Commission approves 2 Stockton redevelopment with downtown office allocation and indoor POPOS variance; staff to return on POPOS details

The Planning Commission on Nov. 10 approved a downtown project authorization, conditional‑use authorization and a 49,999‑square‑foot office allocation for 2 Stockton Street, a mixed‑use repositioning in the Kearny‑Market‑Mason‑Sutter historic district.

Sponsor Strata Investment Group and its design team presented a facade and massing scheme to modernize a 1907 building, add office floors with 16‑foot floor‑to‑floor heights and improve retail storefronts at street level. The project also requests a variance from the POPOS (privately‑owned public open space) standard because site constraints led the team to propose an indoor ground‑floor POPOS rather than a larger rooftop or exterior plaza.

Planning staff supported the project, noting its transit accessibility (Powell BART and the central subway) and unanimous Historic Preservation Commission support. The Union Square Alliance and other business groups supported the conversion, while the Alliance urged consideration of an in‑lieu POPOS fee for future code changes. Commissioners discussed how an indoor, street‑accessible POPOS would operate and noted the need for visible signage and programming so the public recognizes it as open and accessible.

Commission action: The commission approved the project with conditions, including condition 14 requiring the sponsor to return with POPOS design details for Planning Department approval prior to planning approval of the first building or site permit. The commission also added that if a future code amendment creates an in‑lieu fee option in the district, the sponsor may elect that option instead of building the indoor POPOS. The zoning administrator granted the POPOS variance consistent with the commission’s action. Vote was 6–1 with Commissioner Imperial opposed.