San Francisco’s dense skyline continues to grow as the city anticipates the completion of some towers long under construction and the emerging profile of others underway.
These tall towers aren’t always popular—many residents actively fight against buildings sprouting up in the city, worried that they’ll cause shadows, an over-saturation of luxury housing, or a wake-up call from nostalgia—but it’s hard to argue against their status as symbols of San Francisco’s much-needed investment in residential growth.
How many of these buildings does SF have in the works? We counted, and the number as of right now is 13, which includes buildings that are either recently completed or under construction; all of them must have broken ground.
They’re all mapped below—and if you know of something new, send word via the tipline.
1. 1500 Mission
San Francisco, CA 94103
This 1.2-million-square-foot development, located on a 2.5-acre site on the corner of Mission Street and South Van Ness Avenue where the old Goodwill used to sit, will rise 39 stories. The mixed-use development will come with 550 luxury apartments tower as well as a separate 460,000-square-foot office building that will be the new home of the San Francisco Planning and Public Works Departments. Twenty percent of the residential units will be “affordable” for low-income households.
Completion anticipated for March 2020.
2. Serif
San Francisco, CA 94102
Expansive Mid-Market construction, still in the beginning stages of construction, Serif will come with new housing, a hotel, retail, and a dedicated non-profit space. The project, led by developers Group i, almost fell victim to erroneous reports of a secret tunnel used by gay bar patrons in the 1930s to hide from police raids. (The myth was pushed by political forces opposing growth on Market Street.) Fortunately, plans for the irregularly-shaped site on the corner of Market and Turk Streets has moved forward.
Until the building rises, you can still see the hidden Williams Hardware and Stove Co. signage, revealed after demolition and excavation.
3. Four Seasons Private Residences at 706 Mission
San Francisco, CA 94103
This 510 foot, 43-story tower with a rising profile near SFMOMA will repurpose the 10-story Aronson Building, which survived the 1906 earthquake and fire, and add a residential skyscraper next to it, care of Handel Architects. The older building will play home to residential lofts on levels five through ten, as well as the upcoming Mexican Museum on levels two through four.
But the adjoining high-rise will be the property’s real showstopper: “There’s a carved-out stone element to the exterior, combined with glass corners which, by the way, give every unit a glass corner in their living room and dining room,” says lead architect Glenn Rescalvo. “The undulating stone facade provides a craft-like element; the layers of stone and glass create a rhythmic flow and really bring a sense of warmth.”
4. Virgin Hotel San Francisco
San Francisco, CA 94103
The city’s newest hotel is are of mega corporation Virgin, which opened this spring. Rising 12 stories, the swank lodgings come with a 4,000-square-foot indoor-outdoor rooftop bar, a restaurant, and a cafe. The 200-room hotel is located next to a Central Subway station, currently in the works, as well as the Moscone Center, which just underwent a $551-million expansion.
5. Oceanwide Center
San Francisco, CA 94105
When finished, Oceanwide Center will be Salesforce’s neighbor in both location and altitude, but right now the ambitious project—a merging of Chinese, British, and American interests—is still little more than a dream, a smile, and a pile of construction equipment.
6. Skinny hotel at 36 Tehama
San Francisco, CA 94105
Plans for a slender new hotel, developed by J Street Hospitality (Union Square’s Axiom Hotel) and designed by Handel Architects, were revealed in February. The building’s rooms will be a cozy affair, reportedly measuring 180 square feet each. The hotel will also come with a fitness area, a guest lobby, and a rooftop bar.
The unnamed project still needs to clear several hurdles before becoming a reality—it’s now in Planning—and will have to compete with other new lodgings in the area, including the recently opened Virgin Hotel in SoMa and the Waldorf Astoria currently under construction at 512 Mission.
7. One Stuart Lane
San Francisco, CA 94105
What one was a parking garage, now demolished, will turn into a 20-story, luxury residential high-rise at the tip of the East Cut neighborhood, care of architects at Skidmore, Owing, and Merrill. The 120-condominium tower will come with a sun terrace, 24-hour valet, and a private fitness center and spa. Units will range from three- to one-bedroom floor plans. Of course, there will be penthouse residences that will range in size from 900 to 3,100 square feet.
The building will also offer a 4,500-square-foot retail space. The building is slated for completion by 2021.
8. 500 Folsom
San Francisco, CA 94105
This is Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill’s big (that is to say, 43 floors and 440 feet) contribution to the new skyline, with its unmistakable shuffled exterior and rising crown, topped out in January. The developer says that the foundation pour used up 8,218 cubic yards of concrete, enough for about 32 miles of San Francisco sidewalk.
Flanked by two lower podium buildings, the 42-story mixed-use tower will offer 456 market-rate units, 114 affordable units, and amenities like elevated gardens and a greenhouse. There will also be ground-level retail spaces and a series of passageways that, according to SOM, “will enhance the public realm and bring activity to the high-density neighborhood.”
9. Park Tower
San Francisco, CA 94105
At over 600 feet and 43 stories, this ascending addition on Transbay Block 5 (designed by Goettsch Partners) means business. With 755,900 square feet in pocket, Facebook leased the entire building, which makes it the city’s third largest third largest tech tenant.
The looming tower is most noteworthy for its 14 sky decks and 50,000-plus square feet of outdoor space. It will also have a privately-owned public park(POPOS) next door.
10. The Avery
San Francisco, CA 94105
Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning Rem Koolhaas’ OMA (the firm’s first high-rise in San Francisco) with interiors by Clodagh Design, the 56-story, 618-foot-tall sculpted glass tower will offer 118 condominiums starting on the 33rd floor.
In addition to the residential tower on top, the skyscraper will also come with a retail- and restaurant-filled plaza area at ground level, featuring a public pathway that cuts diagonally through part of the block, as well as an ancillary building, designed by San Francisco-based architect Anne Fougeron, filled with affordable rental apartments.
11. 325 Fremont
San Francisco, CA 94105
A 250-foot, 25-story residential tower, designed by Handel Architects with 118 units (48 two-bedrooms, 47 one-bedrooms and 23 studios), is slated to go up at this space located directly across from the brutalist PG&E substation. The project broke ground in April 2017, but the pictured ground-breaking marker is the only progress visible at the empty lot.
12. The Exchange on 16th
San Francisco, CA 94158
Not to be confused with Exchange Place, this set of four interconnected buildings in Mission Bay saw its profile increased considerably last year when Dropbox signed a lease for 736,000 square feet, the entirety of the Exchange’s commercial space and one of the biggest leases in San Francisco history.
13. Mira
San Francisco, CA 94105
This corkscrewing Studio Gang-designed spire, filling in the last of the East Cut freeway parcels, topped out in April. Architect Jeanne Gang, whose other designs often emphasize rippling, wavy motifs, says that the twisted trademark look “evolves the classic bay window, a familiar feature of San Francisco’s early houses, reimagining it in a high-rise context” and that the aim was to “make every residence a corner unit.”
The 40-story, 392-unit high-rise will feature luxury homes, a smattering of affordable units, and retail space on the ground level. The building is slated to open in late 2019.
