SAN FRANCISCO | Mission Bay - Page 77

timbad · #**1521** Posted **Dec 23, 2013, 4:58 AM**

new crane is up on block 12E ('Arden'):

another floor on the western third of block 13W ('Sol'):

I think those are the pavers waiting in the white packages over on MB Blvd North (block 11 in the background)...:

since they seem done at MB Blvd South (the white packages here might be the cobbles that go beneath the street trees?):

at the public safety building, they've installed a sort of artwork at the main entry. not sure if you can see well in the shot, but when the sun shines through the cylindrical feature (or when lit from within, I imagine), words are projected on the wall and surfaces around it. I think the large metal letters embedded in the wall say 'Look up - their courage shines':

timbad · #**1522** Posted **Dec 30, 2013, 7:21 AM**

not too much new to report from a holiday week...

they have indeed started in on the pavers on MB Blvd North:

curb going in in front of the hospital:

the alleyway between blocks 2 and 3 was open (to pedestrians at least) for the first time, and it seemed this might be because a couple of the units have already been occupied in block 2 (not sure; this is based on: I saw someone that didn't look like a construction person go into the building, and thought I saw movement and furnishings/lights on in another section). this surprises me, since, altho there was a flurry of activity around the site and some of the interiors of common spaces look almost ready for occupancy, there also remains plenty of work to be done. anyway, here is the north side of block 3 along the alley:

and here in relation to block 2:

a random shot of the SE corner of Fourth and Channel:

timbad · #**1523** Posted **Jan 5, 2014, 8:33 AM**

some random things...these first two shots from a few days ago.

a shot looking north of the Third St side of block 2. all fencing is down, but the greenery that I assume will go in along the base of the wall between the stoops (and along the alley in left foreground) is not in yet:

the public safety building getting some glass installed on its south side:

today I was reading in the print edition of the Potrero View that artist Paul Kos will be installing a massive (10-ton) cast bronze bell in the little open space on the corner in the above shot, and the idea is that it will chime (or, bong) three times at noon daily to signal "all is well." I don't see the article online yet, but will try to point to it when it appears. seems like a cool idea.

the new UCSF building is seeing some of its first glass go in... this is looking north from across 16th St:

and here closer-up:

on Fourth St, where block 3 steps back at the corner of Mission Rock St, brick pavers have gone in...

... and the idea might be that the space could serve as a bit of outdoor seating for a restaurant, as in this rendering:

source

when I was walking back up Fourth later in the evening, noticed some of the interior work on block 3 in progress:

timbad · #**1524** Posted **Jan 5, 2014, 9:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by timbad

...
the public safety building getting some glass installed on its south side:

today I was reading in the print edition of the Potrero View that artist Paul Kos will be installing a massive (10-ton) cast bronze bell in the little open space on the corner in the above shot, and the idea is that it will chime (or, bong) three times at noon daily to signal "all is well." I don't see the article online yet, but will try to point to it when it appears. seems like a cool idea.

...

well, found this

timbad · #**1525** Posted **Jan 13, 2014, 8:53 AM**

on Saturday they were working on the Fourth St entrance to the alley between blocks 2 and 3:

further down Fourth, planters have gone in where block 3 steps back at the corner with Mission Rock:

the progress on UCSF's new building (seen from the north). this one seems to be moving quickly:

the public safety building:

on its north side, they were busy completely digging up Mission Rock St. I'm guessing this is the further straightening of its alignment so it is at 90 degrees to Third St, but right now it appears they are only working on the portion that borders the safety building's block, not the eastern section that connects to Terry Francois Blvd. we'll have to see what becomes of this. this is looking east from Third:

looking back the other way from Terry Francois (they were installing some sewer pipes along TF as well, but not sure this is related):

the NE corner of block 2, at Third and Channel, which is coming to life even as it is still being worked on:

another shot from across Channel. the ground floor here seems to be a common area for the residents, as far as I can tell. further back along Channel (out of pic to the right) the mailbox area and gym front the sidewalk:

WildCowboy · #**1526** Posted **Jan 16, 2014, 2:38 PM**

An affiliate of Stanford Hotels has purchased the hotel portion of Block 1, along the channel between Third and Fourth. They'll be building a 250-room four-star hotel starting in the fourth quarter. Opening targeted for 4Q16.

http://www.businesswire.com/news/hom...�s-Build-Upper

peanut gallery · #**1527** Posted **Jan 16, 2014, 6:57 PM**

^Great news!

timpad - thanks, as always, for your diligent updates. Future residents will find this thread immensely interesting to see how their neighborhood came to be.

