Bay Area/ San Francisco
Published on January 09, 2017
Demolition On The Way For Van Ness' Two-Story Former McDonald'sPhoto: Kevin Y./Yelp

If you've recently passed by the two-story former McDonald's at 600 Van Ness Ave. (at Golden Gate), you may have noticed it's now housing an assortment of construction materials, large trucks and portable toilets.

According to SFMTA spokesperson Paul Rose, the property was recently leased to Walsh Construction Company, a contractor working on the bus rapid transit (BRT) component of the Van Ness Improvement Project, for storage and staging.

To create even more room for construction equipment, the building, which housed McDonald's for 36 years before it shut down in January 2015, "will be demolished in the coming weeks," according to a statement from Golden Gate Van Ness, LLC, the property's owner. 

Photo: Carrie Sisto/Hoodline

The McDonald's won't remain a construction staging lot forever. SF Planning is currently reviewing plans to construct a 130-foot building on the site, with 152 residential units, 5,900 square feet of retail space, up to 110 below-ground parking spots and 158 bike parking spaces. As proposed, the development will also host nearly 9,500 square feet of open space for the building's tenants.

Golden Gate Van Ness LLC expects to gain approval for the project sometime this year, spokeswoman Tenny Tsai told Hoodline in an emailed statement. 

The proposed building (in the background) will be terraced, with a 12-story building facing Van Ness and an eight-story building facing Golden Gate Avenue. | Image: SF Planning

The plans for the new building have been slightly adjusted from those we previously reported. The tallest portion of the building will be 12 stories (just under the site’s 130-foot zoning limit), while the shorter, eight-story portion close to Elm Street will only rise to 80 feet. 

The terraced design is intended to ease concerns about shadows on the outdoor recreation areas of the Tenderloin Community School (672 Turk St.), located just up the street from the proposed development.

Photo: Carrie Sisto/Hoodline

In the meantime, expect to see plenty of trucks, traffic cones, and road signs at the former McDonald's. We'll keep you posted on when it will be demolished, and whether the new building is approved.