San Francisco, CA – Today, in a major win for housing, Mayor London N. Breed and Supervisor Myrna Melgar’s legislation to transform the parking lots surrounding Stonestown into a town center with thousands of new homes and new open space was approved unanimously by the Board of Supervisors.
The approved Stonestown 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 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman.
The proposal by Brookfield Properties is the culmination of five years of community outreach and a key part of the City’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.
"With the approval of this transformative project at Stonestown, we are showing how we can get to yes on housing and create a more affordable San Francisco for all,” said Mayor London Breed. “This investment in our City will deliver jobs, sustain the mall as an economic engine, and provide badly needed housing, including for our seniors. I want to thank Supervisor Melgar for her leadership, our City staff for their hard work to get this done, the community for engaging on this project, and Brookfield for their commitment to being a partner with the City.”
"Stonestown is the ideal location to add more housing to the westside,” said Supervisor Myrna Melgar. “San Francisco should be proud of this comprehensive vision to build out Stonestown as a future Town Center that connects our neighborhoods while investing in union jobs, affordable housing, transit, infrastructure, and amenities such as childcare and senior services that benefit our entire community. "
"Having grown up in the Sunset, Stonestown was a big part of my life as a kid," said Supervisor Rafael Mandelman. "It’s exciting to see it evolve in this way and it will be exciting to watch that neighborhood develop as a dense, urban center on the west side with amenities that will serve thousands of residents."
The project will be developed in phases, and creation of the housing and other community benefits will require a significant 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. This improves the financial feasibility of the project and will allow the housing and community benefits to be provided sooner.
Stonestown Project
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 approved today was approved unanimously by the Planning Commission on May 9th. 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
“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.
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