Meeting Tonight On Proposed 100% Affordable Tenderloin Development

Meeting Tonight On Proposed 100% Affordable Tenderloin DevelopmentTNDC plans to redevelop 500 Turk St. | Photo: Carrie Sisto/Hoodline
Carrie Sisto
Published on July 19, 2017

The Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation is hosting a community meeting tonight about a proposed 100 percent affordable mixed-use development at 500 Turk St.

The session aims to introduce the community to nonprofit TNDC, the site's developer, property manager, service provider and long-term owner, as well as architect David Baker, said TNDC spokesperson Sarah White.

Today, TNDC has 39 buildings that provide affordable housing for 4,100 low-income residents, with more in development.

White said TNDC and Baker will discuss their vision for the project and are seeking initial feedback on their plans. 

David Baker Architects is also working on a 100% affordable housing project at 1950 Mission St. | Via David Baker Architects

They aim to maximize the amount of high-quality, affordable housing on the site, which will be available to people who earn 60 percent of the average median income or lower, she said.

TNDC and David Baker Architects estimate that the development will include 108 affordable units, along with ground-floor retail space, White added.

Tonight’s meeting is being held in advance of a mandatory, pre-application neighborhood meeting required by the Planning Department, which is likely to be held in the fall, she added. 

Feedback about which improvements community members would like to see, including what ground-floor retail might be most suitable, will help inform the final project design, White said.

New renderings and an update to the proposed plans will be available at the mandatory public meeting later this year. 

The ground floor plan as filed by TNDC last year. | Image: SF Planning

The project proposal is currently undergoing environmental review, and project sponsors hope to have full approval of the development by summer 2018, White said, with construction starting in 2019 and occupancy in 2021.

TNDC and Baker are coordinating with the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development, and as we previously reported, have received city funding to help cover pre-development activities.

The project sponsors are also seeking funding through California’s Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program to help support the development phase, but that loan has not been approved, White said.

Additional funding may be available if sponsors can attract an investor interested in participating in the state’s Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program.

The plans that filed with SF Planning last year put the estimated cost at about $45 million, but that could change as the final project design is developed. 

The proposed project will replace Kahn and Keville garage, and its well-known billboard that features humorous and thoughtful quotes.

The garage has been in business since 1912, which means developers may be required to retain at least a portion of the building's façade, which has been identified as a potential historic landmark.

In renderings provided to SF Planning last year, this 'historic facade' was preserved as an entryway to the new development. | Photo: Carrie Sisto/Hoodline

If you’re interested in learning more, head to the auditorium of 220 Golden Gate Ave. tonight at 5:30pm.