Developer Selected for Affordable Housing at 88 Broadway

Posted on by

BCNA Members and Friends:

The developer for MOHCD’s affordable housing project at 88 Broadway has been selected:   Bridge Housing, in partnership with the John Stewart Co (JSCo), will develop the project.  They will be supported by Lutheran Social Services, the YMCA of San Francisco and Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects.   This is a Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD) project to be built on Port/City property.  The selection of a developer is a significant step forward – it follows two and a half years of discussions, workshops, an architectural study, and hearings.

The proposal encompasses two buildings:  one for families at the corner of Broadway and Front streets, another for seniors on an adjoining lot facing Davis Street.  The family project would have about 130 units; the senior project would have about 52 units.  Both buildings will respect the 65-foot height limit.

The design proposed by Bridge and JSCo reflects most of the key requests by BCNA and other neighborhood representatives.  The proposed design includes:

  • Units for moderate- and middle-income households.  Twenty four units in the family project and 7 units in the senior project would be so-designated.
  • Active retail and community serving spaces lining the street frontages on all four sides.  The ground floor plan features spaces for neighborhood-serving childcare, community rooms, a destination restaurant (on Broadway), and a cafĂ©.  Garden entries to residential and live/work units will also contribute to an active ambience.            
  • Two mid-block passages forming a “T” that will offer a major new public pedestrian experience.  One north-south passage will completely bisect the block, while a second east-west passage connects the first to Davis Street.    The passages serve to break the street wall and provide lanes mirroring the historic nature of the area.
  • Building designs using step downs and articulation to break the mass into smaller elements.  The roofs will have outdoor terraces for the residents.  The roofs will also be green.
  • Minimal parking as there would be only 10 parking spaces on the ground floor for the building’s use.  We expect the Port to study the feasibility of having some public parking underground, although that would be quite costly to include in the project.

Bridge and JSCo will present their proposal to the Port Commission (for information) and NEWAG in the near future.  They will also be conducting outreach to the community.  BCNA looks forward to participating in that community outreach process.

Bob Harrer

BCNA Board Member