SAN FRANCISCO—On Tuesday, July 16, the office of the Mayor of San Francisco announced that the Stonestown town center with thousands of new homes and new open space was approved unanimously by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.
The development agreement will maintain the existing mall, while allowing the transformation of the surrounding parking lots to add nearly 3,500 new homes, six acres of parks, plazas and open space, new childcare and senior center facilities, and improved parking and access. The legislation is co-sponsored by SF Board of Supervisor Rafael Mandelman.
Stonestown is a 40-acre site, consisting of 30 acres of parking lots and streets surrounding the existing Stonestown retail mall. The site is located on San Francisco’s west side along 19th Avenue near San Francisco State University and major public transportation lines, including the M-Ocean View Muni Metro line.
The development agreement was approved unanimously by the Planning Commission on May 9. The project includes:
- Preservation of the existing mall, with development of the surrounding parking lots into nearly 3,500 new residential units, with a mix of housing for seniors, students, and families, and with a 20% affordable housing requirement.
- Six acres of new publicly accessible parks, plazas, and a vibrant town square to host the neighborhood farmer’s market.
- Improved circulation, parking and access throughout the site, with fully redesigned project streets and creation of a new retail and merchant lane on 20th Avenue.
- Better connections to walk, bike and scoot safely, with fully separated bikeways on all major project streets and new mid-block passages throughout the site, including public pedestrian passages through the mall connecting the east and west sides for easier access to transit before and after mall operating hours.
The project will provide a range of community benefits, including:
- Jobs: An annual average of 800 construction and other jobs during project development and more than 1,000 new permanent jobs in San Francisco
- Childcare: Onsite childcare center for 100 children, available to a nonprofit operator at subsidized rent
- Senior Center: Replacement of existing YMCA annex with brand new 7,000 square foot onsite senior center, rented at $1 per year to a nonprofit operator
- Park Improvements: Rolph Nicol Jr. Playground improvements including new access paths and a $1M contribution to the Recreation and Park Department for future capital improvements at the park
- Workforce Benefits: First Source Hiring Program, Local Hire, and Local Business Enterprise obligations including 10% Micro-LBE goal
- Transit Funding: Approximately $50M in SFMTA transportation sustainability fees over the development of the project
The proposal by Brookfield Properties is the culmination of five years of community outreach and a key part of San Francisco’s work to deliver on its housing goals under Mayor Breed’s Housing for All plan, a strategy to fundamentally change how San Francisco approves and builds housing to allow for 82,000 new homes to be built over the next eight years.
The project will be developed in phases, and creation of the housing and other community benefits will require a large upfront investment in project infrastructure. The actions taken today by the Board of Supervisors include approval of legislation that is the first step in formation of an Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District (EIFD) for the site. The EIFD tool, which is designed for large-scale housing projects like Stonestown, would allow a portion of the net new property tax revenue generated by the new development to be reinvested into the infrastructure needed to enable the project. It improves the financial feasibility of the project and will allow the housing and community benefits to be provided sooner.
“We’re thrilled with the collaboration and support we’ve received from the neighborhood and the city. Stonestown as a town center will address city housing goals, enhance the location as a focal point of community activity, and contribute to the long-term vitality and resilience of San Francisco,” said Christie Donnelly, Sr. Director, Development, Brookfield Properties.
