200-214 Van Ness site

The upzoning, development agreement and authorization needed for the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s proposed twelve-story building to rise up to 120 feet in height at 200 Van Ness Avenue, between Hayes Street and Dr. Tom Waddell Place, were approved by San Francisco’s Planning Commission last night.

In addition to a ground floor restaurant, recital hall and student center, the development includes a double-height performance hall on its top floor and 113 units of “group housing” outfitted with 420 beds for students of the Conservatory, three apartments for Conservatory faculty and 27 apartments to replace those which would be razed in order to make way for the development, in-between.

And in terms of the tenants in the existing 27 apartments on the site, the aforementioned development agreement addresses their relocation and housing until the replacement units are built.

12 thoughts on “Ambitious Conservatory of Music Project Approved”
  1. Glad to hear it. All schools, companies should provide onsite living facilities for their students to create the perfect ecosystem. This takes the stress of new or returning students or staff to find housing in the open market. Making it seamless will also attract high quality talent.

    1. Well onsite or very nearby. Some of the student housing that CCA is building in Potrero isn’t onsite, but is just couple blocks away. You’re absolutely right that it takes pressure off the students to find housing on the open market, and it takes a bit of pressure off the wider market in general.

  2. Hoping to see this help create a resurgence of the local SF music scene. Especially as the SF conservatory is branching out from classical music to modern production and jazz.

    1. SF Jazz isn’t far away on Franklin. It is a new place with intimate good view seating all around. Saw “Trouble in Tahiti” recently and there are plenty of restaurants within easy walking distance in Hayes Valley. Some fans took an Uber from Portola Valley to attend.

      I will probably enjoy a musical concert here as well after it gets built.

    2. Unfortunately this won’t do much for the grass roots rock/pop/alternative music scene that put SF on the map from the 60s through the early 90s. High rents and lack of affordable studio space has pushed that scene away.

    1. Exactly what view does this block? From what direction and location? Genuinely curious. There is already a much taller building 1 block directly south from the site of this development.

          1. Maybe attend a recital in that wood paneled venue with a wall of glass facing the dome? Speaking of which those performance rooms with glass walls seem like an acoustic challenge. Hopefully the school will find a solution that doesn’t involve covering those great expanses of glass with thick velvet curtains.

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