JWS · #**1528** Posted **Jan 17, 2014, 3:43 PM**

How are the retail footprints looking on 4th and the other commercial corridors? I was walking down King the other day and was checking out the commercial stuff, since I never spend time in this neighborhood other than Giants games. The spaces were all extremely large and wide, and the pedestrian experience was laughable at best. Spas, dentists, and about every bank you could possible imagine.

I'm worried that the spaces in these large developments are too wide and large to handle the types of stores (outside of a grocery) that residents want in a neighborhood...neighborhood restaurants (NOT Amici's), cafes, boutiques, etc. How are Mission Bay's retail spaces looking thus far?

Even the stuff in some of the new Hayes Valley/Upper Market developments that we all love look way too big (and thus, expensive) for anything besides banks and chain restaurants.

mt_climber13 · #**1529** Posted **Jan 17, 2014, 4:45 PM**

JWS brings up a good point. Every time a new project proposes retail, my reaction is "Oh boy, another bank branch!" The type of retail that makes SF great are the little clothing stores, cafes, taquerias, pizza shacks, bars, small grocery stores, usually with outdoor seating. What I am seeing in these large developments are corporate bank branches, Safeway, condo sales centers. Would you want to live in a neighborhood where the street life consists of ATM machines?

JWS · #**1530** Posted **Jan 17, 2014, 6:18 PM**

My background is in residential, but for commercial real estate, I assume rents are priced per square foot. I get why it makes sense for developers to then make a couple larger spaces as opposed to several smaller spaces...higher rent, quicker sales, etc. But then I don't think we should be surprised to see such boring retail go into new developments.

I also read an article that mentioned with wide yet shallow storefronts, part of the glass has to be hidden/frosted to hide the kitchen, storage, etc, so it breaks up the pedestrian experience as opposed to the traditional corridors.

I actually think Mission Bay would have a lot of potential if they get the right tenants, but I'm fearing another King Street. One development that I think did it correctly was the development on the corner of Hayes and Franklin. The Lers Ros Thai size space is perfect for attracting restaurants, not banks/dentists.

Some realistic retailers that would add some "neighborhood" feel to the area, but are comfortable with larger footprints and seemingly financially solid enough to take a risk, would be the Grove, Tacolicious, Osha Thai, etc. Hardly unique, but still smaller chains that have proven successful in established San Francisco neighborhoods, and have the draw of being "that great neighborhood spot".

This is partially why despite being very pro-development, I am also fully for formula retail restrictions on certain corridors.

ETA: When you look at the website for Market Square, and see what is already rented, it shows this problem. What could be a signature building for the neighborhood has...a Walgreens and First Republic Bank. Bon Marche will be an excellent addition, and I get the need for a large grocery store, but to draw people to Mid-Market and Mission Bay, you will need diverse and unique cafes, restaurants, bars, and boutiques. At least Mid-Market will offer easy access to SOMA, Hayes Valley, and the Mission, but if I was a Mission Bay developer, particularly if my planned building would be rentals, I would want to make sure the retail was attractive for tenants. Architecture aside, boring retail can and will kill Mission Bay...it is simply not close enough to any good retail corridors to save it if it goes wrong.

timbad · #**1531** Posted **Jan 18, 2014, 3:36 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JWS

How are the retail footprints looking on 4th and the other commercial corridors? ...
I'm worried that the spaces in these large developments are too wide and large to handle the types of stores (outside of a grocery) that residents want in a neighborhood...neighborhood restaurants (NOT Amici's), cafes, boutiques, etc. ...

the impression is definitely of wide sections (2 or 3 entrances per development) similar to King, but I will pay more attention to how they are divided up as I walk this weekend, and report back

timbad · #**1532** Posted **Jan 18, 2014, 3:56 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by timbad

