Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
OCII approves ENA and $5M predevelopment loan for Mission Bay South Block 9 supportive housing
Summary
The commission approved an exclusive negotiations agreement and a predevelopment loan up to $5 million to Bridge Housing and Community Housing Partnership for Mission Bay South Block 9, a planned 141‑unit permanent supportive housing project for formerly homeless adults. The loan carries a 3% interest rate and will fund design, site studies and modular prototype costs.
The Commission on Community Investment and Infrastructure on Feb. 20 approved an exclusive negotiations agreement and a predevelopment loan not to exceed $5,000,000 to Mission Bay 9 LP, a development team led by Bridge Housing and Community Housing Partnership (CHP), to advance a 141‑unit permanent supportive housing project on Mission Bay South Block 9.
Kim Obstfeld, OCII development specialist, said the program includes 140 affordable studio units and one manager's unit to be referred via the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing’s coordinated entry system. The ENA is for an initial 24‑month term with six‑month extension options and requires milestones such as schematic design submission, cost estimates and financing plans. "This loan will fund site studies, design and engineering work, pay legal and financing fees, and compensate developers for their time," Obstfeld said.
The loan carries a 3 percent interest rate and is expected to be rolled into a permanent OCII gap loan at a later financing stage. Obstfeld said applicants will be referred directly to the property through the coordinated-entry list maintained by the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing; MOCD will coordinate priority for COP holders where applicable. Staff described outreach requirements and small‑business enterprise goals the development team must pursue during predevelopment.
Developers in the audience — Gail Gilman, CEO of Community Housing Partnership, and Smitha Seshadri of Bridge Housing — spoke in support. Gail Gilman said CHP is "the largest provider of permanent supportive housing here in San Francisco" and emphasized readiness to begin community engagement and service planning.
A public commenter, Alex Landsberg, urged caution on one component: modular construction. Landsberg told commissioners he is concerned that some factory-built modular providers argue that state factory standards preempt local building-code amendments, potentially creating gaps in local safety requirements; he recommended the city avoid rushing into modular decisions until the Building Inspection Commission and other forums resolve code interpretation. Staff acknowledged the issue and noted modular procurement remains subject to future RFQs and schematic design review.
After discussion, the commission voted 4–0 to approve the ENA and predevelopment loan. Staff expects to return later for schematic design approval, a gap loan and ground-lease approval in advance of a planned construction start in early 2020.
