The City of San Francisco released a Request For Interest to identify office building conversions that city officials could help expedite with zoning changes, regulatory measures, and financial incentives.
The city’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development and Planning Departments are seeking responses from downtown building owners and sponsors on proposals to convert underused commercial space into housing or other uses. The announcement identifies “office-to-housing” projects as a particular interest, but responses may include conversions of non-residential floor area for other uses.
This is San Francisco’s latest step in an effort to revitalize its downtown in a post Covid-environment where office space is underused while formerly downtown-based employees work from home part-time or full time.
The city recently sponsored a study on how to boost vitality in its financial district. The panel that undertook the study offered recommendations including:
- Creating downtown destination zones through ground-plane activation to help transform public spaces and empty storefronts into city attractions.
- Reducing and restructuring businesses taxes, including the gross receipts tax, commercial rents tax, CEO tax, and transfer tax.
- Providing incentives for office-to-residential conversions to tackle the housing shortage.
- Offering other incentives, such as impact-fee waivers and property tax abatement, as well as reducing zoning and building code barriers to adaptive reuse projects.
City officials are also working on an adaptive reuse roadmap for architects, builders, and developers to adapt projects to current building codes and planned revamped codes.
Related Stories
| Apr 3, 2013
5 award-winning modular buildings
The Modular Building Institute recently revealed the winners of its annual Awards of Distinction contest. There were 42 winners in all across six categories. Here are five projects that caught our eye.
| Mar 27, 2013
RSMeans cost comparisons: college labs, classrooms, residence halls, student unions
Construction market analysts from RSMeans offer construction costs per square foot for four building types across 25 metro markets.
| Mar 15, 2013
7 most endangered buildings in Chicago
The Chicago Preservation Society released its annual list of the buildings at high risk for demolition.
| Mar 14, 2013
25 cities with the most Energy Star certified buildings
Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Chicago top EPA's list of the U.S. cities with the greatest number of Energy Star certified buildings in 2012.
Building Enclosure Systems | Mar 13, 2013
5 novel architectural applications for metal mesh screen systems
From folding façades to colorful LED displays, these fantastical projects show off the architectural possibilities of wire mesh and perforated metal panel technology.
| Mar 6, 2013
Dual towers designed by SHoP create new affordable housing in NYC
With the construction of Hunters Point South, New York City will get its first large new housing development for middle-class families in more than 30 years. Related Companies is partnering with the nonprofit Phipps Houses in the project, designed by SHoP Architects with Ismael Leyva Architects.
| Mar 6, 2013
German demonstration building features algae-powered façade
Exterior of carbon-neutral demonstration building consists of hollow glass panels containing micro-algae "farms."
| Mar 4, 2013
Gehry unveils design for Santa Monica hotel-condo tower
If all goes as planned, Frank Gehry will design the first building in his hometown in some 25 years.
| Mar 3, 2013
Hines acquires Archstone's interest in $700 million CityCenterDC project
The Washington D.C. office of Hines, the international real estate firm, announced the acquisition of the ownership interest of their partner, Archstone, in the mixed-use CityCenterDC project that is currently under construction in downtown Washington, D.C.
| Mar 1, 2013
China mega developer enters U.S. market
China Vanke Co., Ltd., is making its debut in the U.S. property market with a joint venture high-rise condominium project at 201 Folsom St. in San Francisco, according to CoStar's Randyl Drummer.