...

today I was reading in the print edition of the Potrero View that artist Paul Kos will be installing a massive (10-ton) cast bronze bell in the little open space on the corner in the above shot, and the idea is that it will chime (or, bong) three times at noon daily to signal "all is well." I don't see the article online yet, but will try to point to it when it appears. ...

here is the article

JWS · #**1533** Posted **Jan 18, 2014, 5:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by timbad

the impression is definitely of wide sections (2 or 3 entrances per development) similar to King, but I will pay more attention to how they are divided up as I walk this weekend, and report back

Many thanks!

timbad · #**1534** Posted **Jan 22, 2014, 8:56 AM**

a few random updates...

the crane was coming down at block 13E Mercy Housing on Saturday:

plants are now in the planters in front of block 3:

UCSF building progresses:

columns starting to appear on the eastern highrise portion of block 13W 'Sol' (Mercy Housing and block 5 in the background):

site prep has started on the Kaiser MB building on Owens:

and, no pics, but it seems pile-driving has wrapped up on block 12E 'Arden', so the neighborhood noise pendulum has swing back over to low for a while, and on Mission Rock next to the public safety building, they did lay a pipe of some kind under the roadway - we'll see if any realignment also happens.

timbad · #**1535** Posted **Jan 22, 2014, 9:33 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by timbad

the impression is definitely of wide sections (2 or 3 entrances per development) similar to King, but I will pay more attention to how they are divided up as I walk this weekend, and report back

fronting Fourth St, I think I counted four commercial spaces each on blocks 2 and 3, none of which I would consider 'boutique'-sized.

also noticed that some internal work had been done in the commercial spaces (seems to have been divided into three, besides the leasing office) under Strata.

hard to tell on the west side of the street yet.

so far doesn't seem to be designed as a strolling, window-shopping-type street.

JWS · #**1536** Posted **Jan 22, 2014, 7:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by timbad

fronting Fourth St, I think I counted four commercial spaces each on blocks 2 and 3, none of which I would consider 'boutique'-sized.

also noticed that some internal work had been done in the commercial spaces (seems to have been divided into three, besides the leasing office) under Strata.

hard to tell on the west side of the street yet.

so far doesn't seem to be designed as a strolling, window-shopping-type street.

Very interesting, thanks for looking, and of course for the great photos! This area is really starting to get a sense of shape and scale.

timbad · #**1537** Posted **Jan 28, 2014, 7:18 AM**

speaking of shape and scale, we should about be at final massing for Fourth St now... looking north

not much new to report, except that they've done some paving on the streets to either side of the Commons west of Fourth:

and it looks like the residents of block 2 are getting a moat to protect them from the roving hordes of Third St Pedestrians, so that's pretty cool:

peanut gallery · #**1538** Posted **Jan 28, 2014, 7:44 PM**

^Ha ha! It would be cool to have your own personal draw-bridge.

timbad · #**1539** Posted **Feb 4, 2014, 6:40 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by peanut gallery

^Ha ha! It would be cool to have your own personal draw-bridge.

I would sooo have a catapult on my porch

timbad · #**1540** Posted **Feb 4, 2014, 7:02 AM**

randomness... earlier this week some giant carrots were being delivered to block 2. (these things annoy me - when used as 'landscaping' this kind of palm doesn't add much more than a telephone pole would, unless you can cluster them so their minimal green creates a noticeable cloud of critical mass)

maybe for the first time ever, the south side of 16th St near Third will soon be getting honest-to-goodness sidewalks:

on the south side of the hospital, it is now apparent how much Mariposa will be widened, if you look at the placement of the streetlights. ironically, the sidewalks here were relatively wide for some reason. but looks like they will make way, to accommodate hospital pick-up and drop-off, presumably:

from the corner at Third, looking back the other way (west). so the sidewalks may not actually be getting any narrower, and those telephone poles should be biting the dust:

I do remember skimming over paragraphs about traffic planning around the medical center, but I had overlooked or forgotten about the Mariposa widening.

here is the eastern portion of block 13W 'Sol', showing signs of solid verticality now:

and here it is starting to frame the walkway between 13E and 13W, with block 5 in the background: