Board hears proposal to add life‑science building at 1450 Owen in Mission Bay; developer agrees $2M school payment

The Board of Supervisors on Jan. 26 heard a presentation from the Office of Community Investment and Infrastructure on a proposed amendment to the Mission Bay South redevelopment plan to allow an additional 170,000 square feet of commercial/industrial space on Block 43 Parcel 7, the site known as 1450 Owen Street.

OCII assistant development specialist Nikki Henry told the board the amendment would increase the plan-area commercial cap so the added square footage can be used only on Block 43 Parcel 7 for a seven‑story, roughly 109‑foot building primarily designed for life‑sciences research and lab tenants. Henry said the project includes offices, a meeting center and ground‑floor neighborhood retail; she described the sponsor as Alexander Real Estate Equities and the architect as Iwamoto Scott.

Why it matters: The city’s Mission Bay South allocation for commercial/industrial space was effectively exhausted, OCII said, and the amendment would shift a limited amount of that capacity onto this final developable parcel. The project team outlined mitigation through impact fees and community benefits, and told the board the parcel is next to a planned elementary school site.

Project benefits and fees: OCII’s slide deck summarized the one‑time developer fees and ongoing park‑maintenance contributions the project will pay. Henry said the developer volunteered a childcare fee higher than planning‑code minimums; the presentation listed roughly $12.2 million in one‑time fees that would flow to the city and a separate annual park maintenance payment.

School endowment: The project team confirmed a $2 million operational endowment to the San Francisco Unified School District for the Mission Bay elementary school, which OCII said the district expects to complete in 2025. Carissa Yee Finley, SFUSD’s director of school portfolio planning, thanked Alexander and Supervisor Haney for that commitment, saying the district is planning a 500‑student campus across from the site.

Public comment and stakeholder support: OCII said the Mission Bay Citizens Advisory Committee recommended the amendment unanimously. Public commenters who spoke in the hearing included representatives of the life‑science trade association BioCom and nearby community boosters; Melanie Cohn of BioCom told supervisors the regional life‑science cluster is running out of space and the project would support local jobs and the city’s tax base.

Next steps: OCII staff said the plan amendment returns to the board for a second reading on Feb. 2; if passed at second reading it would take effect roughly 90 days later. Project permitting, the sponsor told the board, could finish in 2021 with construction starting in 2022 and completion in 2024.

"The project is designed by local architecture firm Iwamoto Scott," OCII said in its presentation, and the sponsor added that the building’s floor plates are configured to accommodate laboratory ceiling heights and specialized systems. Project representatives said construction and permanent jobs estimates include roughly 809 construction positions and about 569 permanent positions at completion.

The board did not vote on the amendment at this hearing; the item was set for a second reading on Feb. 2.