything there. To live there myself, anyway.

        1. When I went by last week, it was quite busy with food trucks parked around the perimeter. Needs more such activity.

      2. agree on parking, but not on the filth going away at Mint Plaza. It is absolutely disgusting. I took a shortcut through that alley last saturday and saw at least 4 people sleeping and someone actively shooting up.

        1. but i do think more and more development may help. the city is the problem not the people who buy into the buildings.

    2. Believe it or not things do and will change. The current state will note be the future state, and I think the future state of this area will continue to improve, with great projects like this.

    3. In my observation around the city, major construction sites are not hospitable to vagrancy. This will be an improvement.

  3. I think this looks great! I love how it brings a new structure out to 6th that maintains the rhythm of the narrow older buildings that front the street, while adding significant height and density to the bombed-out interior of the block.

  4. Will this include a pedestrian paseo from Stevenson to Jessie at the east side? That would be greatly appreciated to break up the long alley blocks. Hard to tell in rendering.

  5. It’s amazing to me that this large development will have under 5k of ground-floor retail. As one of the other commenters notes above, these alleys need foot traffic to keep them safe and clean. Lining the edge of the building with more retail would be the best way to do that.

    1. the bulk of the development is along the alley, which is not conducive to retail. The retail will be on sixth, I assume.

        1. 6th Street retail is doing great. Try Frena. It’s a year-old bakery at 6th and Minna that’s been packed when I’ve come through, and for good reason, the donuts are delicious. Also try Tu Lan, an oldie but goodie closer to Market, with delicious Vietnamese food. At night there’s a bumping club, Monarch, and a couple of pizza restaurants open late, which may or may not serve decent pizza but put eyes on the street that make it feel, actually, pretty safe. Dirty, and with some SRO-residing and/or homeless folks hanging out, but they’re harmless.

          7th is where I wouldn’t want to be. Federal Building plaza, courthouse, and a chain of crummy motels and bad developments exposing nothing but parking garages and blank walls to the street. Howard and Mission between 6th and 7th are also pretty sad, with lots of vacancies.

          I agree with Adam that some retail tucked into Stevenson would be nice. They could put it on the east end of the development next to a new walking path leading to Jessie (and Mint Plaza). The whole area will bloom once it gets a critical mass of people.

          1. you must be new to the area. this was suppossed to bloom 25 years ago, and then again 15 years ago and again 5 years ago. 6th street as maybe had one block of improvement in the 22 years i have lived in SF. and you cant say “they’re harmless.” have you botherred to check for violent crimes in the area? they are pretty frequent

  6. Looks great. And after a few more buildings in the area, the vagrants will push off to another block. Not that they will go away…

    But, this will surely take a bite out of the business at Blick Art Supply. That lot allows for temporary parking and validation by Blick. Most of their sales are walkout, but another portion is of larger items, and of custom framing. All of that is being picked up by car, and most are using that lot.

  7. Alas, more habitat depletion for San Francisco’s endangered species like the Woolly Chested Cokehead, Stevenson’s Sidewalk Sloth or Gavin’s Tit-Mouse.

  8. For all Cities in CA, Simply put, the cities are not building near enough low income housing. And this sector keeps getting larger.

    Do the math! Read all the pro’s and con’s you want, but even at a 35% rate for Low Income housing, it will never fill the need. We all keep ignoring this fact. Talk to those around you and see just what they can afford. Do the homework.

  9. What’s going on with the 5M development next door? Mums the word as of late. Is that still being held up in litigation?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *