Developers outline plan for Candlestick Point retail center; community speakers press for jobs and equity

Developers presented an informational workshop Feb. 3 outlining a proposed roughly 550,000-square-foot regional retail center and associated mixed-use development at Candlestick Point as part of the Hunters Point Shipyard/Candlestick Point redevelopment. Lennar Urban described its selection of Macerich as a retail partner; Macerich and Lennar said the plan would be integrated into a larger project that includes thousands of homes (staff noted a program-level total of about 12,000 homes across the overall plan, with roughly one-third below-market-rate), park and open-space improvements, and regional transportation upgrades.

Developers and staff highlighted community benefits tied to the development: extending transit routes and increasing frequency on local lines (56 and 29 routes), a developer-provided shuttle, three new open spaces including a central Wedge Plaza, and workforce and contracting goals that call for 50% of construction-hours to be performed by San Francisco residents (with a preference for Bayview/Hunters Point residents) and a goal that 50% of subcontract dollars go to certified small business enterprises (SBEs), again with local preference. Staff noted past performance on phase 2 subcontracting (73% of subcontract dollars to SBEs; 54% to SBEs in the project area) and described forthcoming employment and contracting agreements to be implemented with the Office of Economic and Workforce Development.

Public comment was robust and divided: some speakers supported the project's potential jobs and neighborhood investment but asked for stronger commitments to homeownership, training and long-term inclusion for Bayview/Hunters Point residents; other speakers warned of historic displacement and said the city must address legacy harms from earlier urban-renewal eras. Developers said they aim for a mixed retail program that will catalyze neighborhood-serving businesses on surrounding streets (Ingersoll and Harney) and that tenant mix will include a range of price points and uses, not just outlet anchors. The presentation was informational; staff said sub-phase and design approvals will return to the commission in coming months.