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OCII approves Candlestick Point amendments to advance parks and affordable housing
Summary
The Commission approved updates to the Design for Development and Streetscape Master Plan for Candlestick Point and Hunters Point Shipyard, including tower relocations, some height increases and a plan that staff and Lennar say raises affordable housing and accelerates park funding.
The Commission on Community Investment and Infrastructure on March 15 approved a set of amendments to the Candlestick Point major phase, adopting updates to the Design for Development (D4D), Streetscape Master Plan and related project exhibits intended to refine building locations, streetscape features and the phasing of public benefits.
Therese Brecki, director of planning for Lennar Urban, told commissioners the package keeps the same land‑use program but reconfigures blocks to balance housing, relocate several towers and increase heights along some residential streets to allow 20‑foot retail floor‑to‑ceiling heights. "This next slide shows the shift in the boundary…which enables a better balance of housing," Brecki said while describing changed subphase boundaries (CP04) and tower relocations.
Why it matters: staff and Lennar said the changes will not reduce the project’s public benefits and in some cases accelerate them. Brecki said the first major phase now includes roughly 2,200 housing units and that 42% of the housing in that first phase will be affordable. She also detailed a $50,000,000 commitment by the developer to the state parks system — $10,000,000 for operations and maintenance and $40,000,000 for future improvements — of which about $3.4 million has been delivered and an additional $19 million is scheduled in June.
Commissioners pointed to items they want tracked as the project advances. Commissioner Bustos pressed staff to confirm a previously discussed cultural/educational center for the Ohlone people and asked that staff report back; staff agreed to check the DDA and provide an informational memorandum. Commissioners also asked that schematic designs consider sun and sidewalk activation so retail spaces and public spaces are inviting.
Public comment showed split local views. Francisco DeCosta told the commission he does not trust the developer, criticized taller buildings and warned that the community risks further displacement. "Lena is not to be trusted," DeCosta said at the podium. By contrast, Pastor Josiah Bell and longtime local leader Linda Richardson urged the commission to move the project forward, praising the developer’s community outreach and the number of local contracting and workforce opportunities that have been created.
What the commission did: Commissioner Singh moved approval of the D4D updates, Streetscape Master Plan and environmental addendum; Commissioner Pimentel seconded. The roll call vote was 4 ayes, 1 absent and the amendments carried. Staff said they will return with subphase applications and schematic designs in the coming months.
