Tenderloin Neighborhood May Have a New 15-Story Tower

The Tenderloin neighborhood’s burgeoning popularity for incoming and upgoing residential towers and other commercial retail projects just gained another entrant. The SF Planning Department is reviewing the application for a 15-story tower of 35 market rate and 16 affordable dwelling units, plus commercial retail space and common space. The design is tall and narrow, cased in a shimmering surface, and is a tad north of the Little Saigon area.

The new tower, taking up the street address of 921-925 O’Farrell, means a wrecking ball will be taken to the existing vacant 1927 2-story commercial building.

The tower developers want the project to come under the rubric of the HOME-SF Density Bonus Program, and its application does meet the requirements for affordability, and a mix of units and size. Forty percent of the 51 units would be 2-bedrooms. The total square footage for the residential area is 29,856.

The tower goes over the property’s zoning, but with the HOME-SF designation the project could go forward if the developer commits to additional affordable units for the inked deal.