Board approves package of grants, loans and contracts including $50.6 million housing loan and Homekey funds for Otis Street

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on March 4 adopted a package of grants, loans and contract amendments that together authorize millions in spending for housing, transit, parks and library reentry services.

The actions approved include a $50.6 million permanent loan for a preservation and seismic safety project, retroactive acceptance of Homekey acquisition funds for 42 Otis Street, a $1.9 million Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grant to the Public Library for jail and reentry services, procurement of battery-electric buses, and multiple park and promenade grants and planning awards.

Why it matters: the approvals commit city funds and contracts that will finance affordable housing preservation, support reentry services, add zero‑emission buses to the municipal fleet and fund design work on downtown public spaces and the Great Highway promenade. Several items also add or amend city positions tied to grant funding and extend vendor contracts for major capital projects.

Key approvals and details

Votes at a glance: - Item 17 (Planning Code amendment, downtown commercial-to-residential adaptive reuse fee exemptions): ordinance finally passed, vote 9–1 (Supervisor Walton opposed). (Transcript roll call recorded at the meeting.) - Item 18 (San Francisco Public Library: retroactive acceptance of ~ $1,900,000 Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grant for jail and reentry services; add three grant-funded positions): passed on roll call, 10–0. - Items 19 & 20 (Recreation & Park grants / Embarcadero Plaza partnership and California…